Product returns processing system including return address determination based upon disposition and product availability and condition and related methods
A product returns processing system may include mobile devices communicating respective purchase transaction receipts for respective products. The system may also include a returns processing server including a processor and a memory. The memory may store the purchase transaction receipts, for each product, a product return rule, a product availability status, and a disposition, and for each user, a return mode preference. The processor may determine a return expiration for each product based upon a respective product return rule, send a notice to each mobile device based upon a respective return window expiration, and receive a return request. The processor may, when the request is received before a return expiration, determine a product availability and condition, determine a return address based upon the disposition and at least one of the product availability and condition, and generate a label with the return address and based upon the return mode preference.
1. A product returns processing system comprising:
a plurality of mobile wireless communications devices associated with respective users and configured to communicate respective purchase transaction receipts for respective products; and
a returns processing server comprising a processor and a memory coupled thereto, said memory configured to store
the plurality of purchase transaction receipts,
for each product, a product return rule, a product availability status, and a disposition, the product availability status comprising available for purchase at a primary market retailer, backordered, sold-out at the primary market retailer, discontinued, and recalled, and the disposition comprising return-to-retailer stock, donate to a charity, send to a secondary market retailer, and dispose in a landfill, and
for each user, a return mode preference; said processor configured to
determine a return window expiration for each product based upon a respective product return rule,
send a return window expiration notice to each mobile wireless communications device for display thereon based upon a respective return window expiration,
receive a given product return request for an associated product from a given mobile wireless communications device, and when the given product return request is received before a given return window expiration then
cooperate with said mobile wireless communications device to obtain user input corresponding to a product condition of the associated product, the product condition being selectable from a group comprising new, used, and damaged,
determine the product availability status,
determine a return address based upon the disposition, the product availability status, and the product condition so when the associated product is
available for purchase at a primary market retailer and the product condition is used, the return address is associated with the charity for donation,
available for purchase at the primary market retailer and the product condition is new, the return address is associated with the primary market retailer for returning-to-retailer stock,
one of damaged and recalled, regardless of product availability status, the return address is associated with the landfill for disposition thereat,
discontinued, and the product condition is one of new and used, the return address is associated with the secondary market retailer, and
one of backordered and sold-out at the primary market retailer, and the product condition is one of new and used, the return address is associated with the primary market retailer for returning-to-retailer stock, and
generate a mailing label with the return address and based upon the return mode preference.
2. The product returns processing system of claim 1 wherein the respective purchase transaction receipts comprises at least one of product identifiers for the respective products, a purchase transaction date, a purchase transaction time, a product description for the respective products, and a retailer name.
3. The product returns processing system of claim 1 wherein the product return rule comprises a threshold time period for which each product can be returned to a retailer for one of a refund, a product exchange, and a merchandise credit.
4. The product returns processing system of claim 1 wherein the return mode preference comprises one of a print-at-home label and a carrier product pickup, a print-at-home label and a product drop-off at a carrier location, and a print-at-carrier location label and a product drop-off at a carrier location.
5. The product returns processing system of claim 1 wherein said mobile wireless communications device comprises an input device and a controller coupled thereto; and wherein said controller is configured to send the given product return request based upon said input device.
6. A returns processing server comprising:
a processor; and
a memory coupled to said processor and configured to store
a plurality of purchase transaction receipts for respective products and received from a plurality of mobile wireless communications devices associated with respective users,
for each product, a product return rule, a product availability status, and a disposition, the product availability status comprising available for purchase at a primary market retailer, backordered, sold-out at the primary market retailer, discontinued, and recalled, and the disposition comprising return-to-retailer stock, donate to a charity, send to a secondary market retailer, and dispose in a landfill, and
for each user, a return mode preference; said processor configured to
determine a return window expiration for each product based upon a respective product return rule,
send a return window expiration notice to each mobile wireless communications device for display thereon based upon a respective return window expiration,
receive a given product return request for an associated product from a given mobile wireless communications device, and when the given product return request is received before a given return window expiration then
cooperate with the mobile wireless communications device to obtain user input corresponding to a product condition of the associated product, the product condition being selectable from a group comprising new, used, and damaged,
determine the product availability status,
determine a return address based upon the disposition, the product availability status, and the product condition so when the associated product is
available for purchase at the primary market retailer and the product condition is used, the return address is associated with the charity for donation,
available for purchase at the primary market retailer and the product condition is new, the return address is associated with the primary market retailer for returning-to-retailer stock,
one of damaged and recalled, regardless of product availability status, the return address is associated with the landfill for disposition thereat,
discontinued, and the product condition is one of new and used, the return address is associated with the secondary market retailer, and
one of backordered and sold-out at the primary market retailer, and the product condition is one of new and used, the return address is associated with the primary market retailer for returning-to-retailer stock, and
generate a mailing label with the return address and based upon the return mode preference.
