Rental service providing apparatus

Abstract

To enlarge a rental market by making an environment for continuously renting the same article satisfactory.SOLUTION: A rental service providing apparatus 1 according to the present invention has an article information presenting unit 11a for presenting, to a user, articles of plural kinds sold at each of a plurality of shops, an article receiving unit 11b for receiving selection of an article by the user, a purchase processing unit 11c for specifying a purchase destination shop whose selling price is equal to or lower than a predetermined price among the plurality of shops selling a new article of the article received by the article receiving unit 11b to execute the purchase processing of the article, a management unit 11d for managing the article whose purchase processing has been executed, as a rental object, and a delivery processing unit 11e for executing a processing for making the purchase destination shop delivering the article directly to a use place.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a rental service providing device for providing rental services for, for example, home appliances, furniture, bicycles, etc.

Background Art

[0002] For example, when a rental business operator, which is the subject of rental, accepts a rental application for an article from a user, the information processing device disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3 purchases the applied-for article from a sales store and manages it as a rental target for the rental service.

[0003] Articles that can be rented through the rental service provided by this information processing device can be purchased from an external sales vendor different from the rental business operator that operates the information processing device. That is, the screen for the user to apply for the rental service is a screen linked to a specific EC site provided by an external server different from the server of the information processing device. When the information processing device receives an instruction for the user to apply for the rental of an article to be rented, it determines whether the article exists in stock. If there is no stock, it performs a process of purchasing the article from a specific EC site provided by the external server, and sets the purchased article as a rental target.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, in the information processing apparatuses of Patent Documents 1 to 3, when a user makes a rental application for an article to be rented, the inventory of the applied article is judged. Therefore, having an inventory is one of the operating conditions. However, if there is an inventory, the cost of the storage location of the inventory, the management cost of the inventory, and the obsolescence of the inventory cannot be avoided, which increases the expenses of the rental company and ultimately increases the rental fee for the user.

[0006] Also, when used second-hand products used by others exist as inventory, the second-hand products will be rented, so they may be dirty or scratched, and it is conceivable that users may hesitate to use the rented products in terms of cleanliness. Also, in the case of second-hand products, users may worry whether the products will break down during the rental period.

[0007] In addition, in the information processing apparatuses of Patent Documents 1 to 3, since the user makes an application for an article on a screen linked to a specific EC site provided by an external server, substantially, the user is only selecting an article on a specific EC site provided by the external server. Therefore, the selection range of articles is narrow, and there may be cases where the articles desired by the user are not available for rental. In addition, even for the same article, the price varies depending on the purchasing store. Therefore, it is not always possible to purchase at a low price on a specific EC site provided by the external server, and there is a possibility of purchasing the same article at a higher price compared to other stores. Since the price of the article becomes the expense of the rental company, the higher the price of the article, the higher the expense, which is also a factor in increasing the rental fee for the user.

[0008] If a user rents an item for a short period of time, it may be acceptable even if they are not satisfied with its functionality or design. Similarly, for short-term rentals, there may be cases where it is acceptable even if the rental fee is high or the item is used. However, when renting the same item continuously for more than one year, for example, for several years, the user becomes more particular about the functionality and design, their awareness of the rental fee increases, and their concerns about using a used item also grow. This can become an obstacle to continuously renting the same item and may be a factor hindering the expansion of the rental market.

[0009] In view of this point, the present disclosure has been made, and its object is to improve the environment for continuously renting the same item and to expand the rental market.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] To achieve the above object, in one aspect according to the present disclosure, it is possible to assume a rental service providing device that provides rental services for a plurality of types of items to a plurality of users. The rental service providing device includes a user information storage unit that stores user information input by the user, an item information presentation unit that presents a plurality of types of the items sold at each of a plurality of sales stores to the user, an item reception unit that receives the user's selection of the item from among the items presented to the user by the item information presentation unit, a purchase processing unit that identifies a purchasing sales store where the selling price of a new item of the item received by the item reception unit is equal to or lower than a predetermined price among a plurality of sales stores selling new items of the item and executes a purchase process for the new item of the item at the purchasing sales store, a management unit that manages the item for which the purchase process has been executed by the purchase processing unit as a rental target item, and a delivery processing unit that identifies the usage location of the item based on the user information stored in the user information storage unit and executes a process for directly delivering the item managed by the management unit to the usage location by the purchasing sales store.

