Item delivery service with return component

• US 20040117384A1
• Filed: 10/27/2003
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Ray, Christine R.L.
• Application Number:
  US10/476,000
• Publication Number:
  US 20040117384A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

Providing item delivery service with a return component comprises arranging, by third party, a sales transaction of an item (110) between a seller (105) and a buyer (155) and delivering the item to the buyer utilizing a delivery system (100). Next, providing item delivery service includes making a payment for at least one of the following: a purchase price of the item, a delivery fee, and a fee for any upon a determination by the buyer as to whether to keep the item after an inspection of the item. And finally, providing item delivery service includes returning the item to the seller through the delivery system if the buyer determined not to keep the item, the third party providing the buyer with the return label.

Claims

1. A method for providing item delivery service with a return component, comprising:

arranging, by a third party, a sales transaction of an item between a seller and a buyer;

delivering the item to the buyer utilizing a delivery system;

making a payment for at least one of the following;

a purchase price of the item, a delivery fee, and a fee for any other buyer-selected delivery-related services based at least upon a determination by the buyer as to whether to keep the item after an inspection of the item; and

returning the item to the seller through the delivery system if the buyer determined not to keep the item, the third party providing the buyer with a return label.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the arranging stage further comprises:

receiving authorization from the buyer to transfer a payment from a buyer account for the purchase of the item;

debiting the buyer account in the amount of the payment; and

crediting an escrow account in the amount of the payment.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising debiting the buyer account by at least one of the following:

billing the buyer, debiting buyer'"'"'s checking account, debiting buyer'"'"'s credit card account, debiting buyer'"'"'s debit card account, and receiving cash from the buyer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the arranging stage further comprises:

sending the buyer a receipt identifying the sales transaction and the payment amount; and

crediting an escrow account in the amount of the payment when the buyer pays the amount of the payment at a retail unit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivering stage further comprises:

notifying the seller by the third party that the item can be shipped;

receiving by the third party a request from the seller-for a tracking indicia; and

sending the tracking indicia to the seller from the third party.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivering stage further comprises:

receiving the item into the delivery system, the item containing a tracking indicia;

scanning the tracking indicia; and

providing the third party with the data contained in the tracking indicia.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the making stage further comprises making the payment of the purchase price of the item to the seller if the buyer decided to keep the item, a tracking indicia on the item identifying the seller.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, if the buyer determined not to keep the item, the returning stage further comprises:

receiving the item into the delivery system, the item containing a tracking indicia; and

making the payment of the purchase price of the item to the buyer when the tracking indicia is scanned upon delivery of the item to the seller.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising utilizing at least one of the following media:

regular mail, e-mail, facsimile, internet, and an interactive voice response method in arranging the sales transaction.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing the item comprising at least one of the following:

a mailpiece, a United States Postal Service Priority Mail package, and a United States Postal Service Express Mail Package.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising utilizing as a tracking indicia at least one of the following:

a bar code and a PLANET code.

12. A system for providing item delivery service with a return component, comprising:

a component for arranging, by a third party, a sales transaction of an item between a seller and a buyer;

a component for delivering the item to the buyer utilizing a delivery system;

a component for making a payment for at least one of the following;

a purchase price of the item, a delivery fee, and a fee for any other buyer-selected delivery-related services based at least upon a determination by the buyer as to whether to keep the item after an inspection of the item; and

a component for returning the item to the seller through the delivery system if the buyer determined not to keep the item, the third party providing the buyer with a return label.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the component for arranging further comprises:

a component for receiving authorization from the buyer to transfer a payment from a buyer account for the purchase of the item;

a component for debiting the buyer account in the amount of the payment; and

a component for crediting an escrow account in the amount of the payment.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a component for debiting the buyer account by at least one of the following:

billing the buyer, debiting buyer'"'"'s checking account, debiting buyer'"'"'s credit card account, debiting buyer'"'"'s debit card account, and receiving cash from the buyer.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the component for arranging further comprises:

a component for sending the buyer a receipt identifying the sales transaction and the payment amount; and

a component for crediting an escrow account in the amount of the payment when the buyer pays the amount of the payment at a retail unit.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the component for delivering further comprises:

a component for notifying the seller by the third party that the item can be shipped;

a component for receiving by the third party a request from the seller for a tracking indicia; and

a component for sending the tracking indicia to the seller from the third party.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the component for delivering further comprises:

a component for receiving the item into the delivery system, the item containing a tracking indicia;

a component for scanning the tracking indicia; and

a component for providing the third party with the data contained in the tracking indicia.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the component for making further comprises a component for making the payment of the purchase price of the item to the seller if the buyer decided to keep the item, a tracking indicia on the item identifying the seller.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein, if the buyer determined not to keep the item, the component for returning further comprises:

a component for receiving the item into the delivery system, the item containing a tracking indicia; and

a component for making the payment of the purchase price of the item to the buyer when the tracking indicia is scanned upon delivery of the item to the seller.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein communications between at least two of the seller, the buyer, the third party, and a delivery system operator is conducted over at least one of regular mail, e-mail, facsimile, internet, and an interactive voice response system

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the item comprises at least one of the following:

a mailpiece, a United States Postal Service Priority Mail package, and a United States Postal Service Express Mail Package.

