MARKETING TECHNIQUE TO NEGOTIATE PRICE OF PRODUCT

• US 20140337116A1
• Filed: 05/10/2013
• Published: 11/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Watfa, Allie K., Nussel, Dale, Pardeshi, Mangesh, Kilroy, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 10,032,185 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0234 Rebates after completed purchase

Abstract

Techniques are provided in which the current price of a commodity purchased from a seller by a buyer with a price guarantee policy is monitored. Upon detection of the current price dropping below the purchase price, the buyer and seller are notified, leading to a rebate being provided to the buyer from the seller to be redeemed based on the terms of the price guarantee policy. In some embodiments, buyers are offered incentives, such as a discounted price, in exchange for a reduced time period within which a price guarantee policy is redeemable.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

using one or more computers, retrieving one or more price guarantee policies from one or more sellers, wherein the price guarantee policies include one or more price guarantee limits for one or more time periods as to when one or more price guarantee rebates can be obtained;

using one or more computers, receiving pricing information for one or more commodities from the sellers;

using one or more computers, based on at least the price guarantee policies from the sellers and pricing information, generating and sending offer for sale information for the commodities to one or more buyers, wherein the offer for sale information includes the price guarantee policies associated with each of the commodities;

using one or more computers, receiving purchase information regarding one or more purchases of the commodities made by the buyers, wherein purchase information includes at least a purchase identification, purchase date, purchase price, and any offer for sale information for the commodities;

using one or more computers, monitoring and storing periodically a current price for the commodities associated with the purchase identification;

using one or more computers, if the current price for the commodities associated with the purchase identification falls below the price guarantee limits of the price guarantee policies associated with each of the commodities within the time periods measured from the purchase date, sending the purchase information to the sellers with a request for the price guarantee rebate for the buyers;

using one or more computers, receiving an indication that the price guarantee rebate has been granted for the buyers to receive a refund amount; and

using one or more computers, sending the refund amount as a credit to one or more accounts of the buyers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the commodities include tangible goods.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the commodities include services.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the offer for sale information includes one or more prices for the commodities with different price guarantee limits for different time periods such that the price guarantee limits increase in proportion to the span of the time periods.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the price guarantee rebates include an offer for a gift card redeemable with the sellers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring and storing periodically the current price for the commodities associated with the purchase identification comprises monitoring the current price as displayed by online sellers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring and storing periodically the current price for the commodities associated with the purchase identification comprises storing the price on virtualized pools of storage using an online network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring and storing periodically the current price for the commodities associated with the purchase identification comprises ceasing monitoring and storing periodically when the time periods associated with the price protection policies expire.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein generating and sending offer for sale information for the commodities to one or more buyers comprises displaying the offer for sale information to the buyers on a website.

10. A system comprising:

one or more server computers coupled to a network; and

one or more databases coupled to the one or more server computers;

wherein the one or more server computers are for;

retrieving one or more price guarantee policies from one or more sellers, wherein the price guarantee policies include one or more price guarantee limits for one or more time periods as to when one or more price guarantee rebates can be obtained;

receiving pricing information for one or more commodities from the sellers;

based on at least the price guarantee policies from the sellers and the pricing information, generating and sending offer for sale information for the commodities to one or more buyers, wherein the offer for sale information includes the price guarantee policies associated with each of the commodities;

receiving purchase information regarding one or more purchases of the commodities made by the buyers, wherein purchase information includes at least a purchase identification, purchase date, purchase price, and any offer for sale information for the commodities;

monitoring and storing periodically a current price for the commodities associated with the purchase identification;

if the current price for the commodities associated with the purchase identification falls below the price guarantee limits of the price guarantee policies associated with each of the commodities within the time periods measured from the purchase date, sending the purchase information to the sellers with a request for the price guarantee rebate for the buyers;

receiving an indication that the price guarantee rebate has been granted for the buyers to receive a refund amount; and

sending the refund amount as a credit to one or more accounts of the buyers.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the commodities include tangible goods.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the commodities include services.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the offer for sale information includes one or more prices for the commodities with different price guarantee limits for different time periods such that the price guarantee limits increase in proportion to the span of the time periods.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the price guarantee rebates include an offer for a gift card redeemable with the sellers.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein monitoring and storing periodically the current price for the commodities associated with the purchase identification comprises monitoring the current price as displayed by online sellers.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein monitoring and storing periodically the current price for the commodities associated with the purchase identification comprises storing the price on virtualized pools of storage using an online network.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein monitoring and storing periodically the current price for the commodities associated with the purchase identification comprises ceasing monitoring and storing periodically when the time periods associated with the price protection policies expire.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein generating and sending offer for sale information for the commodities to one or more buyers comprises displaying the offer for sale information to the buyers on a website.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein generating and sending offer for sale information for the commodities to one or more buyers comprises displaying the offer for sale information to the buyers in response to a search query.

20. A computer readable medium or media containing instructions for executing a method, the method comprising:

using one or more computers, retrieving one or more price guarantee policies from one or more sellers, wherein the price guarantee policies include one or more price guarantee limits for one or more time periods as to when one or more price guarantee rebates can be obtained;

using one or more computers, receiving pricing information for one or more commodities from the sellers;

using one or more computers, based on at least the price guarantee policies from the sellers and the pricing information, generating and sending offer for sale information for the commodities to one or more buyers, wherein the offer for sale information includes the price guarantee policies associated with each of the commodities, and wherein generating and sending offer for sale information comprises displaying the offer for sale information to the buyers in response to a search query;

using one or more computers, receiving purchase information regarding one or more purchases of the commodities made by the buyers, wherein purchase information includes at least a purchase identification, purchase date, purchase price, and any offer for sale information for the commodities;

using one or more computers, monitoring and storing periodically a current price for the commodities associated with the purchase identification;

using one or more computers, if the current price for the commodities associated with the purchase identification falls below the price guarantee limits of the price guarantee policies associated with each of the commodities within the time periods measured from the purchase date, sending the purchase information to the sellers with a request for the price guarantee rebate for the buyers;

using one or more computers, receiving an indication that the price guarantee rebate has been granted for the buyers to receive a refund amount; and

using one or more computers, sending the refund amount as a credit to one or more accounts of the buyers.