Patent ID: 7958061

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for dynamically determining a return destination for an item being returned while the item is in transit, the method comprising: providing information to direct an item being returned from a customer to a third-party intermediate facility from which items can be shipped, the item having previously been supplied to the customer from a merchant; at a time after the item being returned is received at the third-party intermediate facility, obtaining information regarding current conditions at multiple possible return destinations for the item; obtaining information from a user associated with the merchant that indicates a current amount of influence to be given to each of one or more of the current conditions as part of determining a return destination for the item; and automatically determining one of the multiple possible return destinations to use for the item based at least in part on the current conditions and on the indicated current amount of influence to be given to the one or more current conditions, the determining of the return destination being performed by one or more programmed computing devices of the merchant; and initiating shipping of the item from the third-party intermediate facility to the determined return destination.