7. The returns processing server of claim 6 wherein the respective purchase transaction receipts comprises at least one of product identifiers for the respective products, a purchase transaction date, a purchase transaction time, a product description for the respective products, and a retailer name.
8. The returns processing server of claim 6 wherein the product return rule comprises a threshold time period for which each product can be returned to a retailer for one of a refund, a product exchange, and a merchandise credit.
9. The returns processing server of claim 6 wherein the return mode preference comprises one of a print-at-home label and a carrier product pickup, a print-at-home label and a product drop-off at a carrier location, and a print-at-carrier location label and a product drop-off at a carrier location.
10. A method of processing product returns comprising:
using a returns processing server comprising a processor and a memory coupled to the processor to store
a plurality of purchase transaction receipts for respective products and received from a plurality of mobile wireless communications devices associated with respective users,
for each product, a product return rule, a product availability status, and a disposition, the product availability status comprising available for purchase at a primary market retailer, backordered, sold-out at the primary market retailer, discontinued, and recalled, and the disposition comprising return-to-retailer stock, donate to a charity, send to a secondary market retailer, and dispose in a landfill, and
for each user, a return mode preference; and using the processor to
determine a return window expiration for each product based upon a respective product return rule,
send a return window expiration notice to each mobile wireless communications device for display thereon based upon a respective return window expiration,
receive a given product return request for an associated product from a given mobile wireless communications device, and when the given product return request is received before a given return window expiration then
cooperate with the mobile wireless communications device to obtain user input corresponding to a product condition of the associated product, the product condition being selectable from a group comprising new, used, and damaged,
determine the product availability status,
determine a return address based upon the disposition, the product availability status, and the product condition so when the associated product is
available for purchase at the primary market retailer and the product condition is used, the return address is associated with the charity for donation,
available for purchase at the primary market retailer and the product condition is new, the return address is associated with the primary market retailer for returning-to-retailer stock,
one of damaged and recalled, regardless of product availability status, the return address is associated with the landfill for disposition thereat,
discontinued, and the product condition is one of new and used, the return address is associated with the secondary market retailer, and
one of backordered and sold-out at the primary market retailer, and the product condition is one of new and used, the return address is associated with the primary market retailer for returning-to-retailer stock, and
generate a mailing label with the return address and based upon the return mode preference.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the respective purchase transaction receipts comprises at least one of product identifiers for the respective products, a purchase transaction date, a purchase transaction time, a product description for the respective products, and a retailer name.
12. The method of claim 10 wherein the product return rule comprises a threshold time period for which each product can be returned to a retailer for one of a refund, a product exchange, and a merchandise credit.
13. The method of claim 10 wherein the return mode preference comprises one of a print-at-home label and a carrier product pickup, a print-at-home label and a product drop-off at a carrier location, and a print-at-carrier location label and a product drop-off at a carrier location.
14. A non-transitory computer readable medium for processing returns, the non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions for causing a processor of a returns processing server to perform operations comprising:
storing in a memory coupled to the processor
a plurality of purchase transaction receipts for respective products and received from a plurality of mobile wireless communications devices associated with respective users,
for each product, a product return rule, a product availability status, and a disposition, the product availability status comprising available for purchase at a primary market retailer, backordered, sold-out at the primary market retailer, discontinued, and recalled, and the disposition comprising return-to-retailer stock, donate to a charity, send to a secondary market retailer, and dispose in a landfill, and
for each user, a return mode preference;
determining a return window expiration for each product based upon a respective product return rule;
sending a return window expiration notice to each mobile wireless communications device for display thereon based upon a respective return window expiration; and
receiving a given product return request for an associated product from a given mobile wireless communications device, and when the given product return request is received before a given return window expiration then
cooperating with the mobile wireless communications device to obtain user input corresponding to a product condition of the associated product, the product condition being selectable from a group comprising new, used, and damaged,
determining the product availability status,
determining a return address based upon the disposition, the product availability status, and the product condition so when the associated product is
available for purchase at the primary market retailer and the product condition is used, the return address is associated with the charity for donation,
available for purchase at the primary market retailer and the product condition is new, the return address is associated with the primary market retailer for returning-to-retailer stock,
one of damaged and recalled, regardless of product availability status, the return address is associated with the landfill for disposition thereat,
discontinued, and the product condition is one of new and used, the return address is associated with the secondary market retailer, and
one of backordered and sold-out at the primary market retailer, and the product condition is one of new and used, the return address is associated with the primary market retailer for returning-to-retailer stock, and
generating a mailing label with the return address and based upon the return mode preference.
15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 wherein the product return rule comprises a threshold time period for which each product can be returned to a retailer for one of a refund, a product exchange, and a merchandise credit.
16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 wherein the return mode preference comprises one of a print-at-home label and a carrier product pickup, a print-at-home label and a product drop-off at a carrier location, and a print-at-carrier location label and a product drop-off at a carrier location.