SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A CONSUMER TO MERCHANT NEGOTIATION

• US 20130173478A1
• Filed: 03/14/2012
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Personali Inc.
• Original Assignee: Personali Inc.
• Inventors: Farhi, Amir M.
• Application Number:
  US13/420,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20130173478A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

A method for a consumer-to-merchant electronic negotiation. The method comprises receiving a time-limited initial binding offer from the consumer for purchasing at least one product from at least one merchant of choice; determining whether the initial offer made by the consumer is valid; notifying the least one merchant about the initial offer from the consumer with respect of the merchant without revealing consumer information; receiving from the merchant a time-limited response respective of the initial offer, the time-limited response is one of an acceptance of the initial offer, a decline of the initial offer, and one or more time-limited counter-offers; and processing the time-limited response received from the merchant to determine at least if the consumer-to-merchant negotiation has not been concluded.

Claims

1. A method for a consumer-to-merchant electronic negotiation, comprising:

receiving a time-limited initial binding offer from the consumer for purchasing at least one product of choice from at least one merchant of choice, wherein the initial offer includes at least an offered price for the product of choice, the at least one merchant of choice, and the product of choice, wherein the initial offer expires after a predefined timeframe;

determining whether the initial offer made by the consumer is valid;

notifying the least one merchant of choice about the initial offer from the consumer with respect of the at least one product of choice without revealing consumer information;

receiving from the merchant of choice a time-limited response respective of the initial offer, the time-limited response is one of an acceptance of the initial offer, a decline of the initial offer, and one or more time-limited counter-offers; and

processing the time-limited response received from the at least one merchant of choice to determine at least if the consumer-to-merchant negotiation has not been concluded.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprises:

receiving at least one subsequent time-limited offer from the consumer for the at least one product of choice; and

processing the at least one subsequent time-limited offer until the consumer-to-merchant negotiation is concluded.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprises:

receiving and acknowledging a consumer log on; and

receiving a selection of a merchant of choice and a product of choice from a consumer device of the consumer.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprises:

providing the consumer with a list of potential merchants for a product of choice.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprises:

providing the consumer with a list of potential merchants for a product of choice.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprises:

creating a personal score card for each merchant and consumer;

ranking the consumer and the merchant based on their past activities and a feedback received from the each merchant and consumer with respect of their interaction; and

presenting the rank of the consumer and the merchant in the consumer and the merchant personal score cards.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

matching between a merchant and a consumer based on at least one of;

a score card and a rank.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial offer further includes billing information of the consumer, wherein the at least one subsequent offer includes a revised offered price, wherein each of the initial offer and the at least one subsequent offer is binding upon acceptance by the merchant.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein processing of the time-limited response received from the merchant of choice, further comprises:

checking at least the content of the time-limited response;

causing to a completion of a purchase transaction and concluding the negotiation, if the content of the time-limited response is an acceptance of the initial offer;

concluding the negotiation, if the content of the time-limited response is the decline of the initial offer; and

providing the consumer device with the merchant one or more time-limited counter-offers, if the content of the time-limited response is a merchant time-limited counter-offer, wherein the merchant time-limited counter-offer expires after a predefined timeframe.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the merchant time-limited counter-offer includes at least one of:

a counter price for the product of choice, a discount coupon, at least an additional product of choice, at least one additional other product, and a product similar to the product of choice.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the product similar to the product of choice is counter offered in a price range of the initial offer for the product of choice.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein processing of at least one subsequent offer includes at least:

notifying the least one merchant of choice about the at least one subsequent offer from the consumer, wherein at least one subsequent offer expires after a predefined timeframe;

receiving from the merchant of choice a subsequent time-limited response respective of the at least one subsequent offer, the time-limited subsequent response includes any one of an acceptance of the initial offer, a decline of the initial offer, and a time-limited counter-offer; and

processing the subsequent response received from the merchant of choice to determine at least if the negotiation has been concluded.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein a number of the at least one subsequent offer is limited.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein examining whether the initial offer is valid further includes at least one of:

checking if the offered price is within a predefined price range for the product of choice; and

checking if the billing information is corrected.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprises:

saving in a database information respective of all offers exchanged between the consumer and the merchant during the consumer to merchant negotiation.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the consumer information includes the billing information and any information identifying the consumer, wherein the consumer information is withheld from the merchant as long as the initial offer and the at least one subsequent offer have not been accepted.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for causing one or more processing units to execute the method according to claim 1.

18. A system for a consumer to merchant negotiation, comprising:

a consumer device configured to generate a time-limited initial offer for purchasing at least one product of choice from at least one merchant of choice, wherein the initial offer includes at least an offered price for the product of choice, the at least one merchant of choice, and the product of choice, wherein the initial offer expires after a predefined timeframe;

a mediatorial server including at least a processing unit and configured to receive the initial offer, to determine whether the initial offer made by the consumer is valid, and to notify the at least one merchant of choice about the initial offer from the consumer with respect of the at least one product of choice without revealing consumer information; and

a merchant device of a merchant of choice configured to generate at least a time-limited response respective of the initial offer, the content of the time-limited response includes one of an acceptance of the initial offer, a decline of the initial offer, and a time-limited counter-offer; and

wherein the mediatorial server is further configured to process the time-limited response generated by the merchant device to determine if the consumer to merchant negotiation has not been concluded.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the mediatorial server is further configured to receive at least one subsequent time-limited offer from the consumer device for the at least one product of choice;

and process the at least one subsequent time-limited offer until the consumer to merchant negotiation has been concluded.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the consumer device, the mediatorial server, and the merchant device are connected to a network.