APPARATUS, SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ONLINE, MULTI-PARCEL, MULTI-CARRIER, MULTI-SERVICE PARCEL RETURNS SHIPPING MANAGEMENT

• Main Authors: GLAVIN, DENNIS, SMITH, WILLIAM W., III, KRETT, LORY ELIZABETH, LIU, JINYUE, MCLAUGHLIN, PAUL R, GOLDHABER, LYNN SHAINDELL, ANTUSH, RICHARD M, BENNETT, DAVID ALLISON, DIETZ, JOHN M, MEYER, SCOTT, MENTZER, CHARLES D, BILIBIN, PAUL, WILLIAMS, DANIEL F, BEAN, SCOTT JOSEPH, HU, SEAN, TEGLOVIC, STEPHEN M
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 11.10.2016
• Subjects: CALCULATING; COMPUTING; CONVEYING; COUNTING; DATA PROCESSING SYSTEMS OR METHODS, SPECIALLY ADAPTED FORADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL, SUPERVISORYOR FORECASTING PURPOSES; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; PACKING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS; SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS; STORING; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE,COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL, SUPERVISORY OR FORECASTINGPURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING ORTIPPING; TRANSPORTING

A computer system is configured and programmed to provide online stores with a way for ecommerce customers of an online store to return merchandise purchased from that store from within that online store. The Return System provides multi-carrier shipment rating, shipment labeling, shipment tracking, shipment tracking management reports, returns analysis and returns management reporting. The Return System has three major components: 1.) A Returns Manager Subsystem that provides a user interface to each Merchant to setup the Merchant's account, return policy and rules, and to monitor the status and movement of return shipments; 2.) A Consumer Returns Subsystem that provides each consumer using the System with an online user interface that leads through the returns process, displays the return policies and rules to the consumer, provides shipping document to ship the return package if appropriate, and permits the consumer to track their return shipments; and 3.) a Returns Processing Subsystem that provides background shipping and tracking functionality. The Online Merchant may integrate the Merchant's online system with the Returns Processing Subsystem. Alternatively, the Returns Processing Subsystem is an independent web-based application service operated by a common provider. In such an embodiment, the Merchant's system interacts with the Return Merchant Service System through Application Program Interfaces ("API").