[0011] According to this configuration, when a user registers user information such as name, address, credit card information, etc., the user information is stored in the user information storage unit. When the user has an item for which they want to apply for rental, the user searches from among the multiple types of items presented by the item information presentation unit. At this time, since the multiple types of items presented by the item information presentation unit are items sold at each of multiple stores, the product lineup is richer than that of items sold at a single store, and it becomes possible to select an item having functions and designs that satisfy the user himself / herself, that is, an item that the user wants to continuously use.

[0012] When the user selects an item, the purchase processing unit executes a process of purchasing the item at a price equal to or lower than a predetermined price. The price equal to or lower than the predetermined price may be, for example, the lowest price among multiple stores, and thereby the purchase price of the item is reduced. The purchased item is managed as a rental target item and is directly delivered from the selling store to the place of use, so the rental business operator does not need to manage the inventory, and this reduces the expenses. In addition, the user can use a new item with a clean feeling.

[0013] The rental service providing device may include a settlement processing unit that acquires settlement information from the user information stored in the storage unit and receives the rental fee of the item from the user at a predetermined timing based on the acquired settlement information.

[0014] According to this configuration, during the rental period, since the settlement processing unit receives the rental fee of the item from the user at a predetermined timing, the labor of the rental business operator can be saved, which also leads to a reduction in expenses, and ultimately the rental fee can be made lower.

[0015] The rental service providing device may include an unauthorized access evaluation unit that evaluates whether access to the rental service providing device is unauthorized based on the user information input by the user. Thereby, unauthorized access by the user can be blocked, and the rental service can be provided safely.

[0016] The rental service providing device may include a payment ability evaluation unit that evaluates whether the user has the ability to pay the rental fee based on the user information input by the user. As a result, the rental business operator can confirm the presence or absence of the user's payment ability at the stage before concluding the rental contract, so that it is possible to avoid the rental fee becoming unpaid after starting the rental.

Effect of the Invention

[0017] As described above, it is possible to deliver an item with the functions and design desired by the user to the user in a new state for the user to use, and to reduce the rental fee, so that it is possible to improve the environment for continuously renting the same item and expand the rental market.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

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Figure 11

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description of the preferred embodiments is merely illustrative in nature and is not intended to limit the present invention, its applications, or its uses.

[0020] FIG. 1 shows a rental service providing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The rental service providing apparatus 1 is an apparatus for providing rental services of a plurality of types of articles to a plurality of users, and includes, for example, a business operator terminal 10 and a server 20. The business operator terminal 10 is a terminal owned or managed by a rental business operator who provides rental services, and is configured by, for example, a desktop or notebook personal computer. The rental business operator can also be called an administrator who manages the rental service providing apparatus 1.

[0021] The server 20 is owned or managed by the rental business operator. The business operator terminal 10 and the server 20 may be installed in the same place or in different places. Also, the server 20 may be built into the business operator terminal 10, or the business operator terminal 10 and the server 20 may be integrated. Further, a plurality of business operator terminals 10 may be provided, or a plurality of servers 20 may be provided.

[0022] In this embodiment, a case where the business operator terminal 10 and the server 20 are installed at different locations will be described. In this case, the business operator terminal 10 and the server 20 are connected to a network 2 such as the Internet, and are configured to be able to communicate with each other. For example, various types of information input on the business operator terminal 10 are transmitted to and stored in the server 20 via the network 2. Further, by operating the business operator terminal 10, various types of information stored in the server 20 are transmitted to the business operator terminal 10 via the network 2, and the transmitted information can be used, changed, processed, etc. on the business operator terminal 10.

[0023] In addition, a user terminal 3 used by a user can also be connected to the network 2. Examples of the user terminal 3 include, for example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a personal computer, etc. On the user terminal 3, input operations, selection operations, browsing of various types of information including characters, etc. can be executed. The user terminal 3 and the business operator terminal 10 can communicate with each other via the network 2. Thereby, various types of information input on the user terminal 3 and information regarding the selection operation are sent to the business operator terminal 10 and acquired by the business operator terminal 10. Further, various types of information sent from the business operator terminal 10 to the user terminal 3 are acquired by the user terminal 3. Since such a data transmission / reception system and information display system have been well-known conventionally, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the relationship between the rental service providing apparatus 1, a user who uses the rental service providing apparatus 1, and a store that sells articles to be rented (which may also be referred to as a purchasing store, a wholesaler, etc.). A user who wishes to rent a certain article applies for the rental to the rental service providing apparatus 1. The rental service providing apparatus 1 executes a process of ordering a new article of the item from a store without checking the inventory of the article for which the rental application has been made by the user. The store delivers the article ordered by the rental service providing apparatus 1 directly to the user, rather than delivering it to the rental business operator. As a result, the rental business operator does not need to hold the articles to be rented as inventory, and the cost of the inventory storage location and the cost of inventory management are reduced. In addition, the user can use a new article that has just been delivered from the store.

