WHOLESALE VIRTUAL INVENTORY AND RETAIL LEAD GENERATION
First Claim
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1. A system comprising:
- a platform comprising a processor and a database that includes a plurality of items and data of the plurality of items, wherein all of the plurality of items are in a wholesale market and are available for purchase only by a dealer in the wholesale market;
a lead acquisition module (LAM) coupled to the platform and including at least one interface accessible by the dealer;
a lead interface coupled to the LAM and to the platform and displayed at a remote electronic site along with the plurality of items and data of the plurality of items, the lead interface being accessible by a retail consumer, wherein the lead interface generates an electronic lead based on user input by the retail consumer, the user input being representative of an interest in purchasing an item of the plurality of items displayed at the remote electronic site, wherein the platform provides information of the electronic lead to the at least one interface of the LAM based on rights data representative of an agreement by the dealer to pay a fee for the electronic lead, and the information of the electronic lead includes information for purchasing the item in the wholesale market for resale to the retail consumer; and
a wholesale automobile market module (WAMM) coupled to the platform and accessible by the dealer, the WAMM comprising a wholesale inventory of the plurality of items available for purchase in the wholesale market, the WAMM including an interface providing access to an electronic bidding tool for bidding on the item in the electronic lead.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments are described herein including systems and methods for presenting vehicles available for wholesale purchase to retail consumers in order to generate a retail “lead” on a specific vehicle prior to acquisition of that vehicle by a dealer. The electronic lead, once generated, is made available to a licensed dealer before the dealer acquires the inventory corresponding to the lead. In contrast to known lead generation models, the lead is created on a specific vehicle that a retail dealer has the ability to purchase, but has not yet taken into inventory.
5 Citations
45 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a platform comprising a processor and a database that includes a plurality of items and data of the plurality of items, wherein all of the plurality of items are in a wholesale market and are available for purchase only by a dealer in the wholesale market; a lead acquisition module (LAM) coupled to the platform and including at least one interface accessible by the dealer; a lead interface coupled to the LAM and to the platform and displayed at a remote electronic site along with the plurality of items and data of the plurality of items, the lead interface being accessible by a retail consumer, wherein the lead interface generates an electronic lead based on user input by the retail consumer, the user input being representative of an interest in purchasing an item of the plurality of items displayed at the remote electronic site, wherein the platform provides information of the electronic lead to the at least one interface of the LAM based on rights data representative of an agreement by the dealer to pay a fee for the electronic lead, and the information of the electronic lead includes information for purchasing the item in the wholesale market for resale to the retail consumer; and a wholesale automobile market module (WAMM) coupled to the platform and accessible by the dealer, the WAMM comprising a wholesale inventory of the plurality of items available for purchase in the wholesale market, the WAMM including an interface providing access to an electronic bidding tool for bidding on the item in the electronic lead. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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- 2. (canceled)
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23. A system comprising:
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a platform coupled to a network, the platform comprising a processor and a database that comprises a plurality of items and data of the plurality of items, wherein all of the plurality of items are in a wholesale market and owned by a third party, and all of the plurality of items are available for purchase only by dealers in the wholesale market; an electronic site coupled to the network, wherein the electronic site presents the plurality of items and data of the plurality of items to a plurality of retail consumers; a lead interface displayed at the electronic site, wherein the lead interface generates a lead based on user input by a retail consumer of the plurality of retail consumers, the user input being representative of an interest in purchasing an item of the plurality of items presented at the electronic site, wherein the lead is an electronic message; a lead acquisition module (LAM) coupled to the platform and including at least one interface accessible by a dealer of the dealers in the wholesale market, wherein the LAM receives the lead from the lead interface; at least one of a portal of the platform that provides the dealer with electronic access to the lead via the LAM and an electronic message generated by the platform to notify the dealer via the LAM of the lead, wherein the at least one of the portal and the electronic message are generated based on rights data representative of an agreement by the dealer to pay a fee for the lead, wherein the lead includes information for purchasing the item in the lead in the wholesale market for resale to the retail consumer in a retail market; and a wholesale automobile market module (WAMM) coupled to the platform, the WAMM comprising a wholesale inventory of the plurality of items available for purchase in the wholesale market, the WAMM including an interface providing access to an electronic bidding tool for bidding on the item in the lead.
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24. A system comprising a processor and a database that includes a plurality of items and data of the plurality of items, wherein the database includes only items that are in a wholesale market and are available for purchase only by a dealer in the wholesale market, wherein the processor presents an item of the plurality of items and data of the item to a retail consumer via a remote electronic site, wherein the item is available for purchase only by a dealer in the wholesale market, wherein the processor generates an electronic lead based on user input by the retail consumer representative of an interest in purchasing the item, wherein the processor provides the dealer with electronic access to the lead via at least one interface based on rights data representative of a fee payment received from the dealer for the lead, wherein the lead includes contact information for the retail consumer and purchasing information for the vehicle in the wholesale market for resale to the retail consumer, wherein the processor provides the dealer an interface providing access to an electronic bidding tool for bidding on the item.
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25. A method comprising:
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presenting an item and data of the item to a retail consumer, wherein the presenting is via an electronic site, wherein the item is in a wholesale market and is owned by a third party, wherein the item is available for purchase only by a dealer in the wholesale market; generating a lead based on user input from the retail consumer interested in purchasing the item, wherein the lead is an electronic message generated at the electronic site; providing the dealer with electronic access to the lead in exchange for a fee received from the dealer for the lead, wherein the lead includes purchase information for the item in the lead in the wholesale market for resale to the retail consumer; and providing the dealer with electronic access to a wholesale inventory including a plurality of items available for purchase in the wholesale market, wherein the plurality of items comprise the item in the lead and the data of the item, the electronic access including an interface providing access to an electronic bidding tool for bidding on the item to facilitate purchase of the item by the dealer. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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- 26. (canceled)
Specification