Network-based commerce facility offer management methods and systems

Abstract

Various embodiments include systems, methods, and software to manage offers in a network-based commerce system. One embodiment includes providing sellers an option when listing an item for sale to receive best offers for the item from buyers. This embodiment further includes receiving best offers submitted by offerees via the network-based commerce system and notifying sellers of received best offers. Some embodiments further include providing sellers an option to accept, reject, or ignore the individual best offers received. In some such embodiments, ignored best offers expire after a period, such as 48 hours. Yet further embodiments include notifying offerees of acceptance or rejection of their submitted best offers.

1 . A method to generate a computer system user interface, the method comprising:
 generating a publication creation user interface to create an advertisement publication, the publication creation user interface to present multiple transaction format options to a seller, the multiple transaction format options including a fixed price format and an offer format, at least two of the multiple transaction formats being selectable for presentation within the advertisement publication as transaction format options; and   generating a publication management user interface to manage the advertisement publication, the publication management user interface to present the seller with a list of offers received as email messages with respect to the advertisement publication, and presenting the seller with the option of accepting or rejecting each offer of the list of offers.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each presented offer in the list of offers includes a presented offer price. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein, each presented offer in the list of presented offers has an associated buyer. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein, in response to the seller accepting a respective offer in the list of offers, receiving, at the computer system, indication that the seller will sell the item to the associated buyer at the presented offer price. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising, transmitting an e-mail message to the buyer associated with the respective offer indicating that the seller has accepted the respective offer. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein, in response to the seller rejecting a respective offer in the list of offers, receiving, at the computer system, indication that the seller rejects the respective offer at the presented offer price. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the generated publication management user interface includes, for each respective offer in the list of offers:
 a first user-selectable interface component, wherein selection of the first user-selectable interface component indicates acceptance of the respective offer; and   a second user-selectable interface component, wherein selection of the second user-selectable interface component indicates rejection of the respective offer.   
     
     
         8 . A server system comprising:
 a first generation module, executing on one or more computer processors, to generate a publication creation user interface to create an advertisement publication, the publication creation user interface to present multiple transaction format options to a seller, the multiple transaction format options including a fixed price format and an offer format, at least two of the multiple transaction formats being selectable for presentation within the advertisement publication as transaction format options; and   a second generation module, executing on one or more computer processors, to generate a publication management user interface to manage the advertisement publication, the publication management user interface to present the seller with a list of offers received as email messages with respect to the advertisement publication, and presenting the seller with the option of accepting or rejecting each over of the list of offers.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein each presented offer in the list of offers includes a presented offer price. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein, each presented offer in the list of presented offers has an associated buyer. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising a first reception module to, in response to the seller accepting a respective offer in the list of offers, receive, at the computer system, indication that the seller will sell the item to the associated buyer at the presented offer price. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising a transmission module to transmit an e-mail message to the buyer associated with the respective offer indicating that the seller has accepted the respective offer. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising a second reception module to, in response to the seller rejecting a respective offer in the list of offers, receives, at the computer system, indication that the seller rejects the respective offer at the presented offer price. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the generated publication management user interface includes, for each respective offer in the list of offers:
 a first user-selectable interface component, wherein selection of the first user-selectable interface component indicates acceptance of the respective offer; and   a second user-selectable interface component, wherein selection of the second user-selectable interface component indicates rejection of the respective offer.   
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions when read by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:
 generating a publication creation user interface to create an advertisement publication, the publication creation user interface to present multiple transaction format options to a seller, the multiple transaction format options including a fixed price format and an offer format, at least two of the multiple transaction formats being selectable for presentation within the advertisement publication as transaction format options; and   generating a publication management user interface to manage the advertisement publication, the publication management user interface to present the seller with a list of offers received as email messages with respect to the advertisement publication, and presenting the seller with the option of accepting or rejecting each offer of the list of offers.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein each presented offer in the list of offers includes a presented offer price. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein, each presented offer in the list of presented offers has an associated buyer. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein, in response to the seller accepting a respective offer in the list of offers at the computer system, indication that the seller will sell the item to the associated buyer at the presented offer price. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 18 , further comprising, transmitting an e-mail message to the buyer associated with the respective offer indicating that the seller has accepted the respective offer. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein, response to the seller rejecting a respective offer in the list of offers, receiving, at the computer system, indication that the seller rejects the respective offer at the presented offer price.