System and methods for automating product returns
View Patent ↗In connection with a sales transaction, product information is directly collected from the product provided with a label or tag that can be electronically scanned by, for example, optical scanning technology or radio-frequency scanning technology. The product information is electronically provided to the buyer in the form of an electronic receipt.
1. A system for facilitating a return of a product purchased by a buyer from a seller, comprising:
a. a database for storing a plurality of sales transactions between a plurality of buyers and a plurality of sellers, wherein a selected sales transaction of the plurality of sales transactions is associated with the product, a selected buyer of the plurality of buyers and a selected seller of the plurality of sellers;
b. a processor for:
i. receiving from a device operated by the selected buyer a signal indicating that the selected buyer wishes to return the product purchased in the selected sales transaction to the selected seller;
ii. identifying in the database the selected seller associated with the product and the selected sales transaction;
iii. generating a label associated with the product, the selected sales transaction and the selected seller, the label including information necessary for a shipper to route a package containing the product back to the selected seller;
iv. transmitting the label to the device operated by the selected buyer.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the selected buyer prints the label for affixing to the package.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the return label includes a return authorization number.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the selected seller is a retailer.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the selected buyer is a consumer.
6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a printer for printing the label.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the printer is associated with the device operated by the selected buyer.
8. A method for facilitating a return of a product purchased by a buyer from a seller, comprising the steps of:
a. storing a plurality of sales transactions between a plurality of buyers and a plurality of sellers in a database, wherein a selected sales transaction of the plurality of sales transactions is associated with the product, a selected buyer of the plurality of buyers and a selected seller of the plurality of sellers;
b. receiving from a device operated by the selected buyer a signal indicating that the selected buyer wishes to return the product purchased in the selected sales transaction to the selected seller;
c. identifying in the database the selected seller associated with the product and the selected sales transaction;
d. generating a label associated with the product, the selected sales transaction and the selected seller, the label including information necessary for a shipper to route a package containing the product back to the selected seller;
e. transmitting the label to the device operated by the selected buyer.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the selected buyer prints the label for affixing to the package.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the return label includes a return authorization number.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the selected seller is a retailer.
12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the selected buyer is a consumer.
13. A computer program product having a computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for facilitating a return of a product purchased by a buyer from a seller, the method comprising the steps of:
a. storing a plurality of sales transactions between a plurality of buyers and a plurality of sellers in a database, wherein a selected sales transaction of the plurality of sales transactions is associated with the product, a selected buyer of the plurality of buyers and a selected seller of the plurality of sellers;
b. receiving from a device operated by the selected buyer a signal indicating that the selected buyer wishes to return the product purchased in the selected sales transaction to the selected seller;
c. identifying in the database the selected seller associated with the product and the selected sales transaction;
d. generating a label associated with the product, the selected sales transaction and the selected seller, the label including information necessary for a shipper to route a package containing the product back to the selected seller;
e. transmitting the label to the device operated by the selected buyer.