Systems and methods for returning one or more items via an attended delivery/pickup location

• US 10,558,942 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2018
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schenken, Christopher, Lievens, Daniel, Pirenne, Luc, Dethier, Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): Sweeney, Brian P
• Application Number:
  US15/974,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20180253688A1
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08345 Pricing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0835 Relationships between shipper or supplier and carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0836 Recipient pick-ups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0837 Return transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/407 Cancellation of a transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward

Abstract

A computer system for defining attributes associated with attended delivery/pickup locations is described. In various embodiments, the system is configured to enable an authorized user (e.g., a manager of an attended delivery/pickup location) to define certain attributes of a particular attended delivery/pickup location. In some embodiments, the system is configured to verify that the particular user is authorized to define the one or more attributes associated with the particular attended delivery/pickup location (e.g., by checking a list of one or more authorized users). Once the one or more attributes are defined, in one or more embodiments, the system is configured to accept or reject parcel delivery requests based at least in part on the attributes. In further embodiments, the system is configured to facilitate a return of a particular item to a retailer via the attended delivery/pickup location.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of facilitating parcel delivery to and item return via an attended delivery/pickup location, the method comprising:

providing a selection of available attended delivery/pickup locations to which a user may have one or more parcels delivered;

receiving a first request from the user to deliver the one or more parcels to a particular attended delivery/pickup location, the first request comprising an intended recipient, the particular attended delivery/pickup location comprising an attended delivery/pickup location from the selection of available attended delivery/pickup locations, and the particular attended delivery/pickup location being associated with a first brick-and-mortar store;

at least partially in response to receiving the first request, facilitating delivery of the one or more parcels to the particular attended delivery/pickup location;

receiving confirmation that the one or more parcels have been delivered to the particular attended delivery/pickup location;

at least partially in response to receiving the confirmation, notifying the intended recipient that the one or more parcels have been delivered to the particular attended delivery/pickup location;

receiving one or more item return criteria from a particular retailer;

receiving at the particular attended delivery/pickup location, a request to return a particular item to the particular retailer via the particular attended delivery/pickup location;

determining, based on the item return criteria, that the particular item is eligible to be returned via the particular attended delivery/pickup location to the particular retailer, wherein the determining is based in part on a return expiration date;

generating a return label comprising the return expiration date for placing on a parcel containing the particular item to be returned;

determining whether the return expiration date has passed;

if it is determined that the return expiration date has not passed, facilitating a transport of the particular item from the particular attended delivery/pickup location to a location associated with the particular retailer without charging a facilitation of return shipment fee to the individual,

if it is determined that the return label expiration date has passed, facilitating the transport from the particular attended delivery/pickup location to a location associated with the particular retailer, and

(1) charging the individual a facilitation of return shipment fee, or

(2) not charging the individual the facilitation of return shipment fee and notifying the particular retailer that the return label expiration date has passed.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a checklist comprising one or more questions designed to indicate that the particular item contains each of one or more parts;

determining whether the particular item contains each of the one or more parts, wherein determining whether the particular item may be returned via the particular attended delivery/pickup location to the particular retailer is further based at least in part on determining whether the particular item contains each of the one or more parts.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from an individual to pick up the one or more parcels from the particular attended delivery/pickup location;

at least partially in response to receiving the request, verifying that the individual is authorized to pick up the one or more parcels; and

at least partially in response to verifying that the individual is authorized, facilitating a transfer of the one or more parcels to the individual.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

confirming whether the particular attended delivery/pickup location has capacity to accept the one or more parcels before facilitating delivery of the one or more parcels to the particular attended delivery/pickup location.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a list of one or more authorized users, wherein;

the one or more authorized users are one or more users that are authorized to define a plurality of attributes associated with the particular attended delivery/pickup location, and

the one or more authorized users comprise one or more of;

(A) one or more managers of the attended delivery/pickup location,

(B) one or more employees of the attended delivery/pickup location, and

(C) one or more owners of the attended delivery/pickup location;

storing the list of one or more authorized users;

receiving a request from a particular user to define at least one attribute of the plurality of attributes associated with the particular attended delivery/pickup location;

determining whether the particular user is on the list of one or more authorized users;

at least partially in response to determining that the particular user is on the list of one or more authorized users, enabling the particular user to define the at least one attribute associated with the particular attended delivery/pickup location;

storing the defined at least one attribute in memory;

receiving a second delivery request to facilitate delivery of one or more second parcels to the particular attended delivery/pickup location, the delivery request comprising at least one characteristic associated with the delivery of the one or more second parcels;

determining whether the particular attended delivery/pickup location will receive the one or more second parcels based at least in part on;

(1) the at least one attribute associated with the particular attended delivery/pickup location, and