[0025] The articles to be rented are not particularly limited, and examples thereof include home appliances, furniture, bicycles (including electric bicycles), watches, cameras, personal computers, tablet terminals, printing machines, copy machines, and the like. Home appliances include, for example, televisions, recorders, washing machines, microwave ovens, rice cookers, air conditioners, and the like. Articles that include installation work are also subject to rental.

[0026] Hereinafter, details of the rental service providing apparatus 1 capable of realizing the mechanism as shown in FIG. 2 will be described. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the rental service providing apparatus 1. The operator terminal 10 includes a control unit 11, a monitor (display unit) 12, a keyboard 13, and a mouse 14. The control unit 11 is composed of a microcomputer that operates according to a program (rental service providing program) stored in advance in the operator terminal 10, and a memory such as a ROM or a RAM. The rental service providing program can be stored in a hard disk drive, a solid state drive, or the like included in the operator terminal 10.

[0027] The control unit 11 includes an article information presentation unit 11a, an article reception unit 11b, a purchase processing unit 11c, a management unit 11d, a delivery processing unit 11e, an unauthorized access evaluation unit 11f, a payment ability evaluation unit 11g, and a settlement processing unit 11h. The article information presentation unit 11a, the article reception unit 11b, the purchase processing unit 11c, the management unit 11d, the delivery processing unit 11e, the unauthorized access evaluation unit 11f, the payment ability evaluation unit 11g, and the settlement processing unit 11h may be composed only of the hardware that constitutes the control unit 11, or may be composed of a combination of hardware and software. For example, when a microcomputer executes a rental service providing program, the control unit 11 can realize the functions of the article information presentation unit 11a, the article reception unit 11b, the purchase processing unit 11c, the management unit 11d, the delivery processing unit 11e, the unauthorized access evaluation unit 11f, the payment ability evaluation unit 11g, and the settlement processing unit 11h. Each of the units 11a to 11h can be conceptually shown and does not necessarily need to be physically separated, and may be configured such that a plurality of functions are realized by one processing device.

[0028] The monitor 12 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display device, an organic EL display device, or the like. The monitor 12 is connected to the control unit 11 and is controlled by the control unit 11, enabling the display of various setting screens, selection screens, input screens, management screens, confirmation screens, and the like.

[0029] The keyboard 13 and the mouse 14 are examples of devices (operation units) for the rental business operator to operate the rental service providing device 1. By operating the keyboard 13 and the mouse 14, various information can be input, selected, deleted, changed, modified, and the like. In addition to these, the operation unit may include a touch operation panel incorporated in the monitor 12, various pointing devices, and the like. The operation unit is connected to the control unit 11, and operations by the user on the operation unit can be detected by the control unit 11.

[0030] Further, the server 20 includes a user information storage unit 21, an article information storage unit 22, and a management information storage unit 23. The user information storage unit 21, the article information storage unit 22, and the management information storage unit 23 may each be configured by physically separated storage areas, or may be configured by partitioning one storage area.

[0031] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of the rental service provided using the rental service providing apparatus 1. By using the rental service providing apparatus 1, a method for providing rental articles having the following steps can be realized.

[0032] In step SA1, the rental service providing apparatus 1 receives the membership registration of the user. The membership registration can be accepted at any timing. That is, the users who can receive the rental service by the rental service providing apparatus 1 are limited to the registered users. When registering as a member, the user inputs user information including name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, etc. from the user terminal 3. The user information is acquired by the control unit 11, database-ized in a state associated with a unique membership number (identification information), and sent to the server 20, where it is stored in the user information storage unit 21. At this time, an ID and a password may be issued for each user. In this case, the user can be identified by inputting the ID and the password into the user terminal 3.

[0033] In addition, a plurality of types of article information are stored in the article information storage unit 22 of the server 20 of the rental service providing apparatus 1. The article information is input by the rental business operator operating the business operator terminal 10. The timing for inputting the article information is before the operation of the rental service providing apparatus 1 (at the time of setting), but after the start of the operation, the article information can also be updated, changed, or deleted at an appropriate timing. By updating, changing, or deleting the article information, the article information stored in the article information storage unit 22 will change.

