Ebay, Incorporated

Reed Maltzman

Jeffrey Taylor

Noel Morin

Vicky Sze

Elaine Fung

Vered Shaviv

Annette Goodwine

James Hsin

Alex Dai-Shun Poon

Kevin W Cooney

Hilary Holmquest

Robert J Ratterman

Joshua D Knepfle

Alex D Poon

Dheeraj Mohnia

Ha Nguyen

Isaac Strack

Christine Cheng

Brenda Won

A system to automatically qualify a party to participate within a computer-based commerce transaction is described. The system receives, from a first party, item information relating to an item to be offered for sale. The system generates user interface information including criterion information and communicates a user interface, over a network, to a client machine. The system receives from the client machine and from the first party at least a portion of the criterion information. The system parses to identify and extract at least one criterion from the criterion information that is automatically satisfied by a second party to qualify the second party to bid on the item via the computer-based commerce system.

Method and system to automatically qualify a party to participate within a network-based commerce transaction

A method and an apparatus for communicating a recommended item to a user are described. The method comprises determining that the user has a level of commitment to an item offered for sale, and, in response to this determination, communicating information concerning a recommended item to the user over a network. The recommended item is identified based on a set of longest words in a description of the item offered for sale.

Generating a recommendation

A method and system to automatically qualify a party to participate within a network-based commerce transaction is described. The system receives information from a first party. The information relates to an item to be transacted via a network-based commerce system. The system transmits the information that relates to the item to a second party and receives, from the second party, a request to be qualified to transact the item via the network-based commerce system. The system further transmits, to the first party, a communication comprising information that is related to the second party including a credit score related to the second party. The system further receives, from the first party, a response that corresponds to the communication and automatically performs an authorization process based on the response.

A method and system to automatically qualify a party to participate within a network-based commerce transaction is described. The system receives information from a first party. The information relates to an item to be transacted via a network-based commerce system. The system is further to receive, from a second party, a request to be qualified to transact the item via the network-based commerce system. The system is further to transmit, to the first party, a communication comprising information relating to the second party. The system is to further receive, from the first party, a response corresponding to the automatically generated communication and, responsive to receipt of the response, to automatically perform an authorization process based on the response.

A system and method to control sending of unsolicited communications over a network is provided. Typically, the network is the Internet and the system defines a SPAM prevention tool for users of an on-line service, such as an on-line bidding service. Users may contact an intended recipient with a contact form, which is forwarded to the recipient's e-mail address by an on-line service provider. A link accessible from a Web site allows recipients of unsolicited e-mail to complain to the on-line service provider. Sanctions are implemented against the sender of unsolicited e-mail based on the frequency of complaints. When the complaint level against a sender reaches a certain threshold, the sender is unable to use the contact form for a predetermined time period.

System and method for handling complaints about unsolicited communications

A method and an apparatus for communicating a recommended item to a user of a network-based transaction facility are described. The method comprises determining that the user has been unsuccessful in concluding a transaction pertaining to an item offered for sale via the network-based transaction facility, and in response to this determination, communicating information concerning a recommended item to the user over a network. The recommended item is available for purchase via the network-based transaction facility.

A system to facilitate computer-based commerce includes receiving information relating to an item to be transacted via a computer-based commerce system from a first party. Criterion information specifying at least one criterion to be satisfied by a second party in order for the second party to be qualified to transact for the item via the computer-based commerce system is received from the first party. An automatic determination is made as to whether the second party satisfies the at least one criterion and if so, then the second party is automatically qualified to transact for the item via the computer-based commerce system.

Community ratings are determined for users of an electronic marketplace. In a typical configuration, the community rating of an individual reflect the individual's reputation in the electronic community (e.g. feedback rating) as well as the reputations of the users the individual sponsors and the reputations of each user they sponsor, and so on. Various methodologies are provided for determining a community rating, such as aggregating feedback ratings, or weighting or thresholding these feedback ratings.

Determining a community rating for a user using feedback ratings of related users in an electronic environment

Methods and apparatuses for detecting fraudulent activities made over a network-based transaction facility using a machine. In responsive to a first event with respect to the network-based transaction facility and initiated under a first user identity from the machine which is coupled to the network-based transaction facility via a network, the method causes a first identifier associated with the first user identity to be stored on the machine. In responsive to a second event with respect to the network-based transaction facility and initiated under a second user identity from the machine, the method causes a detecting of a potentially fraudulent activity by detecting a lack of correspondence between the first identifier stored on the machine and a second identifier associated with the second user identity.

Method and apparatus to detect fraudulent activities within a network-based auction facility

A method and an apparatus for communicating a recommended item to a user of a network-based transaction facility are described. The method comprises determining that the user has been unsuccessful in concluding a transaction pertaining to an item offered for sale via the network-based transaction facility, and, in response to this determination, communicating information concerning a recommended item to the user over a network. The recommended item is available for purchase via the network-based transaction facility.

Method and system to recommend further items to a user of a network-based transaction facility upon unsuccessful transacting with respect to an item

A system to facilitate network-based commerce includes receiving information relating to an item to be transacted via a network-based commerce system from a first party. Criterion information specifying at least one criterion to be satisfied by a second party in order for the second party to be qualified to transact for the item via the network-based commerce system is received from the first party. An automatic determination is made as to whether the second party satisfies the at least one criterion and if so, then the second party is automatically qualified to transact for the item via the network-based commerce system.

Method and system to automatically qualifying a party to participate in a network-based commerce transaction

A method of allowing a seller in an auction facility to offer buyers the option of buying an offering at a pre-auction seller determined price or using a regular auction process. If a buyer is given the option to purchase at the seller determined price and decides to use the regular auction process by submitting a bid, the option to buy the offering at a pre-auction seller determined price is discontinued.

Methods and machine readable mediums to enable a fixed price purchase within an online auction environment

Methods are provided for a dual purchase process. The method includes enabling, via a first computer system, both an auction purchase process and a fixed-price purchase process for purchase of an item. In addition, responsive to receipt of a bid for the item, the method includes disabling the fixed-price purchase process.

Dual purchase process within an online auction environment

System and method to control sending of unsolicited communications relating to a plurality of listings in a network-based system based on an identifier of the sender of the unsolicited communication

Growing community of inventors

San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Reed Maltzman