Returns in a multi-seller marketplace

• US 9,692,738 B1
• Filed: 06/19/2012
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wenneman, Michael Christopher, Trelin, Joseph S., Morren, Nicholas J., Kujat, Aaron D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zurita, James
• Application Number:
  US13/526,609
• Time in Patent Office: 1,834 Days
• Field of Search: 705 261, 705 271
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0837 Return transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments for facilitating item returns on behalf of customers of an electronic commerce site. Embodiments of the disclosure can, in one example, facilitate item returns on behalf of a buyer where the seller is a seller in a multi-seller marketplace. A return shipping label can be generated on behalf of the seller as well as communications between buyer and seller archived in the event of a subsequent dispute.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying a program executable in a computing device, wherein when executed the program causes the computing device to at least:

obtain a request associated with a user to return an item sold by a seller in a multi-seller electronic marketplace, the request associated with at least one item and at least one reason code;

in response to obtaining the request, identify order data associated with the item, the order data comprising at least an identifier associated with the item and an identifier associated with the seller of the item;

determine that a seller return policy associated with the seller that is stored in a data store specifies a return time window for the item that is at least as permissive as a return time window for the item that is specified in a baseline return policy stored in the data store by a comparison of the seller return policy to the baseline return policy;

determine that the request is obtained within the return time window and that the item is a returnable item based at least in part upon the order data and the seller return policy associated with the seller;

determine that the item is return eligible in response to determining that the request is obtained within the return time window and the item is a returnable item;

determine whether the seller return policy authorizes automatic approval of the request when the item is return eligible, wherein automatic approval is approval that does not require manual approval;

approve the request when the item is return eligible and the seller return policy authorizes automatic approval of the request;

generate a return mailing label associated with the request when the request is approved;

generate a notification for the seller when the seller return policy fails to authorize automatic approval of the request, the notification in a seller return user interface, the seller return user interface comprising a dashboard displaying a plurality of pending requests to return;

obtain one of an approval of the request or a denial of the request from the seller via the seller return user interface when the seller return policy fails to authorize automatic approval of the request; and

calculate a refund amount associated with the request when the approval of the request is obtained, the refund amount calculated based at least in part upon the order data and the seller return policy.

2. A system, comprising:

at least one computing device; and

an item return application executable in the at least one computing device, wherein when executed the item return application causes the at least one computing device to at least;

determine that a seller return policy associated with a seller complies with a baseline return policy of a multi-seller marketplace;

obtain a request associated with a user to return an item sold by the seller via an electronic commerce system facilitating the multi-seller marketplace;

identify order data associated with the item, the order data comprising at least an identifier associated with the item and an identifier associated with the seller of the item;

generate an item return user interface;

transmit the item return user interface to a client associated with the user;

determine that the request is obtained within a return time window based at least in part upon the order data and a seller return policy as specified by the seller;

in response to determining that the request is obtained within the return time window, determine whether the item is return eligible based at least in part upon the order data and the seller return policy;

initiate return of the item when the item is return eligible by generating a return entry in a data store; and

obtain one of a return approval or a return denial from the seller when the item is return eligible based at least in part upon the order data and the seller return policy.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein when executed the item return application further causes the at least one computing device to at least calculate a refund amount associated with the request when the return approval is obtained, the refund amount calculated based at least in part upon the order data and the seller return policy.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the item return user interface further comprises a user messaging element, the user messaging element comprising a form configured to transmit a user message to the seller, and the item return application further comprises logic that archives the user message in the data store.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein obtaining one of the return approval or the return denial further comprises generating a notification that is transmitted to the seller to obtain one of the return approval or the return denial.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein generating the notification that is transmitted to the seller to obtain one of the return approval or the return denial further comprises generating a seller return user interface, the seller return user interface comprising at least one pending return associated with a seller account of the seller, wherein the request associated with the user to return the item is one of the at least one pending returns.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the seller return user interface further comprises a seller messaging element, the seller messaging element comprising a form configured to transmit a seller message to the user, and the item return application further causes the at least one computing device to at least archive the seller message in the data store.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the request to return the item comprises at least one of a reason code or a comments field, the seller return user interface further comprises a return decision user interface element allowing the seller to indicate one of the return approval or the return denial, the return decision user interface element comprising the at least one of the reason code or the comments field.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein when executed the item return application further causes the at least one computing device to at least generate a return shipping label when the item is return eligible and the return approval is obtained.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein generating the return shipping label further comprises:

generating a carrier tracking number;

associating the carrier tracking number with the request associated with the user to return the item; and

incorporating the carrier tracking number into the return shipping label.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein when executed the item return application further causes the at least one computing device to at least:

obtain tracking data from a carrier system, the tracking data corresponding to the carrier tracking number; and

generate a user interface reflecting a parcel return notification when the tracking data reflects that a parcel corresponding to the carrier has been returned.

