eBay buys recommendation service Hunch

Internet auction giant eBay said Monday it has bought Hunch, an online service which provides users with personalized recommendations for products and services.

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed, but former TechCrunch editor Michael Arrington, in a post on his personal blog Uncrunched.com, put the purchase price at around $80 million.

"With Hunch, we're adding new capabilities to personalizing the shopping experience on eBay to the individual relevant tastes and interests of our customers," eBay chief technology officer Mark Carges said in a statement.

"We expect Hunch's technologies to benefit eBay shoppers as they browse and buy, and to bring sellers on eBay new ways to connect the right products with the right customers," Carges said.

The New York-based Hunch, which was launched in 2009, uses data mining and predictive modeling to provide users with tailored recommendations.

Hunch said it will continue to operate as a standalone site following the acquisition by the San Jose, California-based eBay.

(c) 2011 AFP