Web-based system to facilitate purchase, pick-up, and delivery of, and escrow and payment for, merchandise

摘要

A Web-based purchasing method using a networked computer system (100) to facilitate the purchase of merchandise by a purchaser (130) from a seller (140). The system receives a purchase offer from the purchaser to purchase a merchandise at an established purchase price. The system (100) then transmits a request to a shipper to pick the merchandise from the seller (140) and an amount at least equal to the established purchase price is transferred from the purchaser's financial account into an escrow account (120). The escrow account (120) is being controlled by a transaction computer (110) based on information contained in the transaction database (116). After the merchandise is delivered to the purchaser (130) at the purchaser's address, and following an inspection period, at least a portion of the gross purchase price is transferred from the escrow account to the seller's financial account as well as to other participants of the web-based purchasing system.