Method and system to implement seller authorized buying privileges within a network-based shopping facility

• US 8,140,424 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2007
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Taylor, Jeffrey, Morin, Noel, Goodwine, Annette, Sze, Vicky, Cooney, Kevin W., Hsin, James, Fung, Elaine, Shaviv, Vered
• Primary Examiner(s): FADOK, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US11/852,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20080052218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,653 Days
• Field of Search: 705/37, 705/26.3, 705/26.35, 705/27, 705/26
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A method that commences by receiving a bid for a particular sales listing from a first bidder that is not pre-approved to bid on the particular sales listing. The method continues by restricting the bid for the particular sales listing from the bidding process associated with the particular sales listing, the restricting based on the requirement of the first bidder to be pre-approved to bid on the particular sales listing.

Claims

1. A method including:

receiving a bid for a particular item that is described by a sales listing from a first bidder that is not pre-approved to bid on the particular item that is described by the sales listing, the receiving done at least in part through the use of one or more processors;

restricting the bid for the particular item that is described by the sales listing from a bidding process associated with the particular item that is described by the sales listing, the restricting being based on a requirement that the first bidder be pre-approved to bid on the particular item that is described by the sales listing and identifying the first bidder as not being pre-approved, the restricting done at least in part through the use of one or more processors; and

communicating error information, over a network, to the first bidder, the error information indicating that bidding on the item is restricted to pre-approved bidders, the communicating done at least in part through the use of one or more processors.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the error information informs the first bidder to contact a seller to seek pre-approval to bid on the particular item that is described by the sales listing.

3. The method of claim 1, including retrieving information for the seller after the first bidder seeks pre-approval from a seller to bid on the particular item that is described by the sales listing, the information to facilitate the seller in determining whether to authorize the first bidder to bid on the particular item that is described by the sales listing.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the retrieving of the information includes receiving an auction site identifier that identifies the first bidder.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the auction site identifier includes at least one of a username for the first bidder or an email address for the first bidder.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the information is one of a bidding history associated with the first bidder or profile information associated with the first bidder.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the bidding history includes bid retraction information that indicates whether the first bidder retracted a bid on a different and particular sales listing.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the profile information includes feedback information for a transaction in which the first bidder entered a bid.

9. The method of claim 1, including receiving an authorization from the seller to authorize the bidder to bid on the particular item that is described by the sale listing that is listed for sale by the seller.

10. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

receive a bid for a particular item that is described by a sales listing from a first bidder that is not pre-approved to bid on the particular item that is described by the sales listing;

restrict the bid for the particular item that is described by the sales listing from a bidding process associated with the particular item that is described by the sales listing, the restriction based on a requirement that the first bidder is pre-approved to bid on the particular item that is described by the sales listing and an identification of the first bidder as not being pre-approved; and

communicate error information, over a network, to the first bidder, the error information indicates that bidding on the item is restricted to pre-approved bidders.

11. A method including:

receiving an offer to buy a particular item that is described by a sales listing from a first buyer that is not pre-approved to buy the particular item that is described by the sales listing, the receiving done at least in part through the use of one or more processors;

refusing the offer to buy the particular item that is described by the sales based on a requirement that the first buyer is pre-approved to buy the particular item that is described by the sales listing and identifying the first buyer as not being pre-approved, the refusing done at least in part through the use of one or more processors,

communicating error information, over a network, to the first buyer, the error information indicating that offers to buy the particular item are being restricted to pre-approved buyers, the communicating done at least in part through the use of one or more processors.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the error information informs the first buyer to contact the seller to seek pre-approval to buy the particular item that is described by the sales listing.

13. The method of claim 11, including retrieving information for the seller after the first buyer seeks pre-approval from the seller to buy the particular item that is described by the sales listing, the information to facilitate the seller in determining whether to authorize the buyer to buy the particular item that is described by the sales listing.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the retrieving of the information includes receiving an auction site identifier that identifies the first buyer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the auction site identifier includes at least one of a username for the first buyer or an email address for the first buyer.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the information is one of a bidding history associated with the first buyer or profile information associated with the first buyer.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the bidding history includes bid retraction information that indicates whether the first buyer retracted a bid on a different and particular sales listing.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the profile information includes feedback information for a transaction in which the first buyer entered a bid.

19. The method of claim 11, including receiving an authorization from the seller to authorize the buyer to buy the particular item that is described by the sale listing that is listed for sale by the seller.

20. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

receive an offer to buy a particular item that is described by a sales listing from a first buyer that is not pre-approved to buy the particular item that is described by the sales listing;

refuse an offer to buy the particular item that is described by the sales listing based on a requirement that the first buyer is pre-approved to buy the particular item that is described by the sales listing and an identification of the first buyer as not pre-approved,

communicate error information, over a network, to the first buyer, the error information indicating that offers to buy the particular item are restricted to a pre-approved buyers.