System and/or method for handling recalled product purchases and/or return/warranty requests
View Patent ↗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.
1. A method of processing return and/or warranty requests at a point-of-sale (POS) location, the method comprising:
receiving, from the POS location, at least first identifying information for an item presented in connection with a return or warranty request from a consumer who previously purchased the item;
determining, using at least one processor of an electronic registration (ER) system, whether the item qualifies for the return or warranty request based on data stored in an ER database;
when it is determined that the item does not qualify for the return or warranty request based on data stored in an ER database including the item's original sales date:
determining, using at least one processor, whether the item is likely subject to a recall, comprising:
first using the first identifying information, comprising a non-unique but narrowing identification mark to determine if it the item is likely subject to a recall,
then using a unique identifier of the item, the unique identifier comprising a combination of UPS and serial number, or an EPC of the item, and
when it is determined that the item is subject to the recall, sending an override instruction to the POS location; and,
when it is determined that the item qualifies for the return or warranty request based on data stored in an ER database:
determining, using at least one processor, whether the item is likely subject to a recall; and
sending to the POS location modified terms and/or conditions to be used to determine if the return or warranty request is permitted.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the override instruction includes a first instruction regarding how the return or warranty request of the item subject to the recall is to be handled.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the override instruction further includes a second instruction regarding what is to be done with the item after the return or warranty request is processed at the POS location in accordance with the first instruction.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first identifying is a unique identifier of the item comprising either a combination of a UPC and a serial number of the item, or an EPC of the item.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first identifying information is a non-unique identifier of the item.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising maintaining a recall watch list to be consulted at least during the determination as to whether the item is likely subject to a recall, the recall watch list being updatable by manufacturers.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the item does not qualify for the return or warranty based on data stored in an ER database and the item is subject to the recall.
8. An electronic registration (ER), comprising:
an interface configured to receive at least first identifying information for an item presented by a consumer in connection with a return or warranty request at a from the point-of-sale (POS) location;
an ER database storing information concerning return and/or warranty information for a plurality of products; and
at least one processor configured to:
determine whether the item presented in connection with the return or warranty request qualifies for the return or warranty request based on data stored in the ER database including the item's original sales date;
when it is determined that the item does not qualify for the return or warranty request based on data stored in an ER database:
(a) determine whether the item is likely subject to a recall after consulting a recall watch database storing information identifying products subject to recall, wherein such determination comprises:
first using the first identifying information, comprising a non-unique but narrowing identification mark comprising a master serial number or a serial number mask to determine if it the item is likely subject to a recall,
then using a unique identifier of the item, the unique identifier comprising a combination of UPS and serial number, or an EPC of the item, and
and
(b) cause an override instruction to be sent to the POS location when it is determined that the item is subject to the recall; and
when it is determined that the item qualifies for the return or warranty request based on data stored in an ER database: (a) determine, using at least one processor, whether the item is likely subject to a recall, and (b) send to the POS location modified terms and/or conditions to be used to determine if the return or warranty request is permitted.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the override instruction includes a first instruction regarding how the return or warranty request of the item subject to the recall is to be handled.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the override instruction further includes a second instruction regarding what is to be done with the item after the return or warranty request is processed at the POS location in accordance with the first instruction.
11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first identifying is a unique identifier of the item.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the unique identifier is either a combination of a UPC and a serial number of the item, or an EPC of the item.
13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first identifying information is a non-unique identifier of the item.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein:
the interface is further configured to receive second identifying information for the item from the point-of-sale location; and
the at least one processor is further configured to confirm whether the item is subject to the recall using the second identifying information.
15. The system of claim 8 , wherein the recall watch database is updatable by manufacturers.
16. A recall watch system for processing an item presented for purchase at a point-of-sale (POS) location, comprising:
an interface configured to receive at least first identifying information for the item from the point-of-sale location;
a recall watch database storing information regarding a plurality of items subject to recall;
an electronic registration (ER) database storing information concerning return and/or warranty information for a plurality of products; and
at least one processor configured to:
determine whether the item is likely subject to a recall based on the information stored in the recall watch database, wherein such determination comprises:
first using the first identifying information, comprising a non-unique but narrowing identification mark comprising a master serial number or a serial number mask to determine if it the item is likely subject to a recall,
then using a unique identifier of the item, the unique identifier comprising a combination of UPC and serial number, or an EPC of the item,
cause an instruction to be sent to the POS location when it is determined that the item is subject to recall, and
allow the purchase when it is determined that the item is not subject to recall,
wherein the instruction indicates that return and/or warranty terms and/or conditions of the item are to be altered upon the purchase of the item compared to a situation in which the item were not subject to recall and updating the ER database with the altered return and/or warranty terms and/or conditions for the item.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the instruction indicates that the purchase of the item is to be aborted or at least temporarily halted.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the instruction further indicates that what is to be done with the item at the POS location after the purchase is aborted or at least temporarily halted.
19. The system of claim 16 , further comprising a link to an electronic registration (ER) database storing information concerning return and/or warranty information for a plurality of products, the ER database being updatable with the altered return and/or warranty terms and/or conditions for the item.
20. The system of claim 16 , wherein the instruction is based on information stored in recall watch database concerning the severity of the problem prompting the recall.
21. The system of claim 16 , wherein the unique identifier is either a combination of a UPC and a serial number of the item, or an EPC of the item.
22. The system of claim 16 , wherein the first identifying information is a non-unique identifier of the item.
23. The system of claim 16 , wherein:
the interface is further configured to receive second identifying information for the item from the point-of-sale location; and
the at least one processor is further configured to confirm whether the item is subject to recall using the second identifying information.