22. The system of claim 12, further comprising utilizing as a tracking indicia at least one of the following:

a bar code and a PLANET code.

23. A method for providing item delivery service with a return component, comprising:

arranging, by a third party, a sales transaction of an item between a seller and a buyer, utilizing at least one of the following, regular mail, e-mail, facsimile, internet, and an interactive voice response, in arranging the sales transaction, arranging the sales transaction further comprising;

receiving authorization from the buyer to transfer a payment from a buyer account for the purchase of the item, the buyer account comprising at least one of billing the buyer, a buyer'"'"'s checking account, a buyer'"'"'s credit card account, a buyer'"'"'s debit card account, and cash from the buyer,

debiting the buyer account in the amount of the payment, and

crediting an escrow account in the amount of the payment;

delivering the item to the buyer utilizing a delivery system using at least one of a mailpiece, a United States Postal Service Priority Mail package, and a United States Postal Service Express Mail Package in delivering the item, delivering the item further comprising;

notifying the seller by the third party that the item can be shipped,

receiving by the third party a request from the seller for a tracking indicia, the tracking indicia comprising at least one of a bar code and a PLANET code,

sending the tracking indicia to the seller from the third party,

receiving the item into the delivery system, the item containing the tracking indicia,

scanning the tracking indicia, and

providing the third party with the data contained in the tracking indicia;

making a payment for at least one of the following;

a purchase price of the item to the seller, a delivery fee, and a fee for any other buyer-selected delivery-related services if the buyer decides to keep the item after an inspection of the item; and

returning the item to the seller through the delivery system if the buyer determined not to keep the item, the third party providing the buyer with a return label, returning the item if the buyer determined not to keep the item further comprising;

receiving the item into the delivery system, the item containing the tracking indicia, and

making the payment of the purchase price of the item to the buyer when the tracking indicia is scanned upon delivery of the item to the seller.

24. A method for providing item delivery service with a return component, comprising:

delivering the item to the buyer utilizing a delivery system;

receiving a payment from a person-to-person payment system for at least one of the following;

a delivery fee, and a fee for any other buyer-selected delivery-related services based at least upon a determination by the buyer as to whether to keep the item after an inspection of the item; and

returning the item to the seller through the delivery system if the buyer determined not to keep the item, the item including a return label provided by the person-to-person payment system.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the delivering stage further comprises:

receiving the item into the delivery system, the item containing a tracking indicia;

scanning the tracking indicia; and

providing the person-to-person payment system with the data contained in the tracking indicia.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein, if the buyer determined not to keep the item, the returning stage further comprises:

receiving the item into the delivery system, the item containing a tracking indicia; and

providing the person-to-person payment system with data when the tracking indicia is scanned upon delivery of the item to the seller.

27. The method of claim 24, further comprising utilizing at least one of the following media:

regular mail, e-mail, facsimile, internet, and an interactive voice response method in arranging the sales transaction.

28. A system for providing item delivery'"'"'service with a return component, comprising:

a component for delivering the item to the buyer utilizing a delivery system;

a component for receiving a payment from a person-to-person payment system for at least one of the following;

a delivery fee, and a fee for any other buyer-selected delivery-related services based at least upon a determination by the buyer as to whether to keep the item after an inspection of the item; and

a component for returning the item to the seller through the delivery system if the buyer determined not to keep the item, the item including a return label provided by the person-to-person payment system.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the component for delivering further comprises:

a component for receiving the item into the delivery system, the item containing a tracking indicia;

a component for scanning the tracking indicia; and

a component for providing the person-to-person payment system with the data contained in the tracking indicia.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein, if the buyer determined not to keep the item, the component for returning further comprises:

a component for receiving the item into the delivery system, the item containing a tracking indicia; and

a component for providing the person-to-person payment system with data when the tracking indicia is scanned upon delivery of the item to the seller.

31. The system of claim 28, further comprising utilizing at least one of the following media:

regular mail, e-mail, facsimile, internet, and an interactive voice response system in arranging the sales transaction.