(2) the at least one characteristic associated with the delivery of the one or more second parcels; and

at least partially in response to determining that the particular attended delivery/pickup location will receive the one or more second parcels, facilitating delivery of the one or more seconds parcels to the particular attended delivery/pickup location.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the particular item requested to be returned was purchased from the particular retailer.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the request to return the particular item to the particular retailer via the attended delivery/pickup location comprises item information associated with the particular item that is received via a scan of a machine-readable indicium associated with the particular item at the attended delivery/pickup location.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least partially in response to determining that the particular item may not be returned to the particular retailer, transmitting a notification that the particular item may not be returned for the at least partial refund to a computing device associated with the attended delivery/pickup location.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further wherein, the computing device displays the notification.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that when executed, cause at least one processor to execute steps comprising:

providing to a user, a selection of available attended delivery/pickup locations to which the user may have one or more parcels delivered;

receiving a first request from the user to deliver the one or more parcels to a particular attended delivery/pickup location, the first request comprising an intended recipient and the particular attended delivery/pickup location comprising an attended delivery/pickup location from the selection of available attended delivery/pickup locations and being associated with a first brick-and-mortar store;

at least partially in response to receiving the first request, facilitating delivery of the one or more parcels to the particular attended delivery/pickup location;

receiving confirmation that the one or more parcels have been delivered to the particular attended delivery/pickup location;

at least partially in response to receiving the confirmation, notifying the intended recipient that the one or more parcels have been delivered to the particular attended delivery/pickup location;

receiving one or more item return criteria from a particular retailer;

receiving a parts list for one or more items, the one or more items comprising a particular item;

storing, in memory, the parts list;

receiving, at a client device associated with the attended delivery/pickup location, a request from an item returning individual to return a particular item to the particular retailer via the attended delivery/pickup location, wherein;

at least partially in response to receiving the request, displaying the parts list for the particular item on the client device associated with the attended delivery/pickup location comprises displaying a questionnaire comprising the parts list;

receiving input from an individual associated with the attended delivery/pickup location concerning whether the particular item includes each part from the parts list for the particular item comprises receiving a completed version of the questionnaire;

determining, based on the item return criteria, whether the particular item may be returned to the particular retailer;

causing the client device to display the notification; and

at least partially in response to determining the particular item may be returned to the particular retailer via the attended delivery/pickup location, facilitating a transport of the particular item from the attended delivery/pickup location to a location associated with the particular retailer.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein receiving the request to return the particular item comprises receiving a scan of a machine-readable indicium associated with a sale of the particular item by the particular retailer.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein at least partially in response to determining the particular item may be returned to the particular retailer, generating a return label comprising an expiration date for placing on a parcel containing the particular item to be returned.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein at least a partial refund is issued by the particular retailer directly to the item returning individual.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the determination of whether the particular item may be returned to the particular retailer is based at least on part on the one or more item return criteria comprising a return expiration deadline for returning the item.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the return expiration deadline comprises an expiration date that is a date the particular retailer will no longer accept the return of the particular item.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein if it is determined that the expiration date has not expired, facilitating a transport of the particular item from the attended delivery/pickup location to a location associated with the particular retailer without charging a facilitation of return shipment fee to the individual.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein if it is determined that the return label expiration date has passed, facilitating the transport from the attended delivery/pickup location to a location associated with the particular retailer, and charging the individual a facilitation of return shipment fee.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein at least partially in response to determining that the particular item may not be returned to the particular retailer, transmitting a notification that the particular item may not be returned to the client device associated with the attended delivery/pickup location.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein a request from an individual is received to pick up one or more parcels from the particular attended delivery/pickup location;

at least partially in response to receiving the request, verifying that the individual is authorized to pick up the one or more parcels; and

at least partially in response to verifying that the individual is authorized, facilitating a transfer of the one or more parcels to individual.

20. A computer-implemented method of facilitating parcel delivery to and item return via an attended delivery/pickup location, the method comprising:

providing a selection of available attended delivery/pickup locations to which a user may have one or more parcels delivered;

receiving a first request from the user to deliver the one or more parcels to a particular attended delivery/pickup location, the first request comprising an intended recipient, the particular attended delivery/pickup location comprising an attended delivery/pickup location from the selection of available attended delivery/pickup locations, and the particular attended delivery/pickup location being associated with a first brick-and-mortar store;

at least partially in response to receiving the first request, facilitating delivery of the one or more parcels to the particular attended delivery/pickup location;

receiving confirmation that the one or more parcels have been delivered to the particular attended delivery/pickup location;

at least partially in response to receiving the confirmation, notifying the intended recipient that the one or more parcels have been delivered to the particular attended delivery/pickup location;

receiving one or more item return criteria from a particular retailer;

receiving at the particular attended delivery/pickup location, a request to return a particular item to the particular retailer via the particular attended delivery/pickup location;

determining, based on the item return criteria, that the particular item is eligible to be returned via the particular attended delivery/pickup location to the particular retailer for at least a partial refund, wherein the at least the partial refund is issued by the particular retailer directly to an individual who requested the return of the particular item purchased from the particular retailer and wherein the determining is based in part on a return expiration date; and

generating a return label comprising the return expiration date for placing on a parcel containing the particular item to be returned.