Patent ID: 7660721

Claim:
An online merchandise return computer system, said computer system comprising: at least one computer device, said at least one computer device programmed to: receive a pre-selection by a particular online merchant of a set of carriers from a list of available carriers for use by consumers of merchandise sold by the particular online merchant for return shipping of returnable merchandise; receive from an online retail computer system of a particular online merchant, an indication from the online retail computer system of a shipment on behalf of the particular online merchant of an at least one item of merchandise purchased by a consumer through the online retail computer system, the online retail computer system comprising at least one remote computer device that is remote from the at least one computer device of the online merchandise return computer system; in response to the indication of the shipment, designate through the online retail computer system, the at least one item as a potentially returnable item; receive through the online retail computer system, a request by the consumer for an identification of potentially returnable items; in response to the request, generate a display through the online retail computer system to a display device adapted for communication with a remote consumer computer device associated with the consumer, the display comprising an identification of potentially returnable items, the identification of potentially returnable items comprising an identification of the at least one item of merchandise, and further comprising a respective interactive means associated with each respective item of merchandise identified in the identification of potentially returnable items, each respective interactive means being configured for designating a return of each respective item of merchandise identified in the identification of potentially returnable items; receive through the online retail computer system, a merchandise return request by the consumer to return at least one item of merchandise, the merchandise return request comprising a designation of a particular respective interactive means associated with a particular respective item of merchandise identified in the identification of potentially returnable items; determine a set of information about the particular respective item of merchandise; compare the set of information about the particular respective item of merchandise to a set of return policy rules input to the online merchandise return computer system by the particular online merchant to determine whether the particular respective item of merchandise is returnable; and if the particular respective item of merchandise is returnable, generate a display to the display device configured for communication with the remote consumer computer device associated with the consumer, the display comprising information corresponding to the set of carriers that was pre-selected by the particular online merchant.