Systems and methods for facilitating e-commerce product returns using orders for returned items

US11315069B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• SHOPIFY INC. · CA

Inventors

• Anthony Nicholas Kentris · Toronto, CA
• Raphael Paquin · Montréal, CA
• Clara Petit · Montréal, CA

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 18, 2019
• Grant date: Apr 26, 2022
• Expiry date: Dec 25, 2039

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q30/0601
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A merchant can use an e-commerce platform to sell products to customers, and customers can use the e-commerce platform to return items that they are unsatisfied with back to the merchant. These product returns have an associated cost. Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to computer-implemented systems and methods to enable customer-to-customer product returns in an e-commerce platform. In a customer-to-customer return, a first customer that wants to return an item of a particular product is connected with a second customer that wants to purchase that product. The e-commerce platform then facilitates a shipment of the item from the first customer directly to the second customer. Embodiments of the present disclosure include online store implementations of customer-to-customer returns, online marketplace implementations of customer-to-customer returns, and customer-to-customer returns implemented using orders for returned items.