Method and apparatus for payment retrieval and review collection

• US 7,873,551 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2003
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: U-Haul International Incorporated (U-Haul Holding Co.)
• Original Assignee: U-Haul International Incorporated (U-Haul Holding Co.)
• Inventors: Shoen, Edward J., Shoen, Samuel J., Srinivasan, Venkataraman, Kestner, John Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender; F. Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Danneman; Paul
• Application Number:
  US10/376,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20080288395A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,883 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

A method for conducting a review including the step of detecting a payment request from a vendor; generating a review based on the payment request; and, transmitting a reference to the review to a customer, wherein the reference provides a link to retrieve the review. A system for performing the method is also described.

Claims

1. A method for conducting a review comprising the steps of:

detecting with a computer system a payment request from a vendor, including receiving a payment code from the vendor, wherein the payment code is related to a particular job to be performed by the vendor and is issued to a customer after accepting a payment from the customer for the job;

activating a payment for the job in response to the vendor entering the payment code;

generating with the computer system a review based on the payment request; and

;

transmitting with the computer system a reference to the review to the customer;

wherein the reference provides a link to retrieve the review.

2. The method of claim 1, where the step of transmitting with a computer system the reference to the review to the customer comprises the steps of:

creating with the computer system an electronic mail message addressed to the customer, the reference to the review contained in the electronic mail message; and

,

transmitting with the computer system the electronic mail message.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

detecting with a computer system a request to retrieve the review by the customer; and

,

transmitting with the computer system the review.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

detecting with a computer system a response to the review; and

,

updating with the computer system a vendor feedback record based on the response.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

detecting with a computer system a response to the review; and

,

generating with the computer system a notification based on the response.

6. A method for conducting a review comprising the steps of:

detecting with a computer system a payment request from a vendor, including receiving a payment code from the vendor, wherein the payment code is issued to a customer after accepting a payment from the customer for a job to be performed by the vendor;

activating a payment for the job in response to the vendor entering the payment code;

generating with the computer system a review based on the payment request;

transmitting with the computer system a reference to the review to a customer, wherein the reference provides a link to retrieve the review;

detecting with the computer system a request to retrieve the review by the customer;

determining with the computer system the status of a job related to the review before transmitting the review; and

,

transmitting with the computer system the review if the status meets a first condition.

7. The method of claim 6, where the first condition is related to the job being completed.

8. The method of claim 6, where the status meets the first condition if a review response has not been previously received.

9. A method for conducting a review comprising the steps of:

detecting with a computer system a payment request from a vendor, including receiving a payment code from the vendor, wherein the payment code is issued to a customer after accepting a payment from the customer for a job to be performed by the vendor;

activating a payment for the job in response to the vendor entering the payment code;

generating with the computer system a review based on the payment request;

transmitting with the computer system a reference to the review to a customer;

wherein the reference provides a link to retrieve the review;

detecting with a computer system a response to the review; and

,

crediting with the computer system the customer with a predetermined amount based on detecting the response to the review.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the predetermined amount is an amount that was previously paid by the customer.

11. A computer readable medium having a computer readable program code contained therein for conducting a review, the computer readable program code comprising:

computer readable program code for detecting a payment request from a vendor, including receiving a payment code from the vendor, wherein the payment code is related to a particular job to be performed by the vendor and is issued to a customer after accepting a payment from the customer for the job;

computer readable program code for activating a payment for the job in response to the vendor entering the payment code;

computer readable program code for generating a review based on the payment request; and

computer readable program code for transmitting a reference to the review to a customer, wherein the reference provides a link to retrieve the review.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, where the computer readable program code contained therein for transmitting the reference to the review to the customer comprises:

computer readable program code for creating an electronic mail message addressed to the customer, the reference to the review contained in the electronic mail message; and

,

computer readable program code for transmitting the electronic mail message.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11, where the computer readable program code contained therein further comprising:

computer readable program code for detecting a request to retrieve the review by the customer; and

,

computer readable program code for transmitting the review.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 11, where the computer readable program code contained therein for conducting the review further comprising:

computer readable program code for detecting a response to the review; and

,

computer readable program code for updating a vendor feedback record based on the response.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 11, where the computer readable program code contained therein for conducting the review further comprising:

computer readable program code for detecting a response to the review; and

,

computer readable program code for generating a notification based on the response.

