Automated feedback cancellation in a network-based transaction facility

• US 20060064343A1
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Hanif, Amjad, Burke, Brian, Logan, Jonathan Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,885,850 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

A request to cancel feedback pertaining to a transaction in a network-based transaction facility is generated when a user submitting the feedback has not participated in a dispute resolution process or other process of the facility. In another embodiment, a request to cancel such feedback is generated when a user submitting the feedback has been suspended from the facility within a certain time period of that user'"'"'s initial use of the facility, or indefinitely suspended within a certain time period of leaving the feedback. In yet another embodiment, a user is required to view a tutorial before leaving his first negative or neutral feedback. In another embodiment, a user is presented with an interstitial page reminding him of the effects of leaving negative or neutral feedback.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a feedback cancellation request receiver to receive a request to cancel feedback left by a user pertaining to a transaction in a network-based transaction facility;

a feedback cancellation criteria evaluator to determine whether one or more feedback cancellation criteria are satisfied, said feedback cancellation criteria including whether said user has participated in a dispute resolution procedure, whether said user has been suspended within a certain time period of said user'"'"'s initial activity on said facility, and whether said user has been indefinitely suspended within said certain time period of leaving said feedback; and

a feedback cancellation recorder to cancel the feedback pertaining to the transaction if the one or more feedback cancellation criteria are satisfied.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a feedback cancellation request processor to determine whether said user has previously left feedback pertaining to said transaction, and wherein

said feedback cancellation recorder cancels said previously left feedback.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said dispute resolution procedure includes a communication by said user that said user has not received an item that said user has ordered using said network-based transaction facility.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said dispute resolution procedure includes a communication by said user that said user has not received payment for an item that said user has sold using said network-based transaction facility.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said time period comprises at least 90 days.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a feedback user interface generator, wherein said feedback user interface generator is to generate a tutorial for said user when said user leaves negative or neutral feedback for the first time.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said feedback user interface generator is to generate an interstitial page informing said user about effects of leaving negative or neutral feedback, and further wherein said interstitial page suggests alternatives to feedback.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said feedback cancellation criteria evaluator further is to determine whether a valid item number has been entered, and whether said valid item number relates to more than one transaction.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the feedback cancellation recorder is to remove the feedback pertaining to the transaction by marking the feedback pertaining to the transaction as removed.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said removal comprises:

marking said feedback so that said feedback is not displayed to users; and

recalculating feedback scores and statistics for each party to said transaction.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said feedback cancellation recorder is to remove the feedback pertaining to the transaction by marking the feedback pertaining to the transaction as non-scored.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said non-scoring comprises:

displaying the feedback comment to users;

displaying a system administrator message indicating that said feedback has been withdrawn; and

recalculating feedback statistics if said statistics were previously updated based on said feedback comment.

13. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said feedback cancellation request processor informs the parties to said transaction of said cancelled feedback.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said feedback cancellation request receiver is to determine that more than one transaction is associated with said item number, and further wherein said feedback cancellation request receiver is to access a database to identify the correct transaction.

15. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, via a network, a request to cancel feedback left by a user pertaining to a transaction in a network-based transaction facility;

automatically determining whether one or more feedback cancellation criteria are satisfied, said feedback cancellation criteria including whether said user has participated in a dispute resolution procedure, whether said user has been suspended within a certain time period of said user'"'"'s initial activity on said facility, or whether said user has been indefinitely suspended within said certain time period of leaving said feedback; and

automatically canceling the feedback pertaining to the transaction if the one or more feedback cancellation criteria are satisfied.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining whether said user has previously left feedback pertaining to said transaction; and

canceling said previously left feedback.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein said dispute resolution procedure includes a communication by said user that said user has not received an item that said user has ordered using said network-based transaction facility.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein said dispute resolution procedure includes a communication by said user that said user has not received payment for an item that said user has sold using said network-based transaction facility.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein said time period comprises at least 90 days.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising generating a tutorial for said user when said user leaves negative or neutral feedback for the first time.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 20, further comprising generating an interstitial page informing said user about the effects of leaving negative or neutral feedback and suggesting alternatives to said feedback.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising determining whether a valid item number has been entered, and whether said item number relates to more than one transaction.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further wherein said canceling the feedback pertaining to the transaction includes removing the feedback by marking the feedback pertaining to the transaction as removed.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 23, wherein said removal comprises:

marking said feedback so that said feedback is not displayed to users; and

recalculating feedback scores and statistics for each party to said transaction.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein said canceling includes marking the feedback pertaining to the transaction as non-scored.

26. The computer-implemented method of claim 25, wherein said non-scoring comprises:

displaying the feedback comment to users;

displaying a system administrator message indicating that said feedback has been withdrawn; and

recalculating feedback statistics if said statistics were previously updated base on said feedback comment.

27. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, further comprising informing the parties to said transaction of said canceled feedback.

28. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising determining that more than one transaction is associated with said item number, and accessing a database to identify the correct transaction.

32. A tangible computer readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed on a processor, cause the processor to perform the method of claim 15.

29. A computer system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, to receive a request to cancel feedback pertaining to a transaction in a network-based transaction facility, said request generated when a user has failed to participate in a dispute resolution procedure, said user has been suspended within a certain time period of said user'"'"'s initial activity on said computer system, or said user has been indefinitely suspended within said certain time period of leaving said feedback.

30. The computer system of claim 29,

wherein said dispute resolution procedure comprises a communication by said user that said user has not received an item that said user has ordered using said computer system.

31. The computer system of claim 29,

wherein said dispute resolution procedure comprises a communication by said user that said user has not received payment for an item that said user has sold using said computer system.

33. An apparatus comprising:

first means for receiving a request to cancel feedback left by a user pertaining to a transaction in a network-based transaction facility;

second means for determining whether one or more feedback cancellation criteria are satisfied, said feedback cancellation criteria including whether said user has participated in a dispute resolution procedure, whether said user has been suspended within a certain time period of said user'"'"'s initial activity on said facility, and whether said user has been indefinitely suspended within said certain time period of leaving said feedback; and

third means for canceling the feedback pertaining to the transaction if the one or more feedback cancellation criteria are satisfied.