Method and system providing out-sourced, merchandise return services, and exchange and escrow services
First Claim
1. A merchandise inspection system for a remote seller and prospective buyer comprising:
- a service providing the remote seller and prospective buyer with merchandise-inspection information services, comprising merchandise-inspection information storage means for storing merchandise-inspection information applicable to merchandise of the seller;
a distributed community of point-of-access associates, linked to the merchandise-inspection information storage means by a communications medium, for physically processing inspections by the prospective buyer of the seller'"'"'s merchandise submitted to a given point-of-access associate if authorized after application to the merchandise-inspection information storage means;
whereby the prospective buyer may refuse the inspected merchandise in consequence of the inspection.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A secured exchange method provides a prospective buyer with a chance to inspect the goods of a remote seller as a condition precedent to acceptance. The method is implemented by a distributed community of intermediary point-of-access associates who physically host such inspections, as well as by a managing inspection-transaction information service. The seller delivers the goods to one of the point-of-access associates, who in turn ships to another point-of-access associate, which is where the prospective buyer will inspect. There the prospective buyer gets the opportunity to inspect the offered goods and, upon buyer'"'"'s application to accept, that particular point-of-access associate accesses the pertinent terms of acceptance from the managing inspection-transaction information service. If the pertinent terms of acceptance are met, the point-of-access associate releases the goods to the buyer.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A merchandise inspection system for a remote seller and prospective buyer comprising:
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a service providing the remote seller and prospective buyer with merchandise-inspection information services, comprising merchandise-inspection information storage means for storing merchandise-inspection information applicable to merchandise of the seller;
a distributed community of point-of-access associates, linked to the merchandise-inspection information storage means by a communications medium, for physically processing inspections by the prospective buyer of the seller'"'"'s merchandise submitted to a given point-of-access associate if authorized after application to the merchandise-inspection information storage means;
whereby the prospective buyer may refuse the inspected merchandise in consequence of the inspection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method providing a prospective acceptor an opportunity to inspect the offered goods of a remote offeror as a condition precedent to acceptance, comprising the steps of:
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providing the offeror and prospective acceptor with a goods-inspection information service, including storage of inspection and terms-of-acceptance information pertaining to the offered goods of the offeror;
providing a distributed community of point-of-access associates who can physically process such inspections with links to the goods-inspection information service by a communications medium;
the offeror entrusting the offered goods to a given point-of-access associate and thereby affording the acceptor the condition-precedent opportunity to inspect the offered goods;
the given point-of-access associate providing the prospective acceptor with the opportunity to inspect the offered goods upon application to inspect; and
, upon further application to accept, the given point-of-access associate requesting from the goods-inspection information service the pertinent inspection and terms-of-acceptance information, and then processing the acceptance of the offered goods if the pertinent terms of acceptance are met. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method providing a prospective acceptor an opportunity to inspect an offered item of a remote offeror as a condition precedent to acceptance, comprising the steps of:
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providing a distributed community of intermediary point-of-access associates for physically hosting such inspections;
a remote offeror of an item offering a prospective acceptor the item for acceptance upon condition precedent of an inspection of the offered item;
the offeror inputting the item with an arbitrary one of the point-of-access associates who in consequence transfers the item to a given other of the point-of-access associates where the prospective acceptor will inspect;
providing the distributed community of intermediary point-of-access associates with links to an inspection-transaction information service by the Internet computer information network;
the offeror inputting with the inspection-transaction information service the terms of acceptance of the offered item;
the given other point-of-access associate providing the prospective acceptor with the opportunity to inspect the offered item upon application to inspect; and
, upon further application to accept, the given other point-of-access associate requesting from the inspection-transaction information service the pertinent terms of acceptance, and then processing the acceptance of the offered goods if the pertinent terms of acceptance are met. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification