A method is defined for inducing a purchaser to visit a store at a remote location subsequent to the purchase of a product from a supplier to pick up or to return the product. This is done by providing incentives to the purchaser to induce him or her to visit an outlet. The level of inducement may be determined by the desire of the outlet to have that purchaser visit their store. Additionally, the method may include inducing a retail outlet to act as a remote location for product pick up or return by the purchaser by providing direct marketing opportunities to the retail outlet. The method offers a unique direct marketing system for general advertisers and allows marketing to an individual known to be coming to a particular location within a known time frame.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of: 1) U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/163,642 filed Nov. 4, 1999 titled "Method, Apparatus, And Program Matching Electronic And Telephonic Shoppers To Physical Stores For Package Pickup"; 2) U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/167,160 filed Nov. 23, 1999 titled "Method Of Inducing A Purchaser To Visit A Store At A Remote Location"; 3) U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/173,739 filed Dec. 30, 1999 titled "Further Methods Of Inducing A Purchaser To Visit A Store At A Remote Location For Package Pickup And Marketing Opportunities"; and 4) U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/193,525 filed Mar. 31, 2000 titled "Method Of Inducing A Purchaser To Visit A Remote Location And Of Inducing A Retail Outlet To Act As Such A Remote Location".
The invention is a method for using a payment and inspection service to purchase merchandise on an online sale website. A buyer or seller can select using a payment and inspection service. The buyer pays the payment and inspection service, which holds the payment. The seller ships the item to a store where the payment and inspection service is located. The buyer goes to the store and while being monitored by an agent or employee of the service, the buyer inspects the merchandise. If the buyer accepts the item, he leaves the store with the item and the service releases the payment to the seller. If the buyer does not want to accept the item, he rejects the item, which is then repacked and returned to the seller, and the service returns the payment, less cost of shipping the item back to the seller, to the buyer.
