SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D. C. 20549 SCHEDULE 13G Buyers United, Inc. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (Name of Issuer) Common Stock, $.0001 Par Value Per Share ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Title of Class of Securities) 12427M101 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (CUSIP Number of Class of Securities) March 11, 2004 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (Date of Event which Requires Filing of this Statement) Check the appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to which this Schedule is filed: [ ] RULE 13d-1(b) [X] RULE 13d-1(c) [ ] RULE 13d-1(d) CUSIP No. 12427M101 Page 2 of 13 Pages ________________________________________________________________________________ 1. NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSONS Wynnefield Partners Small Cap Value, L.P. 13-3688497 ________________________________________________________________________________ 2. CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP* (a) [_] (b) [X] Reporting person is affiliated with other persons. ________________________________________________________________________________ 3. SEC USE ONLY ________________________________________________________________________________ 4. CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION Delaware ________________________________________________________________________________ NUMBER OF 5. SOLE VOTING POWER SHARES 71,000 Shares _________________________________________________________________ BENEFICIALLY 6. SHARED VOTING POWER OWNED BY _________________________________________________________________ EACH 7. SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER REPORTING 71,000 Shares _________________________________________________________________ PERSON 8. SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER WITH ________________________________________________________________________________ 9. AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON 71,000 Shares ________________________________________________________________________________ 10. CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES* [_] (See Instructions) ________________________________________________________________________________ 11. PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9 0.5% of Common Stock ________________________________________________________________________________ 12. TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON* PN ________________________________________________________________________________ CUSIP No. 12427M101 Page 3 of 13 Pages ________________________________________________________________________________ 1. NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY) Wynnefield Partners Small Cap Value, L.P.I 13-3953291 ________________________________________________________________________________ 2. CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP* (a) [_] (b) [X] Reporting person is affiliated with other persons. ________________________________________________________________________________ 3. SEC USE ONLY ________________________________________________________________________________ 4. CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION Delaware ________________________________________________________________________________ NUMBER OF 5. SOLE VOTING POWER SHARES 77,000 Shares _________________________________________________________________ BENEFICIALLY 6. SHARED VOTING POWER OWNED BY _________________________________________________________________ EACH 7. SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER REPORTING 77,000 Shares _________________________________________________________________ PERSON 8. SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER WITH ________________________________________________________________________________ 9. AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON 77,000 Shares ________________________________________________________________________________ 10. CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES* [_] (See Instructions) ________________________________________________________________________________ 11. PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9 0.6% of Common Stock ________________________________________________________________________________ 12. TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON* PN ________________________________________________________________________________ CUSIP No. 12427M101 Page 4 of 13 Pages ________________________________________________________________________________ 1. NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY) Wynnefield Small Cap Value Offshore Fund, Ltd. (No IRS Identification No.) ________________________________________________________________________________ 2. CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP* (a) [_] (b) [X] Reporting person is affiliated with other persons. ________________________________________________________________________________ 3. SEC USE ONLY ________________________________________________________________________________ 4. CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION Cayman Islands ________________________________________________________________________________ NUMBER OF 5. SOLE VOTING POWER SHARES 52,000 Shares _________________________________________________________________ BENEFICIALLY 6. SHARED VOTING POWER OWNED BY _________________________________________________________________ EACH 7. SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER REPORTING 52,000 Shares _________________________________________________________________ PERSON 8. SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER WITH ________________________________________________________________________________ 9. AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON 52,000 Shares ________________________________________________________________________________ 10. CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES* [_] (See Instructions) ________________________________________________________________________________ 11. PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9 0.4% of Common Stock ________________________________________________________________________________ 12. TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON* CO ________________________________________________________________________________ CUSIP No. 12427M101 Page 5 of 13 Pages ________________________________________________________________________________ 1. NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY) Wynnefield Capital Management, LLC 13-4018186 ________________________________________________________________________________ 2. CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP* (a) [_] (b) [X] Reporting person is affiliated with other persons. ________________________________________________________________________________ 3. SEC USE ONLY ________________________________________________________________________________ 4. CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION New York ________________________________________________________________________________ NUMBER OF 5. SOLE VOTING POWER SHARES 148,000 Shares (1) _________________________________________________________________ BENEFICIALLY 6. SHARED VOTING POWER OWNED BY _________________________________________________________________ EACH 7. SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER REPORTING 148,000 Shares (1) _________________________________________________________________ PERSON 8. SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER