ONLINE MARKETPLACE FOR WHOLESALE DEALS

• US 20140067603A1
• Filed: 08/31/2012
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Okoro, Anthony, Punnoose, Andrews, Doss, Richard Prabu, Walton, Nathalie, Walton, Jeremy Mark, Wexler-Beron, Edward
• Application Number:
  US13/601,825
• Publication Number:
  US 20140067603A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0619 Neutral agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

A method of vetting a wholesaler of an item for participation in an online marketplace is disclosed. A notification that the wholesaler of the item intends to sell the item on the online marketplace is received. The online marketplace is reserved for wholesaling and the notification includes a price at which the wholesaler intends to sell the item. The price at which the wholesaler intends to sell the item is compared with an average price at which an end consumer may purchase the item on an additional online marketplace. The additional online marketplace is not reserved for wholesaling. A listing is received from a wholesaler of the item on the online marketplace based on the comparison of the price at which the wholesaler intends to sell the item being less than the average price at which the end consumer may purchase the item on the additional online marketplace.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a notification that a wholesaler of an item intends to sell the item on an online marketplace, the online marketplace reserved for wholesaling, the notification including a price at which the wholesaler intends to sell the item;

comparing the price at which the wholesaler intends to sell the item with an average price at which an end consumer may purchase the item on an additional online marketplace, the additional online marketplace not reserved for wholesaling; and

using one or more processors, receiving a listing from the wholesaler of the item based on the comparison of the price at which the wholesaler intends to sell the item being less than the average price at which the end consumer may purchase the item on the additional online marketplace.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing a potential buyer of the item on the online marketplace to confirm the average price at which the end consumer may purchase the item on the additional online marketplace by clicking a user interface element associated with a listing of the item on the online marketplace.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the allowing of the potential buyer of the item on the online marketplace to confirm the average price at which the end consumer may purchase the item on the additional online marketplace includes displaying a summary of prices at which the item was sold on the additional online marketplace by navigating to the online marketplace via a web browser using an HTTP request.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that a potential buyer is a top seller of the item to end consumers on the additional online marketplace and providing the potential buyer with access to the online marketplace based on the determination.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing a potential buyer to engage in a number of rounds of negotiations with the wholesaler regarding an offer, each of the number of rounds allowing one of the potential buyer and the wholesaler to specify at least one of a new price and a new quantity for the item, the number of rounds of negotiations being specified by the wholesaler.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising ending the rounds of negotiations based on the number of rounds of negotiations concluding without an agreement being reached between the potential buyer and the wholesaler on at least one of a final quantity and a final price for the item.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising allowing the potential buyer to engage in the number of rounds of the negotiations with the wholesaler based on an authentication of the potential buyer as a certified reseller.

8. A system comprising:

a processor-implemented module configured to;

receive a notification that a wholesaler of an item intends to sell the item on an online marketplace, the online marketplace reserved for wholesaling, the notification including a price at which the wholesaler intends to sell the item;

compare the price at which the wholesaler intends to sell the item with an average price at which an end consumer may purchase the item on an additional online marketplace, the additional online marketplace not reserved for wholesaling; and

allow receiving a listing from the wholesaler of the item based on the comparison of the price at which the wholesaler intends to sell the item being less than the average price at which the end consumer may purchase the item on the additional online marketplace.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor-implemented module is further configured to allow a potential buyer of the item on the online marketplace to confirm the average price at which the end consumer may purchase the item on the additional online marketplace by clicking a user interface element associated with a listing of the item on the online marketplace.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor-implemented module is further configured to allow the potential buyer of the item on the online marketplace to confirm the average price at which the end consumer may purchase the item on the additional online marketplace includes displaying a summary of prices at which the item was sold on the additional online marketplace by navigating to the online marketplace via a web browser using an HTTP request.

11. The system of claim 8, the processor-implemented module further configured to determine that a potential buyer is a top seller of the item to end consumers on the additional online marketplace and providing the potential buyer with access to the online marketplace based on the determination.

12. The system of claim 8, the processor-implemented module further configured to allow a potential buyer to engage in a number of rounds of negotiations with the wholesaler regarding an offer, each of the number of rounds allowing one of the potential buyer and the wholesaler to specify at least one of a new price and a new quantity for the item, the number of rounds of negotiations being specified by the wholesaler.

13. The system of claim 12, the processor-implemented module further configured to end the rounds of negotiations based on the number of rounds of negotiations concluding without an agreement being reached between the potential buyer and the wholesaler on at least one of a final quantity and a final price for the item.

14. The system of claim 12, the processor-implemented module further configured to allow the potential buyer to engage in the number of rounds of the negotiations with the wholesaler based on an authentication of the potential buyer as a certified reseller.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable medium embodying a set of instructions that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving a notification that a wholesaler of an item intends to sell the item on an online marketplace, the online marketplace reserved for wholesaling, the notification including a price at which the wholesaler intends to sell the item;

comparing the price at which the wholesaler intends to sell the item with an average price at which an end consumer may purchase the item on an additional online marketplace, the additional online marketplace not reserved for wholesaling; and

receiving a listing from the wholesaler of the item based on the comparison of the price at which the wholesaler intends to sell the item being less than the average price at which the end consumer may purchase the item on the additional online marketplace.

16. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15, further comprising allowing a potential buyer of the item on the online marketplace to confirm the average price at which the end consumer may purchase the item on the additional online marketplace by clicking a user interface element associated with a listing of the item on the online marketplace.

17. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 16, wherein the allowing of the potential buyer of the item on the online marketplace to confirm the average price at which the end consumer may purchase the item on the additional online marketplace includes displaying a summary of prices at which the item was sold on the additional online marketplace by navigating to the online marketplace via a web browser using an HTTP request.

18. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15, further comprising determining that a potential buyer is a top seller of the item to end consumers on the additional online marketplace and providing the potential buyer with access to the online marketplace based on the determination.

19. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15, further comprising allowing a potential buyer to engage in a number of rounds of negotiations with the wholesaler regarding an offer, each of the number of rounds allowing one of the potential buyer and the wholesaler to specify at least one of a new price and a new quantity for the item, the number of rounds of negotiations being specified by the wholesaler.

20. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 19, further comprising ending the rounds of negotiations based on the number of rounds of negotiations concluding without an agreement being reached between the potential buyer and the wholesaler on at least one of a final quantity and a final price for the item.