SERVICES FOR GENERATION OF ELECTRONIC MARKETPLACE LISTINGS USING PERSONAL PURCHASE HISTORIES OR OTHER INDICIA OF PRODUCT OWNERSHIP

• US 20080228592A1
• Filed: 05/27/2008
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Roseman, Neil C., Kotas, Paul, Bezos, Jeffrey P., George, Michael M., Kenny, Erin B., Blackburn, Jeffrey M., Dalzell, Richard L., Moore, Bruce C., Dilley, Alandra S., Tucker, Emily M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,614,547 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

An electronic marketplace system provides various features for assisting users in listing products for sale, locating the listings for a product, and performing related actions. A user wishing to sell a product can browse to an existing description of the product in an electronic catalog and then select an option to create a corresponding listing. If the user previously purchased the product via the system, the user may alternatively select the product from a personal purchase history. The system may also proactively send product-specific listing requests to those who have purchased or otherwise indicated ownership of specific products.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating user-to-user sales of products in an electronic marketplace system, the method comprising:

tracking purchases made by a user of the electronic marketplace system over time to generate purchase history data for the user;

for at least a first product represented in the purchase history data for the user, using the purchase history data to automatically generate a link that is selectable by the user to at least initiate a process of creating a marketplace listing in which the first product is listed for sale in the electronic marketplace; and

transmitting the link to the user to assist the user in listing a previously purchased unit of the first product for sale in the electronic marketplace.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the link is transmitted to the user in response to another user preordering the first product.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein the link is transmitted to the user in response to the user performing an action that evidences completion of consumption of the first product, said action performed via a user computing device.

4. The method as in claim 3, wherein the action is one of the following:

(a) submitting a review of the first product;

(b) submitting a rating of the first product;

(c) purchasing a second product that is deemed to supersede the first product.

5. The method as in claim 1, wherein the link is automatically transmitted to the user a selected time period after acquisition of the first product by the user, said selected time period based at least in part on a characteristic of the first product.

6. The method as in claim 1, wherein the link is to a page of the electronic marketplace system that provides functionality for listing the first product for sale.

7. The method as in claim 1, further comprising responding to user selection of the link by transmitting a listing creation page to the user, said listing creation page including a description of the first product, and including a form for user submission of listing information for creating the marketplace listing for the first product.

8. The method as in claim 1, wherein the link is a single action link which, when selected by the user, causes the marketplace listing to be created without further action by the user.

9. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

determining a quantity of preorder listings pending in the marketplace system for the first product, each preorder listing representing a buyer request to purchase the first product; and

communicating an indication of said quantity of pending preorder listings to the user with the link to assist the user in assessing a level of demand for the first product.

10. The method as in claim 1, wherein the purchase history data includes information regarding at least one of the following:

(a) online retail purchases made by the first user;

(b) gift purchases made by other users for the first user.

11. The method as in claim 1, wherein the link is transmitted to the user by electronic mail.

12. The method as in claim 11, wherein the link is transmitted to the user automatically based at least partly on expiration of a time period since the user purchased the first product.

13. A computer system configured to perform the method of claim 1.

14. A computer-readable medium which stores executable instructions that embody the method of claim 1.

15. A system, comprising:

an electronic marketplace system that provides functionality for users to list products for sale in an electronic marketplace, and to make purchases of products listed for sale by other users, said electronic marketplace system accessible by the users via a computer network;

a computer data repository that stores purchase history data for each of a plurality of users, said purchase history data identifying particular products purchased by particular users; and

a listing request generation system that uses the purchase history data to automatically generate user-specific listing request messages for transmission to corresponding users, said listing request messages providing functionality for the corresponding users to access the marketplace system and to at least initiate creation of marketplace listings for re-selling previously purchased products.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the listing request generation system is operative to use the purchase history data for a first user to generate a first listing request message for presentation to the first user, said first listing request message identifying a first product purchased by the first user, and including a user-selectable link that is specific to the first product, said user-selectable link being selectable by the first user to at least initiate creation of a marketplace listing re-selling the first product.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the listing request generation system is operative to send the first listing request message in response to the first user performing an action that evidences completion of consumption of the first product.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the listing request generation system is operative to send the first listing request message in response to expiration of a time period, said time period being based at least partly on an attribute of the first product.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the marketplace system provides functionality for users to generate preorder listings to order products that are not currently available in the electronic marketplace, and wherein the listing request generation system is responsive to generation by a first user of a preorder listing for a first product by using the purchase history data to identify at least a second user that has purchased the first product, and by causing a listing creation request message corresponding to the first product to be transmitted to the second user.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the listing request generation system transmits at least some of the listing request messages to users by electronic mail.

21. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a submission from a first user of a preorder listing for a first product represented in an electronic catalog of products, said preorder listing representing an offer to purchase the first product from an unspecified seller in an electronic marketplace; and

responding to the submission of the preorder listing by the first user by at least (1) using stored purchase history data of users to identify at least a second user that has previously purchased the first product, and (2) transmitting a listing request message to the second user, said listing request message identifying the first product, and providing functionality for the second user to at least initiate creation of a marketplace listing for selling the first product.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the listing request message includes an indication that a preorder listing for the first product is pending in the electronic marketplace.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the listing request message includes an indication of a quantity of preorder listings currently pending for the first product in the electronic marketplace.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the method comprises transmitting the listing request message to the second user by electronic mail.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the listing request message includes a link that is specific to the first product, said link being selectable to initiate creation of the marketplace listing.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the preorder listing includes a minimum product condition and maximum price specified by the first user for purchasing the first product.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising, in response to creation of said marketplace listing by the second user, automatically determining whether the marketplace listing matches the preorder listing.

28. A computer system programmed to perform the method of claim 21.

29. A computer-readable medium which stores executable instructions that embody the method of claim 21.