On-line merchandise return labels

• US 8,332,282 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2004
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Global Logistics LLC (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Newgistics Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Siegel, Philip S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Application Number:
  US10/751,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20040143519A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,266 Days
• Field of Search: 705/28
• US Class Current: 705/26.8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A system and method for providing return labels for remotely purchased merchandise, via the Internet. The method begins with receiving, from a customer, a request to initiate return processing, via a web access tool (such as a web browser) associated with the customer. Return information (such as identification of a transaction relating the item to be returned and identification of the customer) is displayed at the web access tool. Return-related data, such as a selection of a return item, is received from the customer via the web access tool. This information is used to generate a return label, which may be downloaded to the customer for printing.

Claims

1. A method of using the Internet to provide return labels to customers for facilitating returns of merchandise, comprising the steps of:

receiving, from a customer, an electronic request via a web access tool associated with the customer, the electronic request requesting to initiate return processing of merchandise having been purchased by the customer in a prior purchase transaction;

in response to receiving the electronic request to initiate return processing from the customer, accessing a database to obtain transaction information associated with the customer, the transaction information identifying at least one item of merchandise having been purchased by the customer in a prior purchase transaction;

displaying, to the customer via the web access tool, the transaction information comprising a list of the at least one item of merchandise having been purchased by the customer in the prior purchase transaction;

receiving an electronic selection, from the customer, via the web access tool, the electronic selection identifying a particular item of merchandise included in the list of at least one item of merchandise having been purchased by the customer in the prior purchase transaction, the electronic selection comprising a click on the particular item of merchandise in the list displayed to the customer and identifying the particular item of merchandise for returns processing;

in response to receiving the electronic selection comprising the click on the particular item of merchandise in the list of merchandise, initiating a returns process for the particular item of merchandise selected by the consumer from the list of merchandise purchased by the consumer in a prior purchase transaction, the returns process initiated by a returns server; and

in response to receiving the electronic selection from the customer of the particular item of merchandise having been purchased by the customer in the prior purchase transaction, generating data for printing a return label for the particular item of merchandise selected by the customer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying step is performed by displaying a return information web page.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step, performed after the receiving step, of displaying a return confirmation message on a new web page.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step, performed after the receiving step, of displaying a return confirmation message on the return information web page.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of accessing a database to obtain customer information about the customer, and wherein the displaying step includes displaying at least part of the customer information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of accessing a database to obtain merchant return rules.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the displaying step includes displaying at least one of the merchant return rules.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step, performed prior to the generating step, of determining whether the return is valid.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of notifying the customer of an invalid return.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of determining whether the return is valid is performed by accessing one or more returns rules associated with the merchant.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of notifying a merchant of the return item.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of notifying a merchant of information about the customer.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of downloading the data for printing a return label to the web access tool.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of delivering data about the return to a customer account record.

15. The method of claim 5, wherein the customer information comprises customer-specific credit information or customer-specific shipping information.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving the electronic selection from the customer of the particular item of merchandise having been purchased by the customer in the prior purchase transaction, updating a customer profile associated with the customer.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising electronically sending a notification to a merchant associated with the particular item of merchandise of the pending return, the notification identifying the customer and the particular item of merchandise.

18. A method of using the Internet to provide return labels to customers for facilitating returns of merchandise, comprising the steps of:

receiving, from a customer, an electronic request via a web access tool associated with the customer, the electronic request requesting to initiate return processing of merchandise having been purchased by the customer in a prior purchase transaction;

in response to receiving the electronic request from the customer, accessing a customer profile associated with the customer, the customer profile comprising customer-specific credit information or customer-specific shipping information;

in response to receiving the electronic request to initiate return processing from the customer, accessing a database to obtain transaction information associated with the customer, the transaction information identifying at least one item of merchandise having been purchased by the customer in a prior purchase transaction;

displaying, to the customer via the web access tool, the transaction information comprising a list of the at least one item of merchandise having been purchased by the customer in the prior purchase transaction;

receiving an electronic selection, from the customer, via the web access tool, the electronic selection identifying a particular item of merchandise included in the list of at least one item of merchandise having been purchased by the customer in the prior purchase transaction, the electronic selection comprising a click on the particular item of merchandise in the list displayed to the customer and identifying the particular item of merchandise for returns processing;

in response to receiving the electronic selection comprising the click on the particular item of merchandise in the list of merchandise, initiating a returns process for the particular item of merchandise selected by the consumer from the list of merchandise purchased by the consumer in a prior purchase transaction, the returns process initiated by a returns server;

in response to receiving the electronic selection from the customer of the particular item of merchandise having been purchased by the customer in the prior purchase transaction, generating data for printing a return label for the particular item of merchandise selected by the customer;

in response to receiving the electronic selection from the customer of the particular item of merchandise having been purchased by the customer in the prior purchase transaction, updating the customer profile associated with the customer; and

sending a notification to a merchant associated with the particular item of merchandise of the pending return, the notification identifying the customer and the particular item of merchandise.