摘要 |
A computer based means and system for the undertaking of three party (or more) transactions consisting of a buyer, seller and agent, or other facilitating party where not all of the parties necessarily have a presence on the Internet(R) or other type of network. A further aspect of the invention is the use of dedicated e-mail and/or phone systems or other communication system operating in parallel with the transactional system to prevent uncontrolled access between the parties, thus allowing transactions to occur on a first come, first serve basis rather than excessive number of calls between agents and sellers and agents and buyers. All parties to the transaction can participate in an agreed upon manner. A buyer can request that all the agents search for the seller of a specific item, or can request one agent to search for them, and a seller can do likewise. Agents may offer their services to buyers or sellers, or any combination that may suit the needs of the participants. Agents can search non-internet or non system based sources for items or buyers and provide an interpretive expert function that exceeds key word searches in support of both buyer and seller. The system also tracks the expertise of agents, so that a buyer and seller may look up an agents past performance. Access to lists of buyers, sellers, agents and information on transactions can be controlled on a fee basis. the system can also be operated in parallel with a conventional on-line auction system.
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