Remote Shopping Event

A Remote Shopping Event is an event where the customer(s) remotely instruct(s) or control(s) a shopping host/hostess at a remote location to purchase or examine goods using Internet video and telephone correspondence. Additional, or “Pile-on” shoppers may also watch the event and purchase items.

Goods produced and sold in their country of origin are often available for much lower prices before they are exported and resold to various retailers in the United Stated and other countries. Conducting a Remote Shopping Event allows the user to shop for these goods, sold at local prices in their country of origin, without physically traveling to foreign lands.

Method

In order to conduct a remote shopping event, the customer must first visit the website hosting the remote shopping event. Then the customer calls the toll-free conference call number provided by the website to connect to the shopping host/hostess at the remote location. One or more video cameras are provided for video correspondence at the remote shopping location. The customer views, through real-time Internet video feed, the remote retail location. The customer then directs by telephone and communicates with the shopping host/hostess at the remote location. The customer may virtually shop in the store by asking to view different items, directing the cameras to focus on items of interest, and negotiating prices with the seller. After the event has ended, the buyer may pay for the item(s) on the site by credit card. The item(s) is then shipped to the customer.

Registration

The customer may register with the website hosting the remote shopping event by creating a user account. By registering, the customer creates a personal profile. In order to register as a user on the website, the customer must provide personal information such as first name, last name, phone number, and e-mail address. An option to enter a permanent and/or additional address to create a more efficient checkout is also available. A username and password is then created in order to secure the user’s personal information.

Scheduling a Private Event

It is not necessary to schedule in advance a remote shopping event. The customer may simply call the toll-free conference call number to participate in the remote shopping event between the hours of operation listed on the website. If a customer is interested in scheduling and booking a private remote shopping event, they may do so through the website or by calling the number provided by the website. Some examples of private remote shopping events could include but are not limited to: bridal parties, sorority shopping events, friends and families shopping together, and/or mother/daughter shopping events, etc. ShangBy.com

Conducting a Remote Shopping Event
The Customer

The remote location prepares for the event by setting up video camera(s), conference calling software, audio recording device(s), a remote computer system, mixer, and/or other equipment that may be necessary to conduct the event. The video camera(s) are set up by the camera crew in the remote shopping location for video correspondence between the customer, the shopping host/hostess and the seller. For example, the customer could be in the United States using their home computer to view the live video feed from camera(s) set up at a particular retail store in another part of the world, such as Shanghai, China.

The fast, or private video feed is for the live customer(s). This event is captured in real time, meaning that the customer is seeing what goes on in the remote location as it is actually occurring. This video feed is displayed on a private webpage accessible only to the customer. It is broadcast at a much higher rate and resolution and is not set up with audio devices in order to minimize the latency, or time delay. The customer will be directly communicating with the remote location by telephone during the event.

The live customer(s) may instruct the remote shopping host/hostess and cameras to show and/or examine various items at the remote location. He or she may request that the remote shopper try on various items, negotiate the price of an item, and/or perform any other kinds of remote buying activities.

The “Pile-On” Shoppers

A second video feed capturing the remote shopping event is set up for transmission to one or more other viewers, known as pile-on shoppers. This video feed is on a separate, public webpage on the website to allow for viewing of multiple shoppers. It includes audio from some or all of the audio recording devices. Adding the audio can cause a higher latency ranging between twenty seconds and one minute outside of real time. The pile-on shoppers have access to watch all open live remote shopping events.

The Customer(s) and “Pile-On” Shoppers Working Together

Pile-on shoppers can chat with the live customer while shopping using the chat tool on the website. The pile on shoppers can advise and provide input to the live customer(s) as to what items they may be interested in buying and/or viewing. The more shoppers that purchase a particular item, the lower the price of that item becomes.
Items that the live customer has chosen and negotiated during his/her shopping event are added to the product inventory displayed on the site. This allows for the pile-on shoppers that may be tuning in to the remote shopping event to purchase these items at their negotiated prices from the website inventory as well as any eCommerce shoppers.

The Conclusion of the Remote Shopping Event

After the conclusion of the Remote Shopping Event, the video is posted on the website for replay by other shoppers. This video may be edited to a shorter version that includes just the highlights of the shopping event or the different items purchased. Also, the live discussion from the event may be posted on the website so that other users may read it at a later time.

Some or all of the items purchased or viewed are made available on the website product inventory at their negotiated price for purchase. Visitors to the website may purchase these items at their convenience.

Purchased Items are then shipped to the various shoppers at their respective agreed prices.

Payment

Items purchased may be paid for by the user by entering their credit card information into a secure transaction on the website. Some examples of various accepted credit cards could be:

*Visa
*MasterCard
*Discover Card
*American Express

Product Delivery

Shipping
The product is shipped via air from the remote shopping location to the customer's address for a set fee. The product arrives within a time frame guaranteed by the seller.

Intellectual Property

A patent for Conducting Remote Shopping Events is currently pending for creator Stephen F. Bell. It is listed under serial number 11867049.

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