12. The system of claim 2, wherein obtaining one of the return approval or the return denial further comprises:

determining whether the seller return policy specifies that automatic approval of the request to return the item is authorized, wherein automatic approval is approval that does not require manual approval of the seller; and

generating the return approval on behalf of the seller.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein determining whether the seller return policy specifies that automatic approval of the request to return the item is authorized further comprises determining whether the item is associated with at least one item category that the seller return policy specifies that automatic approval of a return associated with the item category is authorized.

14. The system of claim 2, wherein obtaining one of the return approval or the return denial further comprises:

determining whether the seller return policy specifies that the request to return the item is denied; and

generating the return denial on behalf of the seller.

15. A method, comprising:

providing an item return application executable in at least one computing device;

determining, by the item return application executed in the at least one computing device, that a seller return policy associated with a seller complies with a baseline return policy of a multi-seller marketplace;

obtaining, by the item return application executed in the at least one computing device, a request associated with a user to return an item purchased from the seller via an electronic commerce system facilitating the multi-seller marketplace;

in response to obtaining the request, identifying, by the item return application executed in the at least one computing device, order data associated with the item and a seller return policy associated with the seller, the order data comprising at least an identifier associated with the item and an identifier associated with the seller of the item;

generating, by the item return application executed in the at least one computing device, an item return user interface;

determining, by the item return application executed in the at least one computing device, that the request is obtained within a return time window specified by the seller return policy, based at least in part upon the order data and the seller return policy;

in response to determining that the request is obtained within the return time window specified by the seller return policy, determining, by the item return application executed in the at least one computing device, that the item is return eligible based at least in part upon the order data and the seller return policy; and

determining, by the item return application executed in the at least one computing device, one of a return approval or a return denial based at least in part upon the order data and the seller return policy; and

obtaining, by the item return application executed in the at least one computing device, one of the return approval or the return denial from the seller when the return denial is determined based at least in part upon the order data and the seller return policy.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

calculating, by the item return application executed in the at least one computing device, a refund amount associated with the request when the return approval is obtained, the refund amount calculated based at least in part upon the order data and the seller return policy;

crediting, by the item return application executed in the at least one computing device, a buyer account with the refund amount; and

debiting, by the item return application executed in the at least one computing device, a seller account by the refund amount.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising generating, by the item return application executed in the at least one computing device, a seller notification associated with the request, the seller notification informing the seller of the request.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein generating the seller notification further comprises generating, by the item return application executed in the at least one computing device, a seller return user interface comprising a plurality of requests to return items purchased via the electronic commerce system.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the seller return user interface further comprises an approval user interface element configured to obtain the return approval or the return denial.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the one of the return approval or the return denial further comprises:

identifying, by the item return application executed in the at least one computing device, whether the seller return policy permits automatic approval of a return request associated with the item, wherein automatic approval is approval that does not require manual approval of the seller; and

generating, by the item return application executed in the at least one computing device, the return approval when the seller return policy permits automatic approval of the return request.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

generating, by the item return application executed in the at least one computing device, a return shipping label associated with the request when the return approval is determined or obtained; and

transmitting, by the item return application, the return shipping label from the at least one computing device to a client associated with a buyer.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

generating, by the item return application executed in the at least one computing device, a carrier tracking number associated with the return shipping label;

obtaining, by the item return application executed in the at least one computing device, from at least one carrier system, package tracking information corresponding to the carrier tracking number; and

updating, by the item return application executed in the at least one computing device, a seller return user interface with the package tracking information associated with the request.

23. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing a carrier connector application executable in the at least one computing device;

obtaining, by the carrier connector application executed in the at least one computing device, tracking data pushed to the carrier connector application via an application programming interface provided by a carrier system, the tracking data associated with a parcel comprising the item; and

generate, by the carrier connector application executed in the at least one computing device, a parcel return notification when the tracking data is obtained via the application programming interface.