[0034] Item information is information for identifying an item, and includes, for example, information related to the manufacturer name, model number, product name, color, size, etc. Further, a photograph of the item may be included in the item information. The items stored as item information in the item information storage unit 22 are multiple types of items sold at each of a plurality of stores. That is, not only multiple types of items sold at one store, but also multiple types of items sold at other stores are to be rental target items, and item information of multiple types of items sold at each of a plurality of stores is stored in the item information storage unit 22. The region where the store is located is not limited to one region, and items sold at each store nationwide in Japan are to be rental targets. Also, one piece of information is stored for one item so that the information of the same item does not overlap. The store may be an Internet-only store. The stores include, for example, a plurality of home appliance mass retailers, stores handling furniture, bicycle stores, etc. By collecting and storing item information from such a plurality of stores in this way, it is possible to present items with functions and designs desired by the user to the user. That is, in this embodiment, the procurement source of the item is not limited.

[0035] The item information also includes information regarding the rental fee per month. The rental fee varies depending on the rental period, and is set to be cheaper the longer the rental period. The rental period can be set, for example, to one year, three years, five years, etc., but is not limited to this. In this embodiment, temporary rentals are not assumed, and continuous rentals for a long period of one year or more are assumed. Therefore, the rental fee is also set on the premise of a long-term rental of one year or more. The rental fee includes, in addition to the administrative handling fee, the delivery fee, insurance fee, recycling fee, and item collection fee after the end of the rental period, which will be described later.

[0036] In order to achieve continuous rentals, it is necessary to have users rent items they like. To achieve this, as described above, the item information storage unit 22 stores item information of multiple types sold at each of multiple stores. As a result, a wide variety of items can be presented to the user, and as a consequence, the user can freely select an item they like as a rental target. A user who rents an item they like will naturally use it for a long period of time.

[0037] In step SA2 of FIG. 4, the item information presentation unit 11a executes a process of presenting a user with multiple types of items sold at each of multiple stores. Specifically, when a user accesses the rental service providing device 1 from the user terminal 3, the control unit 11 acquires multiple item information stored in the item information storage unit 22 of the server 20 and transmits it to the user terminal 3 via the network 2, and displays it on the monitor (not shown) of the user terminal 3 in browser form. At this time, in order to facilitate the search for a desired item, it may be possible to perform narrowing-down searches by item genre, by function, by rental fee, etc.

[0038] The user can search for a desired item while viewing the item information displayed on the monitor of the user terminal 3. At this time, the rental fee per month for each rental period is also displayed on the monitor of the user terminal 3. As a result, the user can search for items while considering the rental fee.

[0039] In step SA3, the article reception unit 11b executes a reception process of receiving the user's selection of an article from among the articles presented to the user by the article information presentation unit 11a. When the user wishes to rent an article among the plurality of articles displayed on the monitor of the user terminal 3, the user performs a selection operation of selecting the article on the monitor of the user terminal 3. The selection operation may be a touch operation on a touch operation panel or an operation using a mouse (not shown) or the like that the user terminal 3 has. The user's selection operation of the article is acquired by the article reception unit 11b via the network 2.

[0040] After an article is selected in step SA3, the process proceeds to step SA4, and a rental contract is concluded between the user and the rental business operator. Before the conclusion of the contract, the user operates the user terminal 3 to input contract information such as the name, the number of the credit card used for payment of the rental fee, the contract start month, the contract period, the place of use of the article (the delivery place of the article), etc. The contract information is information included in the user information and is stored in a state associated with the member number in the user information storage unit 21 of the server 20. The input contract information is examined by the rental service providing apparatus 1. Details of the examination of the contract information will be described later.

[0041] If a problem is found by examining the contract information, the control unit 11 notifies the user that the conclusion of the rental contract is impossible. If no problem is found by examining the contract information, a rental contract is concluded between the user and the rental business operator. As for the electronic contract conclusion method itself, a conventionally well-known method can be used.

[0042] Thereafter, the process proceeds to step SA5, and the settlement processing unit 11h executes the rental fee settlement process. Specifically, the settlement processing unit 11h acquires settlement information from the user information stored in the user information storage unit 21, and receives the rental fee of the item from the user at a predetermined timing based on the acquired settlement information. The settlement processing unit 11h transmits, for example, the settlement amount and the settlement date to the credit card company. As a result, the rental fee can be received on a fixed day of each month via the credit card company. In this case, the rental fee is remitted from the credit card company to the rental business operator. Alternatively, the rental business operator may directly receive the rental fee from the user without going through the credit card company. Also, the user may transfer the rental fee to the account of the financial institution of the rental business operator, or the rental business operator may receive the rental fee by debiting the rental fee from the user's financial institution account. Any payment form may be adopted, and the contract information corresponding to the payment form may be obtained from the user in advance.

