System and/or method for handling returns involving products tied to post-paid subscriptions/services

• US 8,489,461 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2012
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: e2Interactive Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nintendo of America, Inc. (Nintendo Company Limited)
• Inventors: Maraz, Maridee Joy
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Assistant Examiner(s): YU, ARIEL J
• Application Number:
  US13/541,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20120271727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 378 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/17
• 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 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/06 by returnable containers , i.e. reverse vending systems in which a user is rewarded for returning a container that serves as a token of value, e.g. bottles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures

Abstract

The exemplary embodiments described herein relate to the field of electronic registration (ER) of purchased products and, more particularly, to an improved electronic registration system that enables unique item-level tracking from an initial point-of-sale (POS) transaction involving a post-paid service/subscription and related device or product, to any cancellations in service and returns to the store or service provider. Certain exemplary embodiments thus advantageously “close the gap” between retailers and service providers, e.g., in connection with subscriptions/post-paid service agreements and related devices or products. In certain exemplary embodiments, an “interest” may be taken and charged in the event that the customer does not return the device when or after an associated service has been cancelled.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating return of products sold in connection with services through a seller, the method comprising:

registering with an electronic registration (ER) system a sale of a service and a product associated with the service to a customer, the registering including storing an original sale date and an identifier associated with the product in an ER database of the ER system;

when the service is cancelled by the customer through the seller;

processing a return transaction through the ER system in accordance with a return policy of the seller and/or the service provider, and

updating the ER database to reflect the return of the product and the cancellation of the service; and

when the service is cancelled by the customer through the service provider;

taking a monetary interest from the customer, on behalf of the seller, in the event that the customer does not subsequently return the product to the seller in order to help protect the seller from having to absorb a loss associated with the customer'"'"'s failure to physically return the product, the monetary interest taken being related to an amount of commission owed to the seller from the service provider, and

updating the ER database to reflect the cancellation of the service and the taking of the interest.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the updating of the ER database further comprises establishing a time period during which the customer is to physically return the product to the seller when the service is cancelled by the customer through the service provider.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising when the customer physically returns the product to the seller within the time period, returning the interest.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising when the customer does not physically return the product to the seller within the time period, transferring at least a portion of the interest to the seller.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the transferring of the portion of the interest further comprises providing the portion of the interest to the seller using credit card information obtained from the customer.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the taking of the interest includes charging a credit card of the customer.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising when the customer returns the physically product to the seller within the time period, returning the interest by refunding any amount charged to the credit card of the customer.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

maintaining information concerning recalled products in the ER database; and

when the customer returns the product to the seller within the time period and the ER database indicates that the product has been recalled, processing a return transaction in accordance with a return policy of the seller and/or the service provider by treating the product as if the product were recalled.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising overriding any return denial at the seller if a product presented for return is identified by the ER database as being a recalled product.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the product is a mobile telephone and the service is a post-paid wireless service.

11. A electronic registration (ER) system, comprising:

an ER database configured to store information pertaining to sales of services and products associated with the services, the information including original sale dates and identifiers associated with the products, the sales having taken place at seller locations;

a computer configured to execute instructions tangibly stored on a computer-readable storage medium, the instructions causing the computer to at least perform;

when a service is cancelled by a customer at a seller location;

processing a return transaction through the ER system in accordance with a return policy of the seller location and/or the service provider, and

updating the ER database to reflect the return of the product and the cancellation of the service; and

when the service is cancelled by the customer through the service provider;

taking a monetary interest from the customer, on behalf of the seller location, in the event that the customer does not subsequently return the product to the seller location in order to help protect the seller location from having to absorb a loss associated with the customer'"'"'s failure to subsequently return the product, the interest being associated with an amount of commission owed to the seller location from the service provider, and

updating the ER database to reflect the cancellation of the service and the taking of the interest.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the updating of the ER database further comprises establishing a time period during which the customer is to physically return the product to the seller location when the service is cancelled by the customer through the service provider.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the computer is further configured to cause the interest to be returned when the customer physically returns the product to the seller location within the time period.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the computer is further configured to transfer at least a portion of the interest to the seller location when the customer does not physically return the product to the seller location within the time period.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the transfer of the portion of the interest includes charging a credit card of the customer on behalf of the seller location.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the taking of the interest includes charging a credit card of the customer.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the computer is further configured to return the interest by refunding any amount charged to the credit card of the customer when the customer physically returns the product to the seller location within the time period.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the computer is further configured to:

update the ER database to indicate that the product is a recalled product;

process a return transaction in accordance with a return policy of the seller location and/or the service provider by treating the product as if the product were recalled when the customer returns the product to the seller location within the time period.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the computer is further configured to send an override signal to the seller location to override any return denial based on the fact that the ER database indicates that the product is a recalled product.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium tangibly storing a computer program comprising instructions that, when executed, at least facilitate returns of products sold in connection with subscriptions to services by sellers who are different than service providers, by at least:

registering, with an electronic registration (ER) system, a subscription to a service and a product associated with the service to a customer, the registering including storing an original sale/subscription date and an identifier associated with the product in an ER database of the ER system;

when the service is cancelled by the customer through the seller and the product is presented for physical return to the seller;

processing a return transaction through the ER system in accordance with a return policy of the seller and/or the service provider, and

updating the ER database to reflect the physical return of the product and the cancellation of the service; and

when the service is cancelled by the customer through the service provider and the product is not presented for physical return to the seller;

taking a monetary interest from the customer, on behalf of the seller, in the event that the customer does not subsequently return the product to the seller in order to help protect the seller from having to absorb a loss associated with the customer'"'"'s failure to physically return the product, the monetary interest taken being related to an amount of commission owed to the seller from the service provider, and taking of the interest.