AUTOMATED STORE RETURN PROCESS
A system and method for returning goods to a retail establishment where the goods were acquired comprises initiating a request to return goods purchased from the retail establishment; positioning the returned goods on a conveyor belt for transport to a location where the goods can be validated; validating the goods by a combination of a validation device proximal the conveyor belt and a return processing system; and generating a refund for the returned goods in response to a positive validation result.
1 . An automated method for returning goods to a retail establishment where the goods were acquired, comprising:
initiating a request to return goods purchased from the retail establishment;
positioning the returned goods on a conveyor belt for transport to a location where the goods can be validated;
validating the goods by a combination of a validation device proximal the conveyor belt and a return processing system; and
generating a refund for the returned goods in response to a positive validation result.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sensing at an entry to the conveyor belt a presence of a person returning the goods; and
authenticating the user.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein initiating the request includes initiating the request at a kiosk.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein validating the goods includes forming a set of checks on the goods.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the set of checks includes at least one of:
weighing the goods using a scale;
identifying the goods using an object recognition device;
taking an image of the goods in response to produced radiation; or
photographing the goods using a camera.
6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
scanning the goods using a scanning device to determine whether the returned goods are the same as the goods purchased from the retail establishment.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the refund includes a gift card, a debit to a bank account, an electronic payment, or cash.
8 . A system for returning goods, comprising:
an automated conveyor belt system for transporting goods purchased from a starting point at a retail establishment and returned to the retail establishment to a location for validating the returned goods;
a validation device for analyzing the returned goods and generating a measured input;
a return processing system for comparing the measured input and an actual feature of the returned goods; and
a kiosk for processing a request to return the goods and for generating a refund in response to a positive validation result generated by the return processing system.
9 . The system of claim 8 , further comprising a computer server for providing data that is output to the validation device for validating the goods.
10 . The system of claim 8 , further comprising a computer server for providing data that is output to the kiosk for generating the refund.
11 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the automated conveyor belt system directs the goods back to the starting point when the validation device generates a negative validation result.
12 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the validation device comprises at least one of a scale, an object recognition device, a radiation machine, a camera, and a scanning device.
13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the scanning device includes at least one of a radio frequency identification (RFID)/near field communication (NFC) device, and a bar code scanner.
14 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the kiosk generates the refund as a gift card, a debit to a bank account, an electronic payment, or cash.
15 . The system of claim 8 , further comprising a database that stores the actual feature of the returned goods.
16 . The system of claim 8 , further comprising at least one of an item database, a transaction database, a return database, and a gift card database.
17 . A computer-implemented method for returning goods to a retail establishment, comprising:
generating, by a kiosk, an electronic request to return an item purchased from the retail establishment;
controlling, by an automated conveyor belt system, a transport of the item to a location for validation;
validating, by at least one validation device, the item at a location of the conveyor belt system between a location where the item is deposited onto the conveyor belt system and a return processing system; and
automatically generating a refund for the returned item in response to a positive validation result.
18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
changing a direction of a plurality of segmented belts of the conveyor belt system in response to a negative validation result to transport the item to the location where the item is deposited onto the conveyor belt system.