[0043] In step SA6, the purchase processing unit 11c identifies a purchase destination store where the selling price of the new item of the item received by the item reception unit 11b is equal to or lower than a predetermined price among a plurality of stores selling new items of the item, and executes the purchase process of the new item at the purchase destination store. Specifically, the purchase processing unit 11c searches for a plurality of stores selling new items of the item received by the item reception unit 11b by using the Internet or the like. At this time, for example, about 5 to 10 stores with low prices are extracted.

[0044] The purchase processing unit 11c acquires the prices of the items sold at the extracted plurality of stores, and the purchase processing unit 11c identifies the purchase destination store where the selling price of the new item of the item is the lowest among the plurality of stores. The predetermined price may be the lowest price, or may be a price lower than the average price of the plurality of stores searched.

[0045] After identifying the purchasing destination store with the lowest price, the purchase processing unit 11c places an order for the item with the identified purchasing destination store and also executes the payment process for the price related to the purchase of the item. When identifying the purchasing destination store, the purchase processing unit 11c can also impose conditions on the payment method for the price. For example, the purchasing destination store is identified only among the stores that support bank transfer or credit card payment.

[0046] In addition, when identifying the purchasing destination store, the purchase processing unit 11c can also impose the presence or absence of insurance for the item as a condition. The purchasing destination store is identified only among the stores that can provide insurance for natural failure or physical damage to the item. The insurance period can be set to about 5 years, for example, but is not limited to this. It is sufficient that the insurance is valid during the period when the user rents the item. Examples of physical damage insurance include insurance that compensates for scratches or damage when the item is dropped.

[0047] In addition, the purchase processing unit 11c also transmits the delivery date and the delivery destination address to the purchasing destination store. When the purchase processing unit 11c determines the purchasing destination store, it does not limit the region where the purchasing destination store is located. However, since the item is delivered, the delivery region may be limited depending on the purchasing destination store. In such a case, the purchasing destination store is set as the cheapest store among the stores that can deliver to the delivery destination address instead of the cheapest purchasing destination store.

[0048] Step SA7 is the delivery and installation step. The delivery processing unit 11e identifies the usage location of the item based on the user information stored in the user information storage unit 21, and executes a process for directly delivering the item managed by the management unit 11d to the usage location by the purchasing destination store. When executing this process, the delivery processing unit 11e transmits the address as information for identifying the usage location of the item to the purchasing destination store, and also transmits the delivery date (which may include the delivery time zone). Thereafter, the purchasing destination store directly delivers the item purchased by the purchasing processing unit 11c to the delivery destination address on the designated date. For items that require installation, the purchasing destination store also performs the installation. By directly delivering the item to the delivery destination address, the rental business operator does not need to hold inventory. Also, the user can use a new item.

[0049] After any one of steps SA5, SA6, or SA7, the management unit 11d manages the item for which the purchasing process has been executed by the purchasing processing unit 11c as an item to be rented. Specifically, the management unit 11d, for example, acquires item information such as the name, model, manufacturing number, color, size, etc. of the item from the item information storage unit 22, and also acquires the user information of the user who is renting the item from the user information storage unit 21, and stores both in the management information storage unit 23 in an associated state. The database structure of the management information storage unit 23 is shown in FIG. 5.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 5, all information can be associated with the customer name (the user's name). Information associated with the customer name includes the address, email address, name of the item being rented, item number attached to the item being rented, contract period (rental period), sales amount, item purchase cost, recycling fee, payment fee, etc. Note that the item number is a unique number for the item, and other information can also be associated with this item number and made into a database.

[0051] Step SA8 is the expiration process when the rental period expires. Before the rental period expires, the control unit 11 executes a process of notifying the user. The timing of the notification can be two months or three months before the expiration date of the rental period (a predetermined number of days before the expiration date of the rental period). This predetermined number of days can be set arbitrarily.

[0052] In step SA9, the control unit 11 presents the user with options to extend the rental period of the item (continue the rental), have the rental company take back (return) the item, exchange the item for another item, and purchase the item being rented by the user. When the user selects any of the options, the selected information is sent to the control unit 11.

