Patent ID: 8548860

Claim:
A method for validating consumer returns of purchased products, the method comprising: providing a first information processing system comprising at least one processor and a product registration database including information on purchased products and return criteria for purchased products, said information on purchased products including a unique product identifier and transaction information, including at least a date of sale, said product registration database being updatable via the at least one processor upon successful product purchases made via one or more second information processing systems respectively located at one or more retailers' facility; receiving, at the first information processing system, a unique product identifier for a product presented for return, transmitted from one said second information processing system; determining whether the product presented for return qualifies for return in connection with a look-up of the received unique product identifier in the product registration database and an examination of any corresponding transaction information and return criteria associated with the product presented for return; and transmitting to the second information processing system product information indicative of whether the product presented for return qualifies for return for display on a display operably connected to the second information processing system; wherein said first information processing system includes a customer interface, accessible by a purchaser over the Internet after a purchased product has been registered in said product registration database, which enables a purchaser of the purchased product to enter a unique product identifier for the purchased product and purchaser identification information which identifies the purchaser of the purchased product, said first information processing system being operable to store said purchaser information in said product registration database in association with said product information based on said unique product identifier.