Methods and apparatus for anonymously requesting bids from a customer specified quantity of local vendors with automatic geographic expansion

A server comprising:

• a network connection;
• a memory device storing (i) product information for each of a plurality of vendors, (ii) geographical information for each of the plurality of vendors, and (iii) a software program;
• and
• a processor operably connected to the network connection and the memory device, wherein the software program is structured to be executed by the processor to cause the server to:
• receive a request for a product from a customer, the request including data indicative of the product, data indicative of a desired delivery location, and data indicative of a quantity of desired responses;
• determining that a first geographical area is closer to the desired delivery location than a location of one or more other geographical areas relative to the desired delivery location;
• selecting a first quantity of vendors associated with the first geographical area;
• successively selecting a second quantity of vendors associated with each of the other geographical areas until a total of the selected vendors is at least equal to the quantity of desired responses;
• storing a unique message identifier associated with a unique customer identifier of the customer;
• and
• sending a first electronic message to the first and second quantity of vendors in response to selecting the first and second quantity of vendors, the first electronic message including the unique message identifier, the first electronic message excluding the unique customer identifier.

A computer readable medium comprising a plurality of computer readable instructions operable to cause a computing device to:

• store product information and geographical information for each of a plurality of vendors;
• receive a request for a service from a customer, the request including data indicative of the service, data indicative of a desired delivery location, and data indicative of a quantity of desired responses;
• determine that a first geographical area is closer to the desired delivery location than a second geographical area is to the desired delivery location;
• select a first quantity of vendors associated with the first geographical area;
• select a second quantity of vendors associated with the second geographical area if the first quantity of vendors is less than the quantity of desired responses;
• store a unique message identifier associated with a unique customer identifier of the customer;
• and
• send a first electronic message to the first and second quantity of vendors in response to selecting the first and second quantity of vendors, the first electronic message including the unique message identifier, the first electronic message excluding the unique customer identifier.