Reverse manifesting by returns service provider
First Claim
1. A method, performed by a returns provider, of calculating shipping costs due to a carrier in connection with customer returns of items, comprising the steps of:
- receiving shipping due packages containing returned items at a returns center;
wherein affixed to each package is a printed label, the label having machine readable package attribute data, the data representing at least a package identifier, the origin of the package, and a delivery location;
reading the manifesting data on each package;
weighing each package, thereby obtaining weight data;
delivering the manifesting data and the weight data to a processing system;
storing shipping rate data in the processing system; and
using the processing system to calculate the shipping costs for the packages, based on the data delivered in the delivering step.
12 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of calculating shipping costs due to a carrier in connection with customer returns of items shipped to the customer by merchant. A returns center receives shipping due packages containing returned items. Affixed to each package is a printed label, the label having machine readable manifesting data, representing at least a package identifier, the origin of the package, the a delivery location. The manifesting data is scanned and the package is weighed. Data collected from the scanning and weighing steps is delivered to a processing system, which calculates shipping costs and generates a manifest report.
-
Citations
34 Claims
-
1. A method, performed by a returns provider, of calculating shipping costs due to a carrier in connection with customer returns of items, comprising the steps of:
-
receiving shipping due packages containing returned items at a returns center;
wherein affixed to each package is a printed label, the label having machine readable package attribute data, the data representing at least a package identifier, the origin of the package, and a delivery location;
reading the manifesting data on each package;
weighing each package, thereby obtaining weight data;
delivering the manifesting data and the weight data to a processing system;
storing shipping rate data in the processing system; and
using the processing system to calculate the shipping costs for the packages, based on the data delivered in the delivering step. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A processing system for calculating shipping costs due to a carrier in connection with customer returns of items, comprising:
-
a machine-reading process for collecting manifesting data on packages containing returned items, wherein affixed to each package is a printed label, the label having machine readable package attribute data, the data representing at least a package identifier, the origin of the package, and a delivery location;
a weighing process for collecting weight data from the packages;
a shipping rate database for storing shipping rate data; and
a shipping charge calculation process for receiving the manifesting data and the weight data, for accessing the shipping rate data, and for calculating shipping costs for the packages. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
-
-
26. A merchandise return computer system for assisting in returns of packages, comprising:
-
at least one client system programmed to acquire machine readable return label data for each package, the return label data containing at least merchant identification data and origin data, and to acquire weight data for each package; and
a manifesting system programmed to receive the return label data from the client system, to access shipping charges data, and to calculate shipping charges for the packages. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30)
-
-
31. A merchandise return computer system for assisting in returns of packages, comprising:
a computer process programmed to acquire machine readable return label data for each package, the return label data containing at least merchant identification data and origin data, and to acquire weight data for each package;
to receive the return label data from the client system, to access shipping charges data, and to calculate shipping charges for the packages.- View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
-
34. A computer storage medium containing programming for manifesting returned packages, the programming operable to:
acquire machine readable return label data, the return label data containing at least package origin data;
acquire weight data representing packages weights, to access shipping charge data, and calculate shipping charges based on the return label data and the weight data.
Specification