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

• US 7,311,253 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2005
• Issued: 12/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ralph Garner
• Original Assignee: Ralph Garner
• Inventors: Garner, Ralph
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rojas, Pedro A
• Application Number:
  US11/135,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20060261160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 235/385, 235/375, 235/489, 235/494, 340/568.2, 340/568.1
• US Class Current: 235/385
• 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 includes a tag assembly that renders a retail item ineligible for merchandise return or refund if tag is removed from the retail item, if the label attached to the front side of tag has been removed or tampered with, or if the retail item is a garment that had 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 code data preventing the item from being returned for refund after the retailers 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.

Claims

1. A method for deterring fraudulent retail merchandise returns and refunds, comprising:

a. placement, by a retail sales associate, of a tag containing a means for attaching said tag to each retail item sold in a discreet location on said retail item, after payment of said retail item has been received;

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

c. maintenance of a warning message and an identifying trademark on a backside of said tag;

d. daily production of said tag for attachment to retail items sold per workday;

e. daily production of said unique label used for attachment to retail items sold per workday;

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

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

h. referral to said coded data portion of label by the 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 or return based on said coded data.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said means for attaching said tag to a retail item is a 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 a trouser or skirt.

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

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

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

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein said shoe or other footwear has no available opening and 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, if the retail item is not a garment, said label is applied to the item'"'"'s surface instead of to the tag.

11. A method according to claim 1 wherein said label is applied directly to the tag through the use of a label applicator.

12. A method according to claim 1 wherein said label is applied first to a finger of the sales associate through the use of a label applicator, 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 and second 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 the item was sold, the fourth and fifth characters 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 remaining characters 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 said tag reads:

“

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