AUTOMATIC RESTITUTION OF TRANSACTION FEES, PUNISHMENT OF NON-PAYING BIDDERS, AND MANAGEMENT OF APPEALS

• US 20100100483A1
• Filed: 12/15/2009
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Lin, Huey, Levin, Theodore Douglas, Nielson, Jason, Levchin, Max, Han, Gina, Klein, Erik, Wo, Steven, Aptekar, Denise, Chen, May, Haffey, Kyle, Wilson, Kristen, Gonzales, Julie, Levy, Dan, Cervelli, Greg, Freeland, Carl, McGraw, Chris
• Granted Patent: US 8,626,651 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/182 Alternative dispute resolution

Abstract

A method and system for resolving disputes between parties involved in a network-based transaction is described. One aspect of the present invention seeks to automatically facilitate the restitution of value to parties of the transaction, for example, facilitated by a network-based commerce platform or involving a network-based payment service, where a dispute has arisen with respect to the transaction.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a complaint over a network from a first party to a transaction, the complaint being associated to the transaction, and the first party being obligated to pay a transaction fee relating to the transaction;

responsive to receipt of the complaint, determining by a computer that the complaint includes a reason to provide restitution of the transaction fee, the reason including at least one of;

the transaction being cancelled upon mutual agreement between the first party and a second party to the transaction,

the first party issuing a refund to the second party, and

the first party receiving a payment of a first amount that is less than a second amount originally agreed upon by the first party and the second party;

sending a request, responsive to the first party indicating the reason, over the network to the second party to the transaction, the request requesting a notification specifying that the complaint is fraudulent from the second party; and

providing restitution of the transaction fee to the first party based on the notification specifying that the complaint is fraudulent not being received from the second party.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining by the computer that the complaint includes the reason is delayed until a specific period of time has elapsed subsequent to the receiving of the complaint.

3. A method for resolving disputes in a network-based facility, the method comprising:

receiving a complaint over a network from a first party to a transaction, the complaint relating to the transaction;

responsive to receipt of the complaint, determining by a computer that the complaint includes a reason to increment a warning counter associated with a second party

to the transaction, the reason including at least one of;

the second party failing to pay for an item involved in the transaction,

the second party providing a fraudulent check to pay for the item, and

the second party falsely claiming the item was not received;

sending a request, based on the first party indicating the reason, to the second party requesting that the second party resolve the complaint with the first party or specify that the complaint is fraudulent;

incrementing the warning counter based on the second party not resolving the complaint with the first party or specifying that the complaint is fraudulent; and

suspending the second party from participating in the network-based facility based on the warning counter reaching or exceeding a threshold.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving a submission from the second party of an appeal of the incrementing of the warning counter, the appeal including at least one of an appeal reason for the appeal and supporting information for the appeal;

responsive to the receiving of the submission, determining whether to decrement the warning counter, the determining including at least one of evaluating the submission and evaluating a profile of the second party, the profile including information about transactions the second party has not completed; and

responsive to a decrementing of the warning counter, removing a suspension of the second party from participating in the network-based facility based on the warning counter being below the threshold.

5. A machine-readable storage medium embodying a set of instructions that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform a method for resolving disputes in a network-based facility, the method comprising:

receiving a complaint over a network from a first party to a transaction, the complaint being associated to the transaction, and the first party being obligated to pay a transaction fee relating to the transaction;

responsive to receipt of the complaint, determining by a computer that the complaint includes a reason to provide restitution of the transaction fee, the reason including at least one of;

the transaction being cancelled upon mutual agreement between the first party and a second party to the transaction,

the first party issuing a refund to the second party, and

the first party receiving a payment of a first amount that is less than a second amount originally agreed upon by the first party and the second party;

sending a request, responsive to the first party indicating the reason, over the network to the second party to the transaction, the request requesting a notification specifying that the complaint is fraudulent from the second party; and

providing restitution of the transaction fee to the first party based on the notification specifying that the complaint is fraudulent not being received from the second party.

6. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the determining by the computer that the complaint includes the reason is delayed until a specific period of time has elapsed subsequent to the receiving of the complaint.

7. A machine-readable storage medium embodying a set of instructions that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform a method for resolving disputes in a network-based facility, the method comprising:

receiving a complaint over a network from a first party to a transaction, the complaint relating to the transaction;

responsive to receipt of the complaint, determining by a computer that the complaint includes a reason to increment a warning counter associated with a second party to the transaction, the reason including at least one of;

the second party failing to pay for an item involved in the transaction,

the second party providing a fraudulent check to pay for the item, and

the second party falsely claiming the item was not received;

sending a request, when the first party indicates the reason, to the second party requesting that the second party resolve the complaint with the first party or specify that the complaint is fraudulent;

incrementing the warning counter based on the second party not resolving the complaint with the first party or specifying that the complaint is fraudulent; and

suspending the second party from participating in the network-based facility based on the warning counter reaching or exceeding a threshold.

8. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 7, the method further comprising:

receiving a submission from the second party of an appeal of the incrementing of the warning counter, the appeal including at least one of a reason for the appeal and supporting information for the appeal;

responsive to the receiving of the submission, determining whether to decrement the warning counter, the determining including at least one of evaluating the submission and evaluating a profile of the second party, the profile including information about transactions the second party has not completed; and

responsive to a decrementing of the warning counter, removing a suspension of the second party from participating in the network-based facility based on the warning counter being below the threshold.

9. A system for resolving disputes in a network-based facility, the system comprising:

means for receiving a complaint over a network from a first party to a transaction, the complaint being associated to the transaction, and the first party being obligated to pay a transaction fee relating to the transaction;

means for determining by a computer, responsive to receipt of the complaint, that the complaint includes a reason to provide restitution of the transaction fee, the reason including at least one of;

the transaction being cancelled upon mutual agreement between the first party and a second party to the transaction,

the first party issuing a refund to the second party, and

the first party receiving a payment of a first amount that is less than a second amount originally agreed upon by the first party and the second party;

means for sending a request, responsive to the first party indicating the reason, over the network to the second party to the transaction, the request requesting a notification specifying that the complaint is fraudulent from the second party; and

means for providing restitution of the transaction fee to the first party based on the notification specifying that the complaint is fraudulent not being received from the second party.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the determining by the computer that the complaint includes the reason is delayed until a specific period of time has elapsed subsequent to the receiving of the complaint.

11. A system for resolving disputes in a network-based facility, the system comprising:

means for receiving a complaint over a network from a first party to a transaction, the complaint relating to the transaction;

means for determining by a computer, responsive to receipt of the complaint, that the complaint includes a reason to increment a warning counter associated with a second party to the transaction, the reason including at least one of;

the second party failing to pay for an item involved in the transaction,

the second party providing a fraudulent check to pay for the item, and

the second party falsely claiming the item was not received;

means for sending a request, based on the first party indicating the reason, to the second party requesting that the second party resolve the complaint with the first party or specify that the complaint is fraudulent;

means for incrementing the warning counter based on the second party not resolving the complaint with the first party or specifying that the complaint is fraudulent; and

means for suspending the second party from participating in the network-based facility based on the warning counter reaching or exceeding a threshold.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for receiving a submission from the second party of an appeal of the incrementing of the warning counter, the appeal including at least one of an appeal reason for the appeal and supporting information for the appeal;

means for determining whether to decrement the warning counter, responsive to the receiving of the submission, the determining including at least one of evaluating the submission and evaluating a profile of the second party, the profile including information about transactions the second party has not completed; and

means for removing a suspension of the second party from participating in the network-based facility, responsive to a decrementing of the warning counter, based on the warning counter being below the threshold.