Tool for selling and purchasing vehicle history reports

• US 9,646,308 B1
• Filed: 10/14/2009
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CARFAX Incorporated (S&P Global Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CARFAX Incorporated (S&P Global Inc.)
• Inventors: Andringa, Mark D., Eager, William W., Fredericks, Scott R., Miralao, Pia Constancia S., Korman, Steven R., Mountz, Matthew D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Civan, Ethan D
• Application Number:
  US12/579,369
• Time in Patent Office: 2,764 Days
• Field of Search: 705 26- 272
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations

Abstract

Systems and methods for selling and purchasing vehicle history reports are described. In one embodiment, a method includes determining a set of vehicles in a dealer inventory, determining a subset of the vehicles in the dealer inventory for which the dealer has not purchased a vehicle history report, presenting a summary report to a dealer, the summary report including information about at least one of the vehicles in the subset of the vehicles, receiving a selection to purchase a vehicle history report for at least one of the vehicles in the summary report, and providing the vehicle history report corresponding to the selection to the dealer.

Claims

1. A method, implemented by a computer system comprising a computer having a processing device operatively connected to a physical memory device and a communication device, the computer system being programmed to perform acts, the method comprising steps of:

obtaining, using the processing device from a vehicle identification number (VIN) data store, a vehicle inventory of a dealer, each vehicle in the vehicle inventory being associated with a VIN;

obtaining, using the processing device from a dealer usage data store, data indicative of vehicle history reports purchased by the dealer;

determining, using the processing device, (i) a subset of vehicles in the vehicle inventory of the dealer for which the dealer has not purchased a vehicle history report, and (ii) a number of consumers that have accessed a vehicle history report associated with one or more vehicles in the subset of vehicles;

generating, using the processing device, a summary report comprising a list identifying vehicles in the subset of vehicles and information indicative of the number of consumers that have accessed a vehicle history report associated with the one or more vehicles, the summary report configured to permit purchasing of vehicle history reports corresponding to any vehicle listed in the summary report; and

transmitting, using the processing device, the summary report to a display device associated with the dealer through a network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the summary report comprises a list of the one or more vehicles with a purchase indicator in proximity to each listing of a vehicle in the list of one or more vehicles.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the purchase indicator is deselectable.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing, using the processing device, a consumer usage data store;

identifying, using the processing device, the number of consumers accessing a vehicle history report for each vehicle in the subset of vehicles; and

associating, using the processing device, the number of consumers accessing each vehicle history report with the summary report.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein identifying the number of consumers accessing the vehicle history report for each vehicle in the subset of vehicles comprises identifying, using the processing device, a number of consumers that purchased the vehicle history report.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein identifying the number of consumers accessing the vehicle history report for each vehicle in the subset of vehicles comprises identifying, using the processing device, a number of consumers that requested a record check for a vehicle in the subset of vehicles.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing, using the processing device, a certified pre-owned (CPO) unit data store to identify vehicles designated as CPO units.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

adding, using the processing device, information in the summary report that identifies the vehicles designated as CPO units.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

adding, using the processing device, data indicating the vehicles designated as CPO units to the vehicle inventory of the dealer.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting, using the processing device, the summary report to the display device associated with the dealer through the network comprises:

transmitting, to the display device associated with the dealer, website data that provides access to the summary report through the Internet;

or

transmitting, through the network to the display device associated with the dealer, an electronic mail that includes the summary report.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the processing device from the display device associated with the dealer through the network, an indication of a selection to purchase a vehicle history report for at least one of the vehicles listed in the summary report.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving, by the processing device from the display device associated with the dealer through the network, the indication of the selection to purchase a vehicle history report for at least one of the vehicles listed in the summary report comprises:

receiving purchase data indicating that a web link for purchasing the vehicle history report for at least one of the vehicles listed in the summary report has been selected; and

receiving selection data indicating selection of at least one purchase indicator corresponding to the at least one vehicle for which the vehicle history report is purchased; and

wherein the method further comprises;

responsive to receiving the purchase data and the selection data, providing the vehicle history report.

13. A system comprising:

one or more computing devices and one or more storage devices storing instructions which when executed by the one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to perform operations comprising;

obtaining, from a vehicle identification number (VIN) data store, a vehicle inventory of a dealer, each vehicle in the vehicle inventory being associated with a VIN;

obtaining, from a dealer usage data store, data indicative of vehicle history reports purchased by the dealer;

determining (i) a subset of vehicles in the vehicle inventory of the dealer for which the dealer has not purchased a vehicle history report, and (ii) a number of consumers that have accessed a vehicle history report associated with one or more vehicles in the subset of vehicles;

generating a summary report comprising a list identifying vehicles in the subset of vehicles and information indicative of the number of consumers that have accessed a vehicle history report associated with the one or more vehicles, the summary report configured to permit purchasing of vehicle history reports corresponding to any vehicle listed in the summary report; and

transmitting the summary report to a display device associated with the dealer through a network.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the summary report comprises a list of the one or more vehicles with a purchase indicator in proximity to each listing of a vehicle in the list of one or more vehicles; and

the purchase indicator is deselectable.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

accessing a consumer usage data store;

identifying the number of consumers accessing a vehicle history report for each vehicle in the subset of vehicles; and

associating the number of consumers accessing each vehicle history report with the summary report.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

adding information in the summary report to identify the vehicles designated as CPO units.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein transmitting the summary report to the display device associated with the dealer through the network comprises:

transmitting, to the display device associated with the dealer, website data that provides access to the summary report through the Internet;

or

transmitting, through the network to the display device associated with the dealer, an electronic mail that includes the summary report.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the display device associated with the dealer through the network, an indication of a selection to purchase a vehicle history report for at least one of the vehicles listed in the summary report.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein receiving, from the display device associated with the dealer through the network, the indication of the selection to purchase a vehicle history report for at least one of the vehicles listed in the summary report comprises:

receiving purchase data indicating that a web link for purchasing the vehicle history report for at least one of the vehicles listed in the summary report has been selected; and

receiving selection data indicating selection of at least one purchase indicator corresponding to the at least one vehicle for which the vehicle history report is purchased; and

wherein the operations further comprise;

responsive to receiving the purchase data and the selection data, providing the vehicle history report.

20. A system comprising:

one or more computing devices and one or more storage devices storing instructions which when executed by the one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to perform operations comprising;

obtaining, from one or more storage databases, (i) a dealer vehicle inventory of a dealer, and (ii) data indicative of vehicle history reports purchased by the dealer;

generating a summary report that (I) identifies a subset of vehicles in the dealer vehicle inventory for which the dealer has not purchased a vehicle history report, and (II) provisions purchasing of vehicle history reports corresponding to vehicles in the subset of vehicles;

transmitting the summary report to a display device associated with the dealer through a network;

receiving, from the display device associated with the dealer through the network, an indication of a selection to purchase a vehicle history report for at least one of the vehicles listed in the summary report, wherein the receiving comprises;

receiving purchase data indicating that a web link for purchasing the vehicle history report for at least one of the vehicles listed in the summary report has been selected; and

receiving selection data indicating selection of at least one purchase indicator corresponding to the at least one vehicle for which the vehicle history report is purchased; and

responsive to receiving the indication of the selection to purchase a vehicle history report, transmitting the vehicle history report.