Electronic bond and guaranty process and business method

An online method for providing online bond or guaranty coverage, comprising:

• providing an online site having a server operable to receive a bond or guaranty request;
• issuing a bond or guaranty to a first entity in response to a bond or guaranty request;
• generating a unique identifier suitable to display on a computer network evidencing to a second entity that a bond or guaranty is in effect with respect to transactions involving a first entity;
• and
• receiving a claim from the second entity in response to a first entity default.

An online method for providing online bond or guaranty coverage, comprising:

• providing an online site having a server operable to receive a bond request;
• receiving a bond request for an online buyer;
• registering the online buyer with the online site;
• providing the online buyer with the ability to select a standard bond or a preferred bond;
• and
• issuing a bond in response to the bond request by the online buyer.

An online method for providing online bond or guaranty coverage, comprising:

• providing an online site having a server operable to receive a bond or guaranty request;
• receiving a bond or guaranty request from a first entity;
• processing the bond or guaranty request;
• issuing a bond or guaranty to the first entity in response to the bond request;
• and
• displaying an unique identifier to an online auction site carrying the first entity's auction listing, the unique identifier evidencing that the first entity's auction listing is covered by a bond.

A method for preventing the piracy of an online image, comprising:

• generating a first image for display at a specified image address, the first image displaying a first expiration date;
• generating a second image that is different than the first image, the second image displaying a second expiration date;
• and
• replacing the first image with the second image, so that the second image displays the second expiration date at the specified image address.

A method for resolving a claim dispute associated with an on-line auction, comprising:

• receiving a claim from a winning bidder of the on-line auction;
• investigating the claim of the winning bidder based upon information contained in the claim and information provided by a seller of the on-line auction;
• and
• determining validity of the claim based upon review of the information contained in the claim and the information provided by the seller.

A method of conducting an on-line auction for a seller of goods, comprising:

• hosting an on-line auction through a computer of a client-server environment;
• allowing the seller of the on-line auction to accept bids from a bidder;
• and
• allowing the seller of the on-line auction to reject bids from another bidder.

A method for conducting an on-line auction, comprising:

• providing a server on which an on-line auction is hosted;
• enabling a seller to list a pending on-line auction on the server;
• enabling a bidder to bid on the pending on-line auction;
• providing a link upon completion of the on-line auction that enables a winning bidder to rate an experience with respect to the completed on-line auction, the link taking a web browser executing on a client device of the winning bidder to a location where the experience can be rated;
• and
• reviewing the rated experience to determine whether a guarantee will be offered to the winning bidder.

A method for conducting an on-line auction, comprising:

• hosting an on-line auction through a computer of a client-server environment;
• providing a guarantee for the on-line auction;
• and
• determining a level of the guarantee based on historical data recorded for a participant of the on-line auction.

A method for conducting on-line auctions, comprising:

• hosting a first on-line auction through a computer of a client-server environment;
• recording an evaluation parameter of a seller of the first on-line auction;
• hosting a second on-line auction including the seller;
• providing a guarantee for the second on-line auction;
• and
• determining a level of the guarantee based on historical data recorded for the seller from the first on-line auction.

A method for conducting on-line auctions, comprising:

• hosting a first on-line auction through a computer of a client-server environment;
• recording an evaluation parameter of a seller of the first on-line auction;
• hosting a second on-line auction including the seller;
• and determining whether to offer a guarantee for the second on-line auction based on historical data recorded for the seller including the first on-line auction.