Method and system of valuing vehicles and providing classified listings

• US 20090070232A1
• Filed: 09/10/2007
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Trevor R. Milton
• Original Assignee: Trevor R. Milton
• Inventors: Milton, Trevor R.
• Application Number:
  US11/900,195
• Publication Number:
  US 20090070232A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A system and method for providing comparative market values in conjunction with creating or browsing online sales listings. Sellers automatically receive comparative market values while creating sales listings to thereby facilitate the establishment of sales prices. Potential buyers are provided comparative market values for items listed in sales listings while viewing the listings. Whether creating or viewing sales listings, comparative market values are provided automatically and without the need for the buyer or seller to link out to third-party websites to obtain the information. The present system and method are particularly suitable for operators of e-commerce websites, including auction websites and online classified websites.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for creating an online sales listing for an item, the method comprising:

receiving information entered into a computer by a seller, said information describing the item for sale;

determining a comparative market value for the item based upon the information entered by the seller;

causing the comparative market value for the item to be displayed to the seller in a manner such that the seller may utilize the comparative market value to determine and finalize a set sales price for the item without linking to a third party website; and

receiving the set sales price for the item entered by the seller using the computer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying the online sales listing to a potential buyer along with the comparative market value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparative market value for the item comprises a trade-in value for the item.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparative market value for the item comprises a low value for the item.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparative market value for the item comprises a high value for the item.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparative market value for the item comprises an average value for the item.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparative market value for the item comprises a trade-in value, a low value, a high value, and an average value.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving digital images of the item from the seller and including the digital images in the online sales listing.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of generating a preview of the online sales listing.

36. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises generating the online sales listing for the item from the information and the set sales price entered by the seller;

and

storing the online sales listing in a searchable database.

10. A computer implemented method for facilitating the placement of an online sales listing for an item, the method comprising:

receiving the sales listing for the item, said sales listing lacking a set sales price for the item;

determining a comparative market value for the item based upon information in the sales listing;

causing the comparative market value of the item to be displayed to the seller in a manner such that the seller may utilize the comparative market value to finalize the set sales price for the item;

receiving the set sales price for the item from the seller; and

causing the sales listing and the set sales price to be displayed to potential buyers of the item.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of displaying the comparative market value of the item to the buyer.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the comparative market value for the item comprises a trade-in value for the item.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the comparative market value for the item comprises a low value for the item.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the comparative market value for the item comprises a high value for the item.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the comparative market value for the item comprises an average value for the item.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the comparative market value for the item comprises a trade-in value, a low value, a high value, and an average value.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of receiving digital images of the item from the seller and including the digital images in the online sales listing.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of generating a preview of the online sales listing.

19. A computer implemented method for facilitating the placement of an online sales listing for an item, the method comprising:

providing an electronic data entry form, said electronic data entry form allowing a seller to identify features of the item;

receiving the features of the item entered by the seller through the electronic data entry form;

determining a comparative market value for the item based upon the features of the item;

causing the comparative market value for the item to be displayed to the seller in a manner such that the seller may utilize the comparative market value to finalize a set sales price for the item;

receiving the set sales price for the item; and

generating the online the sales listing utilizing the features of the item and the set sales price.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of displaying the sales listing to a potential buyer along with the comparative market value.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the comparative market value for the item comprises a trade-in value for the item.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the comparative market value for the item comprises a low value for the item.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the comparative market value for the item comprises a high value for the item.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the comparative market value for the item comprises an average value for the item.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the comparative market value for the item comprises a trade-in value, a low value, a high value, and an average value.

26. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of receiving digital images of the item uploaded by the seller and including the digital images in the online sales listing.

27. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of generating a preview of the online sales listing.

28. A system for facilitating online sales transactions between sellers and buyers, said system comprising:

means for providing an electronic data entry form over a network to remote computing devices, said electronic data entry form allowing sellers to enter descriptions of items for sale through the remote computing devices;

means for determining comparative market values of the items for sale based upon their descriptions entered by the sellers;

means for causing the comparative market values to be displayed to sellers in a manner such that the sellers may utilize the comparative market values to finalize set sales prices for the items;

means for receiving the set sales prices for the items entered by the sellers;

means for generating online sales listings for the items from the descriptions and the set sales prices; and

means for storing the online sales listings in a searchable database.

29. The system of claim 28, further comprising a means for displaying the sales listings to the buyers in conjunction with the comparative market values.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the comparative market values for the items comprise trade-in values for the items.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein the comparative market values for the items comprise low values for the items.

32. The system of claim 28, wherein the comparative market values for the items comprise high values for the items.

33. The system of claim 28, wherein the comparative market values for the items comprise average values for the items.

34. The system of claim 28, wherein the comparative market values for the items comprise trade-in values, low values, high values, and average values.

35. The system of claim 28, further comprising a means for allowing sellers to upload digital images.