INTRODUCING A FIXED-PRICE TRANSACTION MECHANISM IN CONJUNCTION WITH AN AUCTION TRANSACTION MECHANISM

• US 20100049622A1
• Filed: 06/30/2009
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Grove, Brian Alan, Grove, Steve, Edson, Zak James, Sandler, Andrew Leigh
• Granted Patent: US 8,751,326 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0611 Request for offers or quotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A method and systems for auction price-setting for a listing using a fixed price-setting process are disclosed. A seller is provided with an option to offer the listing in the fixed price-setting process or the auction price-setting process. A fixed price offer for the listing is published based on a criteria. Additional embodiments are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

at a network-based commerce system,

facilitating a network-based auction price-setting process for a listing using a fixed price-setting process executed from memory by a processor;

providing, via an interface device, a seller with an option to offer the listing in at least one of the fixed price-setting process or the auction price-setting process; and

publishing, via a server, a fixed price offer for the listing, based on a criteria.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the seller has selected to offer the listing in the fixed price-setting process.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the seller at least one of a pre-auction price or a reserve price.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving from a buyer a request for an adjustment of at least one of the pre-auction price or the reserve price.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving from the seller an adjustment to at least one of the pre-auction price or the reserve price.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a buyer with an option to purchase the listing using the fixed price-setting process.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

automatically closing the auction process for the listing when the buyer options to purchase the listing using the fixed price-setting process.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the seller an indication that the seller is willing to share reserve price information when a buyer agrees to publish proxy bid information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the fixed price offer is higher than a current highest bid.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the fixed price offer is lower than a high proxy bid.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

automatically designating a buyer associated with the high proxy bid as the winner of the auctioned item.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the automatically designating is performed when the buyer has opted into being designated the winner automatically.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

automatically notifying a buyer associated with the high proxy bid upon the publication of the fixed price offer.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein publishing the fixed price offer based on the criteria includes publishing the fixed price offer when a bid to buy has reached a certain value during the auction.

15. A machine-readable medium storing instructions which when executed by a machine cause the machine to perform, at a network-based commerce system, a method comprising:

providing, via an interface device, a seller with an option to offer the listing in at least one of the fixed price-setting process or the auction price-setting process; and

publishing, via s server, a fixed price offer for the listing, based on a criteria.

16. A network-based commerce system comprising:

memory;

a processor coupled to the memory;

the processor to execute from the memory a fixed price-setting process to facilitate the operation of a network-based auction price-setting process for a listing, the fixed price-setting process to provide a fixed price offer for the listing;

an interface device to provide a seller with an option to offer the listing in at least one of the fixed price-setting process or the auction price-setting process; and

a server to publish a fixed price offer for the listing, based on a criteria.

17. The network-based commerce system of claim 16, wherein the processor is to determine that the seller has optioned to offer the listing in the fixed price-setting process.

18. The network-based commerce system of claim 16, wherein the processor is to determine that the seller has optioned to offer the listing in the fixed price-setting process.

19. The network-based commerce system of claim 16, wherein the interface device is to receive from the seller at least one of a pre-auction price or a reserve price.

20. The network-based commerce system of claim 19, wherein the interface device is to receive from a buyer a request for an adjustment of at least one of the pre-auction price or the reserve price.

21. The network-based commerce system of claim 16, wherein the interface device is to receive from the seller an adjustment to at least one of the pre-auction price or the reserve price.

22. The network-based commerce system of claim 16, wherein the interface device is to receive from the seller an adjustment to at least one of the pre-auction price or the reserve price.

23. The network-based commerce system of claim 16, wherein the interface device is to provide the buyer with an option to purchase the listing using the fixed price-setting process.

24. The network-based commerce system of claim 16 wherein the processor is to automatically close the auction process for the listing when the buyer options to purchase the listing using the fixed price-setting process.

25. A system comprising:

means for facilitating a network-based auction price-setting process for a listing using a fixed price-setting process executed from a memory by a processor;

means for providing, via an interface device, a seller with an option to offer the listing in at least one of the fixed price-setting process or the auction price-setting process; and

means for publishing, via a server, a fixed price offer for the listing, based on a criteria.