Methods for facilitating consignment and sales of inventory or services, and for triggering content

A method of facilitating the sale of wares offered from vendors to buyers and for triggering content to the buyers, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing an intermediary platform in communication with vendors and buyers over an Internet, the intermediary platform comprising a memory device associated with a processor;
• each of the vendors providing the intermediary platform with descriptive information relating to each of wares offered by the vendors, the descriptive information stored in the memory device and comprising a retail sales price and a minimum sales price and a description of the wares offered, for each of the wares;
• constructing at least one haggle table, the haggle table stored in the memory device associated with the processor located at the intermediary platform;
• initiating a haggle process by the intermediary platform offering the retail price of each of the wares to the buyers;
• a buyer responding to the initiating step by communicating to the intermediary platform a first counter offer to the retail price of a first of the wares;
• the intermediary platform comparing the counter offer to the minimum sales price of the first of the wares;
• wherein the haggle table comprises a list of desired discount amounts, used to produce counter offers responsive to a buyer's offer or counter offer for a particular ware offered by at least one of the vendors, the desired discount amount equaling a buyer's offered price deducted from the retail sales price so as to allow a vendor to counteroffer based on a random selection within a pre-defined range;
• continuing the haggle process if the counter offer is not accepted by the intermediary platform, with the intermediary platform determining a second counter offer utilizing the retail sales price, the counter offer, and the minimum sales price;
• the intermediary platform presenting the second counter offer to the buyer encouraging the buyer to make a third counter offer;
• further continuing the haggle process for the first of the wares until one of a final offer is accepted, and one of the buyer and the intermediary platform fails to respond to a counter offer within a designated time period;
• the intermediary platform terminating the haggle process for the first of the wares in response to one of the buyer and the intermediary platform failing to respond to a counter offer within the designated time period;
• and
• in response to the intermediary platform terminating the haggle process for the first of the wares, the intermediary platform presenting content to the buyer, the content being at least one of textual, visual, verbal, and aural content.

A method of facilitating the sale of wares offered from vendors to buyers and for triggering content to the buyers, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing an intermediary platform in communication with vendors and buyers over an Internet, the intermediary platform comprising a memory device associated with a processor;
• each of the vendors providing the intermediary platform with descriptive information relating to each of wares offered by the vendors, the descriptive information stored in the memory device and comprising a retail sales price and a minimum sales price and a description of the wares offered, for each of the wares;
• constructing at least one haggle table, the haggle table stored in the memory device associated with the processor located at the intermediary platform;
• initiating a haggle process by the intermediary platform offering the retail price of each of the wares to the buyers;
• a buyer responding to the initiating step by communicating to the intermediary platform a first counter offer to the retail price of a first of the wares;
• the intermediary platform comparing the counter offer to the minimum sales price of the first of the wares;
• wherein the haggle table comprises a list of desired discount amounts, used to produce counter offers responsive to a buyer's offer or counter offer for a particular ware offered by at least one of the vendors, the desired discount amount equaling a buyer's offered price deducted from the retail sales price so as to allow a vendor to counteroffer based on a random selection within a pre-defined range;
• continuing the haggle process if the counter offer is not accepted by the intermediary platform, with the intermediary platform determining a second counter offer utilizing the retail sales price, the counter offer, and the minimum sales price;
• the intermediary platform presenting the second counter offer to the buyer encouraging the buyer to make a third counter offer;
• further continuing the haggle process for the first of the wares until one of a final offer is accepted, the buyer presents a final counter offer that not accepted by the intermediary platform, and no additional counter offers are made by the buyer or vendor;
• the intermediary platform presenting content to the buyer during the haggle process, the content being at least one of textual, visual, verbal, and aural content.