SERVICE PLAN PRODUCT AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20080095441A1
• Filed: 02/23/2007
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Inventors: Rosskamm, Daniel, Brenny, Joseph, Orzel, Steven, Eastman, Stephen L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,797,252 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/183
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/012 Providing warranty services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A service plan product providing a tangible representation of a service plan includes a support backer and a tag removably coupled with the backer. The tag includes service plan account identification means corresponding to a service plan account stored in a database and plan administrator contact indicia. The tag is configured to be removed from the backer and applied to a primary product for which the service plan is provided, and wherein only the service plan account identification means is required for the service plan administrator to access the database to identify details regarding the service plan account. Related systems and methods are also disclosed and provide additional advantages.

Claims

1. A service plan system comprising:

a service plan product including at least one bar code identifying the type of service plan product and a service plan account linked to the service plan product; and

a point-of sale register configured to optically read the at least one bar code of the service plan product and a primary product bar code of a primary product during a mercantile transaction, wherein the point-of-sale register associates the primary product with the service plan account based on the at least one bar code optically read from the service plan product and the primary product bar code optically read from the primary product and initializes the service plan account for a predetermined term.

2. The service plan system of claim 1, wherein the mercantile transaction includes a financial exchange for the purchase of the primary product.

3. The service plan system of claim 1, wherein the service plan product includes a first bar code identifying one of a plurality of available tiers of service plans and a second bar code identifying a particular service plan account within the one of the plurality of available tiers, the point-of-sale register being configured to determine an identity of the primary product based on the primary product bar code and to associate the identity of the primary product with the service plan account based on the second bar code.

4. A service plan product providing a tangible representation of a service plan, the service plan product comprising:

a support backer; and

a tag removably coupled with the backer, the tag including service plan account identification means corresponding to a service plan account and plan administrator contact indicia;

wherein the tag is configured to be removed from the backer and applied to a primary product for which the service plan is provided, and wherein only the service plan account identification means is required for the service plan administrator to identify details regarding the service plan account.

5. The service plan product of claim 4, further comprising a contract sheet coupled with the backer and including detailed terms of the service plan.

6. The service plan product of claim 4, further comprising at least one identifier configured to be read by a point-of-sale terminal for processing the service plan product for sale.

7. The service plan product of claim 4, further comprising a first identifier and a second identifier each configured to be read by a point-of-sale (POS) terminal, the first identifier being configured to identify to the POS terminal that the service plan product is related to a service plan program, and the second identifier being configured to identify to the POS terminal the service plan account associated with the tag, wherein the service plan account is one of a plurality of service plan accounts within the service plan.

8. The service plan product of claim 7, wherein the first identifier and the second identifier are each a bar code.

9. The service plan product of claim 4, in combination with a database including the service plan account linked to the service plan account identification means and populated with a primary product upon initialization of the service plan.

10. A system for administering a service plan corresponding with a primary product, the system comprising:

a database configured to store information regarding a plurality of service plan accounts;

a label including a service plan account identification and plan administrator contact information, wherein the label is provided as a product separate from the primary product and is configured for application to the primary product; and

a point-of-sale (POS) terminal coupled with the database and configured to initialize one of the plurality of service plan accounts by providing the database with the service plan account identification and primary product information.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising the plan administrator in communication with the database, the plan administrator being configured to facilitate processing of a claim submitted under an initialized one of the plurality of service plan accounts.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein processing of a claim includes one or more of repairing, replacing, and servicing all or part of the primary product.

13. A method of enrolling a primary product in a service plan, the method comprising:

processing a primary product for purchase at a first point-of-sale (POS) terminal; and

processing a separate service plan product for purchase at one of the first POS terminal and a second POS terminal, wherein the service plan product includes a tag having account identification means, wherein the one of the first POS terminal and the second POS terminal automatically stores primary product information linked to the account identifier in a database and automatically activates a service plan account corresponding to the account identification means for a predefined term.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein processing the primary product and processing the service plan occur during a single purchase transaction at the first POS terminal.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein processing the primary product occurs in a first purchase transaction at the first POS terminal, and processing the service plan occurs in a second purchase transaction subsequent to the first purchase transaction at the second POS terminal.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the second purchase transaction can only occur within a predefined time interval from the first purchase transaction.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising applying the tag to the primary product.

18. The method of claim 13, furthering comprising displaying the service plan product as one of a plurality of service plan products each associated with one of a first service plan price tier and a second service plan price tier, each service plan product associated with the first service plan price tier being at least partially a first color and each service plan product associated with the second service plan price tier being at least partially a second color to visually differentiate the service plan products associated with the first and second service plan price tiers.

19. The method of claim 13, including displaying the service plan product near a display of the primary product prior to processing the primary product and processing the service plan product.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising discarding any receipts regarding the purchase of the primary product and the service plan product.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the method is substantially paperless.

22. A method of utilizing a service plan, the method comprising:

removing a tag from a service plan product and applying the tag to a primary product associated therewith;

contacting a service plan administrator utilizing contact information included on the tag attached to the primary product; and

providing the service plan administrator with an account identification included on the tag, wherein the service plan administrator is configured to communicate with a database to determine a description of the primary product based solely upon the account identification.

23. A method of providing a service plan, the method comprising:

associating a primary product with a service plan account based on data received from a point-of-sale terminal;

remotely receiving communication from an owner of the primary product including receiving a service plan account identification from the owner, wherein the service plan account identification is determined from a tag coupled with the primary product, and collecting information regarding an issue of the primary product from the owner;

accessing a service plan account based on the service plan account identification;

determining a remedy based on the information regarding the issue; and

providing the remedy to the consumer.