Systems and methods for data collection at a point of return

• US 7,455,226 B1
• Filed: 11/01/2005
• Issued: 11/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Retail Equation, Inc. (Bamboo Health, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The Return Exchange, Inc. (Bamboo Health, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bradshaw, Peter L., Hilinski, Mark R., Holland, James D., Speights, David B., Vu, Kenny C., Hammond, Mark S.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, SEUNG H
• Application Number:
  US11/263,890
• Time in Patent Office: 1,120 Days
• Field of Search: 235/385, 235/383, 235/376, 902/22, 705/28
• 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 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 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/407 Cancellation of a transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for collecting data at a merchant'"'"'s point of return for use in processing a merchandise return transaction that is being requested by a customer. In various embodiments, the data may be collected using a wide variety of data collection technologies and may be used in conjunction with stored data, including data collected from other merchants, by a return authorization system to make a determination whether to accept or deny the requested merchandise return. The data may additionally or alternatively be used to determine whether to issue a warning to the customer about limitations on future return transactions presented by the customer. Examples of data categories that may be collected include, but are not limited to, information about: the merchant, the customer, the requested transaction, the merchandise being returned, one or more receipts, a clerk processing the transaction, and other general applicable information.

Claims

1. A method of authorizing a requested merchandise return at a merchant'"'"'s point of return, comprising:

collecting information from multiple merchants about merchandise returns being returned by consumers;

obtaining consumer identification information about the consumers making the merchandise returns to the multiple merchants;

storing the consumer identification information in association with the merchandise returns in one or more databases, wherein the database further comprises information about return history of prior merchandise returns made by the consumers to the multiple merchants;

receiving a request to authorize a return made by a consumer at a merchant'"'"'s point of return located in a merchant'"'"'s facility;

providing the information in the database to a return authorization system that is configured to determine whether to authorize the return made by the consumer at the merchant'"'"'s point of return based at least in part on automatically using the consumer identification information, without the need of merchant intervention, to determine whether the consumer made prior merchandise returns to other merchants; and

further determining with the return authorization system the acceptability of future merchandise returns by the consumer based at least in part on the information about the return history of the prior merchandise returns made by the consumer; and

indicating to the consumer whether future merchandise returns will be allowed.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising collecting information about a date associated with a receipt for at least one item being returned.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising collecting information about a dollar amount associated with merchandise items being returned.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the dollar amount does not include tax.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the dollar amount is further associated with items being purchased as part of a return transaction.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising collecting information about a one or more identifying data items associated with a receipt for at least one item being returned.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising collecting information about one or more identifiers associated with the items presented for return.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of the one or more identifiers is at least one of the set consisting of:

a Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) code, and a radio frequency identifier (RFID) code.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising collecting information about the number of items being presented for return.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising collecting information about the number of items being presented for return.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising collecting information about at least one of the set consisting of:

a fingerprint of a customer requesting the merchandise return, a retina scan of the customer, a voice scan of the customer, a loyalty card number, a gift card number, a checking account number, a coupon number, a merchandise credit slip number, a phone number, a credit card number, a check number, a debit card number, a receipt authorization code, a license expiration date, and the age of the customer.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an authorization determination that is based, at least in part, on the collected information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving an authorization determination comprises receiving a result of an assessment of risk associated with accepting the requested merchandise return.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the authorization determination is further based, at least in part, on information about at least one of the set consisting of:

a geographic location of an establishment at which the merchant'"'"'s point of return is located, a net total dollar amount associated with the requested merchandise return, information about previous purchase transactions associated with a customer who is requesting the merchandise return, payment information associated with the customer, discount information associated with the items being presented for return, override information associated with merchandise returns requested by the customer, override information associated with merchandise returns processed by a clerk who is processing the requested merchandise return, sales tax information, crime data, shoplifting data, prison data, credit data, check data, address history data, identification theft data, post office box data, and data from other merchants.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the authorization determination is further based, at least in part, on information about at least one of the set consisting of:

an identifier associated with an establishment at which the merchant'"'"'s point of return is located, a receipt associated with purchase of one or more items that are being presented for return, address information associated with a customer who is requesting the merchandise return, a customer identifier, a state associated with the customer identifier, a state in which the customer resides, address information associated with a clerk who is processing the requested merchandise return, address information associated with the merchant'"'"'s establishment, a type of merchandise return transaction being requested, one or more dates associated with previous merchandise returns associated with the customer, one or more times associated with previous merchandise returns associated with the customer, a number of previous merchandise returns associated with the customer within a predetermined time period, a number of previous merchandise returns associated with the customer within a predetermined geographic area, an amount of time lapsed since purchase of one or more of the items being presented for return, and dollar values associated with one or more of the items being presented for return.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the information about a type of return being requested by the customer comprises an indication whether the customer wishes to exchange the returned merchandise for an equivalent amount of cash, for an equivalent amount of store credit, for an equivalently valued amount of merchandise, or for a differently valued amount of merchandise wherein the difference between the two values is paid by the merchant to the customer or by the customer to the merchant.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the information about a type of return being requested by the customer comprises an indication whether the customer wishes to exchange the returned merchandise for at least one of the set consisting of:

a gift card, a store check, a debit card, a credit card, and another type of tender.