16. A computer readable medium having a computer readable program code contained therein for conducting a review, the computer readable program code comprising:

computer readable program code for detecting a payment request from a vendor, including receiving a payment code from the vendor, wherein the payment code is related to a particular job to be performed by the vendor and is issued to a customer after accepting a payment from the customer for the job;

computer readable program code for activating a payment for the job in response to the vendor entering the payment code;

computer readable program code for generating a review based on the payment request; and

computer readable program code for transmitting a reference to the review to a customer, wherein the reference provides a link to retrieve the review;

where the computer readable program code for transmitting the review comprises;

computer readable program code for determining the status of a job related to the review before transmitting the review; and

,

computer readable program code for transmitting the review if the status meets a first condition.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, where the first condition is related to the job being completed.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16, where the status meets the first condition if a review response has not been previously received.

19. A computer readable medium having a computer readable program code contained therein for conducting a review, the computer readable program code comprising:

computer readable program code for detecting a payment request from a vendor, including receiving a payment code from the vendor, wherein the payment code is issued to a customer after accepting a payment from the customer for a job to be performed by the vendor;

computer readable program code for activating a payment for the job in response to the vendor entering the payment code;

computer readable program code for generating a review based on the payment request; and

computer readable program code for transmitting a reference to the review to a customer, wherein the reference provides a link to retrieve the review;

where the computer readable program code for conducting the review further comprises;

computer readable program code for detecting a response to the review; and

,

computer readable program code for crediting the customer with a predetermined amount based on detecting the response to the review.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the predetermined amount is an amount that was previously paid by the customer.

21. A review system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising;

a vendor application configured to receive a payment request from a vendor including a payment code, wherein the payment code is related to a particular job to be performed by the vendor and is issued to a customer after accepting a payment from the customer for the job; and

a customer application configured to activate a payment for the job in response to the vendor entering the payment code and generate a review based on the payment request and transmit a reference to the review to a customer.

22. The review system of claim 21, wherein the processor is coupled to a network, and the customer application is further configured to send an electronic mail message to the customer enclosing the reference to the review using the network.

23. The review system of claim 21, wherein the customer application is further configured to transmit the review to the customer when a request for the review is detected from the customer.

24. The review system of claim 21, wherein the customer application is further configured to detect a response to the review, and update a vendor rating based on the response.

25. A review system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising;

a vendor application configured to receive a payment request from a vendor including a payment code, wherein the payment code is related to a particular job to be performed by the vendor and is issued to a customer after accepting a payment from the customer for the job; and

a customer application configured to activate a payment for the job in response to the vendor entering the payment code and generate a review based on the payment request and transmit a reference to the review to a customer;

wherein the customer application is further configured to transmit the review to the customer when a request for the review is detected from the customer; and

wherein the customer application is further configured to not transmit the review to the customer if a first condition is not met.

26. The review system of claim 25, where the first condition is not met when a job related to the payment request is not completed.

27. The review system of claim 25, wherein the first condition is not met if a review response has previously been received.

28. A review system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising;

a vendor application configured to receive a payment request from a vendor, including receiving a payment code from the vendor, wherein the payment code is issued to a customer after accepting a payment from the customer for a job to be performed by the vendor; and

a customer application configured to activate a payment for the job in response to the vendor entering the payment code and generate a review based on the payment request and transmit a reference to the review to a customer;

wherein the customer application is further configured to detect a response to the review, and credit the customer with a predetermined amount based on detecting the response to the review.

29. The review system of claim 28, wherein the predetermined amount is an amount that was previously paid by the customer.