SYSTEM TO SOLICIT INVENTORY INFORMATION
Products and processes are provided in which an award is offered to an entity to provide inventory information concerning an item that the entity is in a position to offer for sale via a posting site. In response to receiving inventory information, the award is provided to the entity.
1 . Apparatus, comprising:
a processor;
a communication port coupled to the processor; and
a storage device operatively coupled to the processor and containing instructions configured to direct the processor to:
offer an entity an award to provide inventory information concerning an item that the entity is in a position to offer for sale via a posting site; and
provide the award to the entity in response to receiving the inventory information.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inventory information is a list of items owned by the entity.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , including instructions configured to direct the processor to solicit the inventory information from the entity, the instructions configured to direct the processor to solicit the inventory information including instructions configured to direct the processor to present a list of items to the entity, and receive a selection of a subset of the list of items from the entity.
4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the instructions configured to direct the processor to present the list of items to the entity includes instructions configured to direct the processor to present a graphical control to enable the entity to indicate a selected item on the list as being at least one of similar or identical to the item that the entity is in a position to offer for sale via the posting site.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions configured to direct the processor to provide the award includes instructions configured to direct the processor to qualify the inventory information for the award.
6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the instructions configured to direct the processor to qualify the inventory information includes instructions configured to direct the processor to determine that the inventory information identifies a minimum number of items that the entity is in a position to offer for sale via the posting site.
7 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the instructions configured to direct the processor to qualify the inventory information includes instructions configured to direct the processor to determine that a value of items identified in the inventory information exceeds a threshold.
8 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the instructions configured to direct the processor to qualify the inventory information includes instructions configured to direct the processor to determine that an item identified in the inventory information is of a certain minimum condition.
9 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the instructions configured to direct the processor to qualify the inventory information includes instructions configured to direct the processor to determine that an item identified in the inventory information is available to be offered for sale via the posting site before a certain time.
10 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the instructions configured to direct the processor to qualify the inventory information includes instructions configured to direct the processor to determine that an item identified in the inventory information is not of a restricted item type.
11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions configured to direct the processor to provide the award further comprises instructions configured to direct the processor to calculate a payment amount, and wherein the instructions configured to direct the processor to provide the award to the entity comprises instructions configured to direct the processor to transfer the payment amount.
12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , including instructions configured to direct the processor to receive account information identifying of an account of the entity.
13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the account information comprises at least one of the debit and credit card information.
14 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the payment amount is a positive amount that is paid to an entity from which the posting information about the post is received.
15 . A method comprising:
offering an entity an award to provide inventory information concerning an item that the entity is in a position to offer for sale via a posting site; and
using at least one processor and responsive to receiving the inventory information, providing the award to the entity.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the inventory information is a list of items owned by the entity.
17 . The method of claim 15 , including soliciting the inventory information from the entity, the soliciting of the inventory information including presenting a list of items to the entity, and receiving a selection of a subset of the list of items from the entity.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the presenting of the list of items to the entity includes presenting a graphical control to enable the entity to indicate a selected item on the list as being at least one of similar or identical to the item that the entity is in a position to offer for sale via the posting site.
19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the providing of the award includes qualifying the inventory information for the award.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the qualifying of the inventory information includes determining that the inventory information identifies a minimum number of items that the entity is in a position to offer for sale via the posting site.
21 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the qualifying of the inventory information includes determining a value of items identified in the inventory information exceeds a threshold.
22 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the qualifying of the inventory information includes determining that an item identified in the inventory information is of a certain minimum condition.
23 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the qualifying of the inventory information includes determining that an item identified in the inventory information is available to be offered for sale via the posting site before a certain time.
24 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the qualifying of the inventory information includes determining that an item identified in the inventory information is not of a restricted item type.
25 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the providing of the award further comprises calculating a payment amount, and wherein the providing of the award to the entity comprises transferring the payment amount.
26 . The method of claim 25 , including receiving account information identifying of an account of the entity.
27 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the account information comprises at least one of the debit and credit card information.
28 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the payment amount is a positive amount that is paid to an entity from which the posting information about the post is received.
29 . A computer readable medium storing instructions configured to direct a processor to:
offer an entity an award to provide inventory information concerning an item that the entity is in a position to offer for sale via a posting site; and
provide the award to the entity in response to receiving the inventory information.