Patent ID: 8266032

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for facilitating the negotiation and sale of an item between a seller and at least one bidder across a network, said seller and said at least one bidder being remote from one another, said method comprising: receiving, from said seller to said at least one bidder, item data about said item, said item data comprising sales terms, and wherein said item is at least one physical item or at least one service item for sale; counteroffering, by said seller, in response to an offer by said at least one bidder, with new sales terms to said at least one bidder, wherein said new sales terms include a new price, said new price being less than a listed ask price in said item data and greater than a bid price in said offer, wherein said offer of said at least one bidder and the counteroffer by said seller are relayed in substantially real-time; and selecting, among said at least one bidder, a buyer of said item at said new sales terms, wherein, in said selecting, if a particular at least one bidder or a different bidder offers terms at or above said new sales terms, the particular or different bidder is selected as the buyer of said item at said terms, wherein communications between said seller and said at least one bidder involve at least one electronic device, wherein said seller, in said counteroffering, employs at least one electronic device to forward said new sales terms to said at least one bidder.