WITH ________________________________________________________________________________ 9. AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON 148,000 Shares (1) ________________________________________________________________________________ 10. CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES* [_] (See Instructions) ________________________________________________________________________________ 11. PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9 1.1% of Common Stock (1) ________________________________________________________________________________ 12. TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON* OO (Limited Liability Company) ________________________________________________________________________________ (1) Wynnefield Capital Management, LLC holds an indirect beneficial interest in these shares which are directly beneficially owned by Wynnefield Partners Small Cap Value, L.P. and Wynnefield Partners Small Cap Value, L.P. I. CUSIP No. 12427M101 Page 6 of 13 Pages ________________________________________________________________________________ 1. NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY) Wynnefield Capital, Inc. (No IRS Identification No.) ________________________________________________________________________________ 2. CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP* (a) [_] (b) [X] Reporting person is affiliated with other persons. ________________________________________________________________________________ 3. SEC USE ONLY ________________________________________________________________________________ 4. CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION Cayman Islands ________________________________________________________________________________ NUMBER OF 5. SOLE VOTING POWER SHARES 52,000 Shares (1) _________________________________________________________________ BENEFICIALLY 6. SHARED VOTING POWER OWNED BY _________________________________________________________________ EACH 7. SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER REPORTING 52,000 Shares (1) _________________________________________________________________ PERSON 8. SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER WITH ________________________________________________________________________________ 9. AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON 52,000 Shares (1) ________________________________________________________________________________ 10. CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES* [_] (See Instructions) ________________________________________________________________________________ 11. PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9 0.4% of Common Stock (1) ________________________________________________________________________________ 12. TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON* CO ________________________________________________________________________________ (1) Wynnefield Capital, Inc. holds an indirect beneficial interest in 52,000 shares which are directly beneficially owned by Wynnefield Small Cap Value Offshore Fund, Ltd. CUSIP No. 12427M101 Page 7 of 13 Pages ________________________________________________________________________________ 1. NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY) Shannon River Partners, LP 05-0544322 ________________________________________________________________________________ 2. CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP* (a) [_] (b) [X] Reporting person is affiliated with other persons. ________________________________________________________________________________ 3. SEC USE ONLY ________________________________________________________________________________ 4. CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION Delaware ________________________________________________________________________________ NUMBER OF 5. SOLE VOTING POWER SHARES 241,129 Shares _________________________________________________________________ BENEFICIALLY 6. SHARED VOTING POWER OWNED BY 200,000 (1) _________________________________________________________________ EACH 7. SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER REPORTING 241,129 Shares _________________________________________________________________ PERSON 8. SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER WITH 200,000 (1) ________________________________________________________________________________ 9. AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON 441,129 Shares ________________________________________________________________________________ 10. CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES* [_] (See Instructions) ________________________________________________________________________________ 11. PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9 3.4% of Common Stock ________________________________________________________________________________ 12. TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON* PN ________________________________________________________________________________ (1) Shannon River Partners, L.P. holds an indirect beneficial interest in these shares which are directly beneficially owned by Wynnefield Partners Small Cap Value, L.P., Wynnefield Partners Small Cap Value, L.P. I and Wynnefield Small Cap Value Offshore Fund, Ltd., as their Portfolio Manager. CUSIP No. 12427M101 Page 8 of 13 Pages ________________________________________________________________________________ 1. NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY) Shannon River Partners II, LP 20-0597408 ________________________________________________________________________________ 2. CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP* (a) [_] (b) [X] Reporting person is affiliated with other persons. ________________________________________________________________________________ 3. SEC USE ONLY ________________________________________________________________________________ 4. CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION Delaware ________________________________________________________________________________ NUMBER OF 5. SOLE VOTING POWER SHARES 333,871 Shares _________________________________________________________________ BENEFICIALLY 6. SHARED VOTING POWER OWNED BY 200,000 (1) _________________________________________________________________ EACH 7. SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER REPORTING 333,871 Shares _________________________________________________________________ PERSON 8. SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER WITH 200,000 (1) ________________________________________________________________________________ 9. AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON 533,871 Shares ________________________________________________________________________________ 10. CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES* [_] (See Instructions) ________________________________________________________________________________ 11. PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9 4.1% of Common Stock ________________________________________________________________________________ 12. TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON* PN ________________________________________________________________________________ 1) Shannon River Partners II, L.P. holds an indirect beneficial interest in these shares which are directly beneficially owned by Wynnefield Partners Small Cap Value, L.P., Wynnefield Partners Small Cap Value, L.P. I and Wynnefield Small Cap Value Offshore Fund, Ltd., as their Portfolio Manager. CUSIP No. 12427M101 Page 9 of 13 Pages ________________________________________________________________________________ 1. NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY) Shannon River Capital Management, LLC ________________________________________________________________________________ 2. CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP* (a) [_] (b) [X] Reporting person is affiliated with other persons. ________________________________________________________________________________ 3. SEC USE ONLY ________________________________________________________________________________ 4. CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION Delaware ________________________________________________________________________________ NUMBER OF 5. SOLE VOTING POWER SHARES 575,000 Shares (1) _________________________________________________________________ BENEFICIALLY 6. SHARED VOTING POWER OWNED BY 200,000 Shares (2) _________________________________________________________________ EACH 7. SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER REPORTING 575,000 Shares (1) _________________________________________________________________ PERSON 8. SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER WITH 200,000 Shares (2) ________________________________________________________________________________ 9. AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON 775,000 Shares ________________________________________________________________________________ 10. CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES* [_] (See Instructions) ________________________________________________________________________________ 11. PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9 6.0% of Common Stock ________________________________________________________________________________ 12. TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON* OO (Limited Liability Company) ________________________________________________________________________________ (1) Shannon River Capital Management, LLC holds an indirect beneficial interest in these shares which are directly beneficially owned by Shannon River Partners, L.P and Shannon River Partners II, L.P. (2) Shannon River Capital Management, LLC holds an indirect beneficial interest in these shares in which Shannon River Partners, L.P. and Shannon River Partners II, L.P. have an indirect beneficial interest, as Portfolio Manager of the entities reported herein as directly beneficially owning such shares. ITEM 1(a). Name of Issuer: Buyers United, Inc. ITEM 1(b). Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices: 14870 Pony Express Road, Bluffdale, Utah 84065 ------------------------------------------------------------------- ITEM 2(a). Names of Persons Filing: Wynnefield Partners Small Cap Value, L.P. ("Partners") ------------------------------------------------------------------- Wynnefield Partners Small Cap Value, L.P. I ("Partners I") ------------------------------------------------------------------- Wynnefield Small Cap Offshore Fund, Ltd. ("Fund") ------------------------------------------------------------------- Wynnefield Capital Management, LLC ("WCM") ------------------------------------------------------------------- Wynnefield Capital, Inc. ("WCI") ------------------------------------------------------------------- Shannon River Partners, LP ("SRP") ------------------------------------------------------------------- Shannon River Partners II, LP ("SRP II") ------------------------------------------------------------------- Shannon River Capital Management, LLC ("SRCM") ITEM 2(b). Address of Principal Business Office Or, If None, Residence: 450 Seventh Avenue, Suite 509, New York, New York 10123 ------------------------------------------------------------------- ITEM 2(c). Citizenship: Partners and Partners I are Delaware Limited Partnerships ------------------------------------------------------------------- Fund and WCI are Cayman Islands Companies ------------------------------------------------------------------- WCM is a New York Limited Liability Company ------------------------------------------------------------------- SRP and SRP II are Delaware Limited Partnerships ------------------------------------------------------------------- SRCM is a Delaware Limited Liability Company ------------------------------------------------------------------- ITEM 2(d). Title of Class of Securities: Common Stock, $.0001 Par Value Per Share ------------------------------------------------------------------- ITEM 2(e). CUSIP Number: 12427M101 ITEM 3. If this Statement is filed pursuant to Rules 13d-1(b) or 13d-2(b) or (c), check whether the person filing is: None of the reporting persons is an entity specified in Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii). ITEM 4. Ownership: (a) Amount beneficially owned by all reporting persons: 775,000 Shares (b) Percent of class: 6.0% of Common Stock (c) Number of shares as to which the reporting persons have: (i) sole power to vote or to direct the vote: 775,000 Shares (ii) shared power to vote or to direct the vote 200,000 (iii) sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition: 775,000 Shares (iv) shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition 200,000 ITEM 5. Ownership of five percent or less of a class. Not applicable. ITEM 6. Ownership of more than five percent on behalf of another person. Not applicable. ITEM 7. Identification and classification of the subsidiary which acquired the security being reported on by the parent holding company. Not applicable. ITEM 8. Identification and classification of members of the group. None of the reporting persons who have filed this schedule is a person, as defined in Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii), promulgated pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The persons filing this statement are identified in Item 2 hereof. ITEM 9. Notice of dissolution of group. Not applicable. ITEM 10. Certifications. By signing below I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, the securities referred to above were not acquired and are not held for the purpose of or with the effect of changing or influencing the control of the issuer of the securities and were not acquired and are not held in connection or as a participant in any transaction having that purpose or effect. SIGNATURE After reasonable inquiry, and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct. Dated: March 24, 2004 WYNNEFIELD PARTNERS SMALL CAP VALUE, L.P. By: Wynnefield Capital Management, LLC, General Partner By: /s/ Nelson Obus -------------------------------------- Nelson Obus, Managing Member WYNNEFIELD PARTNERS SMALL CAP VALUE, L.P. I By: Wynnefield Capital Management, LLC, General Partner By: /s/ Nelson Obus -------------------------------------- Nelson Obus, Managing Member WYNNEFIELD SMALL CAP VALUE OFFSHORE FUND, LTD. By: Wynnefield Capital, Inc. By: /s/ Nelson Obus -------------------------------------- Nelson Obus, President WYNNEFIELD CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC By: /s/ Nelson Obus ------------------------------------------- Nelson Obus, Managing Member WYNNEFIELD CAPITAL, INC. By: /s/ Nelson Obus ------------------------------------------- Nelson Obus, President SHANNON RIVER PARTNERS, L.P. By: Shannon River Capital Management, LLC, General Partner By: /s/ Spencer Waxman -------------------------------------- Spencer Waxman, Managing Member SHANNON RIVER PARTNERS II, L.P. By: Shannon River Capital MAnagement, LLC, General Partner By: /s/ Spencer Waxman -------------------------------------- Spencer Waxman, Managing Member SHANNON RIVER CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC By: /s/ Spencer Waxman -------------------------------------- Spencer Waxman, Managing Member