Anti-theft/anti-fraud system utilizing specialized merchandise tag/label and unique identification coding

• US 20060261160A1
• Filed: 05/23/2005
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ralph Garner
• Original Assignee: Ralph Garner
• Inventors: Garner, Ralph
• Granted Patent: US 7,311,253 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

An anti-theft/anti-fraud system that includes a tag assembly that renders a retail item ineligible for merchandise return or refund in the cases tag is removed from the retail item or where the label attached to the front side of tag has been removed or tampered with, or if the retail item is a garment that has been washed or dry-cleaned. The backside of the tag contains the anti-theft/anti-fraud system trademark and a warning message. The label thereon contains the anti-theft/anti-fraud system trademark and the retail outlet'"'"'s code data that defines the retail outlet'"'"'s name, date of purchase and type of purchase, so that the item cannot be returned for refund after the retailer'"'"'s return policy period has passed, or after the item has been washed or dry-cleaned. The tag is attached to a discreet portion of the retail item. If attachment of the tag has no feasible location then a single label is utilized and applied to a discreet portion of the retail item. This anti-theft/anti-fraud system is designed to deter incentives of diverse forms of larceny, also eliminating the possibility of a retail item being returned to a different retailer. This system also protects the integrity of the retailer'"'"'s inventory from the introduction of counterfeit items.

Claims

1. A method for deterring fraudulent retail merchandise returns and refunds, comprising placement by a retail sales associate of a tag containing a means for attachment of said tag to each retail item sold after checkout in a discreet location on said retail item;

application of a unique label to the front side of said tag, said label containing coded data identifying the location of the purchase, the date of the purchase and the type of purchase;

maintenance of a warning message and identifying trademark on the backside of said tag;

daily production of said specialized tags for attachment to retail items sold per workday;

daily production of said unique labels for attachment to retail items sold per workday;

assessment of all unused tags by the retailer at the end of each workday for reconciliation with the day'"'"'s purchases;

advisement to retail customer by sales associate of the location of said tag and/or label and the retail outlet'"'"'s return policy at checkout;

referral to said coded data portion of label by a retail sales associate at the time a customer attempts to return a given item of merchandise for determination of whether or not the item is eligible for a refund of return based on the coded data.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said means for applying said tag to a retail item is self-locking nylon tamper-proof loops tie.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein said tag is attached to a garment through an opening of inside manufacturer'"'"'s label.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said tag is attached to garments through an opening of a belt'"'"'s loop of trouser or skirt.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein said tag is attached to a garment through buttonhole opening of shirt, sweater or jacket.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein said tag is attached to a garment through zipper tab opening of shirt, sweater or jacket.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein said tag is attached to shoe/footwear through an eyelet opening, or other feasible opening.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein shoe/footwear has no available opening and, as such, said label is applied directly to any available surface.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein said tag is attached to a garment accessory through any available location.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein the retail garment is not a garment and, as such, said label is attached directly to the item'"'"'s surface rather than to a tag.

11. A method according to claim 1 wherein said label is applied directly to the tag through the use of an applicator such as XL PRO 25EEA, or similar device.

12. A method according to claim 1 wherein said label is applied first to the finger of the sales associate through the use of a label applicator such as XL PRO 25EEA, or similar device, and then applied manually to said tag.

13. A method according to claim 1 wherein said code data portion involves six or more characters, said characters being a combination of letters and numbers wherein the first two characters correspond to the identification of the retailer through the use of unique identifying letters, the third character corresponds to the year of purchase being a single number that is the last number of the year it was sold, characters four and five correspond to numbers that indicate the month of purchase, the fifth or sixth character is always a dash, the next one or two characters are numbers that correspond to the day of the month of the purchase and the remain character are unique letters that identify whether the purchase was a final sale, a purchase using store credit or a clearance sale.

14. A method according to claim 1 wherein said warning message on the backside of the said tag reads:

“

WARNING Do Not Wash or Dry-Clean With This Tag Attached”