Third party merchandise return system
First Claim
1. A method for processing a return of an item purchased from a selling merchant by a remote customer, said method comprising:
- receiving an order for said item from said customer;
sending said item to said customer by said selling merchant;
receiving a return communication from said customer requesting a return of said item to said selling merchant; and
sending a shipping communication to said customer, said shipping communication identifying a receiver other than said selling merchant to whom said item is to be returned.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and implementing system are provided in which merchants are enabled to designate re-seller return locations to customers for returned items. In an exemplary embodiment, a merchant is notified that a customer wishes to return an item purchased. The merchant then sends the customer a return label for the returned item containing the address of the re-seller for the merchant. The re-seller then notifies the merchant when the item has been received and the merchant then credits the account of the customer for the returned item. In a second exemplary embodiment, upon receipt of notice from the customer of the return, the merchant then makes the item available for an auction purchase to a number of bidders. When a winning bid is known to the merchant, the return address of the winning bidder is then sent to the customer for use in returning the purchased item.
65 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method for processing a return of an item purchased from a selling merchant by a remote customer, said method comprising:
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receiving an order for said item from said customer;
sending said item to said customer by said selling merchant;
receiving a return communication from said customer requesting a return of said item to said selling merchant; and
sending a shipping communication to said customer, saidshipping communication identifying a receiver other than said selling merchant to whom said item is to be returned. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A storage medium including machine readable coded indicia, said storage medium being selectively coupled through a reading device to processing circuitry within a computing system, said reading device being selectively operable to read said machine readable coded indicia and provide program signals representative thereof, said program signals being effective to process a return by a selling merchant of an item purchased by a customer at a remote location, said program signals being selectively operable to accomplish the steps of:
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receiving an order for said item from said customer;
effecting a sending of said item to said customer by said selling merchant;
receiving a return communication from said customer requesting a return of said item to said selling merchant; and
sending a shipping communication to said customer, said shipping communication identifying a receiver other than said selling merchant to whom said item is to be returned. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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- 21. A processing system including a system bus, a processor, a memory system, and a network interface, all coupled to said system bus, said processing system being operable in response to an item return program being executed from said memory system for effecting a return of an item purchased from a selling merchant by a customer at a remote location through said network interface, said processing system being selectively operable to receive an order for said item from said customer over said network interface, and effecting a sending of said item to said customer by said selling merchant, said processing system being further operable for receiving a return communication from said customer requesting a return of said item to said selling merchant, and sending a shipping communication to said customer, said shipping communication identifying a receiver other than said selling merchant to whom said item is to be returned.
Specification