Patent ID: 8433614

Claim:
A method of providing a return/warranty qualification for a product presented by a customer, the method comprising: receiving an identifier of the product; querying a retailer database, in connection with a computer including at least one processor, to determine whether an entry associated with the received identifier is present in the retailer database; when it is determined that an entry associated with the received identifier is not present in the retailer database, querying a manufacturer database to determine, in connection with the computer, whether an entry associated with the received identifier is present in the manufacturer database; and when an entry is present in either the retailer database or the manufacturer database: determining, based on data associated with the entry, whether (a) the product was purchased within a first predetermined timeframe, and (b) any preset manufacturer return qualifications are met; and when both (a) and (b) are met, providing the customer with a refund for the product or an exchange for another product.