System and/or method for handling recalled product purchases and/or return/warranty requests

• US 10,417,641 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2014
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: e2Interactive Incorporated
• Original Assignee: e2Interactive Incorporated
• Inventors: Maraz, Maridee Joy, Junger, Peter J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Ariel J
• Application Number:
  US14/318,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20140316996A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,905 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 30/012 Providing warranty services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/014 Providing recall services for goods or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• 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

Certain exemplary embodiments described herein relate to the field of electronic registration (ER) of purchased products and, more particularly, to improved electronic registration techniques purchase-side and/or return-side handling of recalled items. Certain exemplary embodiments on the purchase-side may help to filter-out products that have recalled been before they are purchased. Certain exemplary embodiments on the return-side may help enable recall return overrides, thus facilitating the acceptance of recalled products even though they might not qualify under an original return/warranty policy. Advantageously, more and more recalled products may be filtered out of circulation through the use of purchase-side and/or return-side recall watch list checking techniques of certain exemplary embodiments. Such purchase-side and/or return-side recall watch list checking may be performed together with or separate from electronic registration techniques in different exemplary embodiments.

Claims

1. A method of automatically processing an item presented for purchase at a location in connection with a recall watch system including a recall watch database storing information regarding a plurality of items subject to recall, the recall watch system in communication with an electronic registration (ER) database, the method comprising:

receiving at a processor of the recall watch system, from a POS terminal, at least first identifying information for the item presented;

determining, using the processor of the recall watch system, whether the item is likely subject to a recall, the determination based at least in part on communication with the recall watch database and searching the recall watch database for the first identifying information;

when it is determined that the item is not subject to recall, allowing the purchase; and

when it is determined that the item is subject to recall;

searching the ER database for modified warranty terms for the item presented;

automatically sending from the recall watch system an instruction to the POS terminal, including the modified warranty terms from the ER database with an override instruction, causing the POS terminal to override any previous warranty terms,

determining whether the customer selects to continue with the transaction after being informed of the modified warranty terms, and if so,

allowing the purchase;

receiving a warranty transaction request, the request being associated with a product having warranty terms altered in response to a determination that that product was subject to a recall;

making a warranty qualification determination for the product associated with the request using the altered warranty terms using the ER database; and

returning the warranty qualification determination.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the instruction indicates that the purchase of the item is to be at least temporarily halted.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the altered warranty terms differ from original warranty terms associated with the product associated with the warranty transaction request.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the instruction is based on information stored in recall watch database concerning the severity of the problem prompting the recall.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier is either a combination of a UPC and a serial number of the item, or an EPC of the item.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first identifying information is a non-unique identifier of the item.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the item is subject to recall.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the desire to purchase the item subject to the altered warranty terms exists.

9. A recall watch system for processing an item presented for purchase at a POS terminal, comprising:

an interface configured to receive at least first identifying information for the item from the POS terminal, the first identifying information being machine-readable;

a recall watch database storing information regarding a plurality of items subject to recall; and

at least one processor configured to;

determine using the processor of the recall watch system whether the item is likely subject to a recall, the determination based at least in part on communication with the recall watch database and searching the recall watch database for the first identifying information,

allow the purchase when it is determined that the item is not subject to recall, and

when it is determined that the item is subject to recall;

access the ER database and search for modified warranty terms for the item presented;

automatically sending from the recall watch system an instruction to the POS terminal, including the modified warranty terms from the ER database with an override instruction, causing the POS terminal to override any previous warranty terms;

cause an instruction to be sent to the POS terminal from the recall watch system, the instruction including the modified warranty terms from the ER database with an override instruction causing the POS terminal to override any previous warranty terms of the and replace the warranty terms with those from the ER database;

determine whether there is a desire to purchase the item subject to the altered warranty terms or conditions, and

when it is determined that the desire to purchase the item subject to the altered warranty terms or conditions exists, allow the purchase;

facilitate receipt of a warranty transaction request, the request being associated with a product having warranty terms altered in response to a determination that that product was subject to a recall;

make a warranty qualification determination for the product associated with the request using the altered warranty terms, using the ER database; and

return the warranty qualification determination.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the instruction indicates that the purchase of the item is to be at least temporarily halted.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein at least some of the altered warranty terms differ from original warranty terms associated with the product associated with the warranty transaction request.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the instruction is based on information stored in recall watch database concerning the severity of the problem prompting the recall.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the unique identifier is either a combination of a UPC and a serial number of the item, or an EPC of the item.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the first identifying information is a non-unique identifier of the item.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the interface is further configured to receive second identifying information for the item from the location; and

the at least one processor is further configured to confirm whether the item is subject to recall using the second identifying information.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the item is subject to recall and the desire to purchase the item subject to the altered warranty terms exists.