System and Method for Automating Listing and Re-Listing of Auction Items

Abstract

A computerized method of listing items at an auction site using pre-stored item numbers and item keys. Item numbers and keys are obtained from the auction site by submitting to the site a generic item description and generic auction parameter data. In response to the submission the auction site returns a verification form with the item number and item key, which are extracted and saved for later use. When an actual item is to be listed on the auction site, a stored item number and item key are retrieved and combined with the actual item description data and actual auction parameter data and the combined information is then submitted to the auction site for verification. The auction site responds and a command is then issued to post the item for sale, after which a listing fee is charged to the user's account by the auction site. Items can be listed with original listing numbers or re-listing numbers, the latter saving the listing fee if the item is sold. Re-listing numbers and key are obtained by accessing a listed item that has not sold at the auction site, re-submitting the item for sale, obtaining the verification form, extracting the original item number and key along with the re-listing item number and key and saving them for later use. Actual item descriptions can contain information that permits the locating of other items the seller has for sale without interfering with the search engine at the auction site.

Description

BACKGROUND [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates generally to auction systems over a computer network and more specifically to assisting users to more efficiently list and re-list items for auction over a computer network, such as the Internet. [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art [0004]FIG. 1A shows a system setting in which on-line auction systems currently operate. A computer network 10, such as the Internet, connects the computer systems of sellers and bidders 12-14 to one or more auction servers 16-18. The auction servers 16-18 host an auction site, which receives items for sale, lists them for access by the computer systems of the sellers and bidders 12-14, and conducts an auction to determine the winning bidder. [0005]FIG. 1B shows a representative computer system such as those depicted in FIG. 1A. The various components, such as the central processor 23, the memory subsystem 24, the disk interface 25, the I / O subsystem 26 and the communica...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0018] An advantage of the present invention is that a great number of items can be listed on an auction site in a short period of time.

[0019] Another advantage of the present invention is that items that did not sell on the first listing can be easily re-listed. Additionally, when re-listing an item, the item, the item description and the auction parameters can be changed regardless of the origin of the first listing. Thus, re-listing item numbers become a resource and the use of this resource can be more easily planned to assure that a re-listed item is one that will sell, thereby assuring the recovery of the re-listing fee.

[0020] Another advantage is that listing and re-listing of items can occur at a time that is convenient to the seller. This permits the seller purchase advertisements in trade magazines and to include the item numbers in those advertisements. Thus, when the items are actually listed on the auction site, a demand for the items will already exist.

[0021] Yet another advantage of the present invention is that a bidder can be informed of other items that a particular seller has for sale on the auction site without using the auction site search engine for such purposes. This permits the bidder to find related items the seller may have available and increases the likelihood that the bidder will submit a bid for those items.

Problems solved by technology

Thus, it is apparent that listing an item for sale on the auction site is a manual process, involving several, time-consuming interactive steps with the auction site.

While the process described above is simple and convenient for sellers who list a few items for sale, there are serious deficiencies for sellers who wish to list hundreds or even thousands of items.

One deficiency is the time it takes to manually list an item, say a few minutes.

This is too great an expenditure of time to be practicable for the seller.

Another aspect of this deficiency is that it is extremely difficult to synchronize the advertising of the items for sale in a trade publication or other advertising medium with their listing on the auction site because the time to list the items on the site may stretch over such a long time period as to make unpredictable the date and time any item is up for sale.

Another deficiency concerns the re-listing of items that did not sell.

Not only is there is an extraordinary expenditure of time required to re-list the many items but the seller must use the same item number and key or lose the re-listing fee credit, which for thousands of items can amount to thousands of dollars.

Yet another deficiency is that, when the seller has multiple items listed for sale, the standalone description prohibits links to other items that the seller has listed.

Images