[0053] Specifically, it is shown in FIGS. 6 to 9. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the process when an application for replacement is made after the rental period expires. Step SB1 after the start is a process in which the control unit 11 notifies the user that the rental period is about to expire a predetermined number of days before the expiration date of the rental period. The control unit 11 notifies the expiration date of the rental period using, for example, an email or the like, and also notifies the above-mentioned options that can be obtained after expiration. That is, the control unit 11 executes a presentation process of presenting a plurality of options regarding the handling of the article after the expiration of the rental period to the user. This presentation process can be automatically performed by the control unit 11 that has acquired the expiration date of the rental period. If the notified user wishes to replace the article with another article, an application for replacement is made in step SB2. In step SB3, a contract for replacement with another article is concluded. When the conclusion of the contract is completed, the article is arranged in step SB4. For example, the rental service providing device 1 executes an article purchase process in the same manner as when newly arranging an article. In step SB5, the new article is delivered to the user's place of use. At this time, the article that has been used so far is collected. Since the collected article is bought by a used goods purchasing trader, there is no need for a space to store the collected article. The purchase price is received by the rental business operator. Also, since the purchasing trader is arranged by the rental business operator side, the burden on the user is small. That is, the control unit 11 detects that the replacement of the article being rented with another article has been instructed by the user. Thereafter, the control unit 11 executes a process of arranging a purchasing trader who purchases the article before replacement (the rented article). For example, the control unit 11 automatically contacts the predetermined purchasing trader by email about the type, size, color, desired purchase date, etc. of the article. As a result, the purchasing trader is automatically arranged, so the burden on the user and the rental business operator is reduced. Thereafter, the user pays the rental fee for the new article.

[0054] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the process when an application for extending the rental period is made after the rental period expires. Step SC1 after start is the same as step SB1 in Figure 6. When the notified user wishes to extend the rental period, an application for extension is made in step SC2. In step SC3, a contract for extending the rental period is concluded. After the contract, the user can continue to use the item. Since the rental fee is set lower than the previous fee, the burden on the user can be reduced.

[0055] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the process when an application is made for the user to purchase the rented item after the rental period expires. Step SD1 after start is the same as step SB1 in Figure 6. When the notified user wishes to purchase, an application for purchase is made in step SD2. In step SD3, the purchase process of the item is executed. That is, the user performs the procedure to terminate the rental contract and purchases the rented item at the price presented by the rental company. The user pays the purchase price to the rental company by credit card or the like.

[0056] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the process when the user returns the rented item to the rental company after the rental period expires. Step SF1 after start is the same as step SB1 in Figure 6. When the notified user wishes to return the rented item, an application for return is made in step SF2. In step SF3, the return process of the item is executed. That is, the rental company arranges for a used item buyer, and the item is returned by having the buyer purchase the item.

[0057] More specifically, the control unit 11 detects that the return of the rented item has been instructed by the user. Thereafter, the control unit 11 executes a process of arranging a purchasing merchant who will purchase the returned item. For example, the control unit 11 automatically contacts, by email, a pre-determined purchasing merchant with details such as the type, size, color, and desired purchase date of the item. As a result, the purchasing merchant is automatically arranged, reducing the burden on the user and the rental business operator. The rental business operator receives the purchase price paid by the purchasing merchant.

[0058] If the item malfunctions during the rental period, it can be repaired or replaced with a new one under the above insurance, so the user can use the item without worrying about malfunctions. Also, if the item is damaged due to loss during the rental period, the above insurance applies, so the user can continue to use the item. Additionally, furniture and the like may deteriorate over time or get scratched, but deterioration and scratches caused by normal use do not impose a financial burden on the user, so the user can use the item with peace of mind.

[0059] The rental period can be freely set by the user from, for example, 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, etc. For example, if there are plans to move after 3 years, the rental period can be set to 3 years, the rental can be terminated once, and a new rental contract can be concluded at the new residence after moving, enabling the preparation of home appliances, furniture, etc. suitable for the new residence while keeping the initial costs low.

[0060] Also, when there are changes in lifestyle or family composition, the current rental contract can be terminated, and the user can newly select items corresponding to the changes and conclude a rental contract, enabling flexible and easy response.

[0061] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the process of early termination. For example, in the case of a sudden move, etc., it may not be possible to continue using the rented item even within the rental period. In such a case, the user makes a request for early termination (step SE1). The request for early termination can be made by the user operating the user terminal 3. When there is a request for early termination, the rental service providing device 1 notifies the user of the final rental fee and executes the settlement process (step SE2). In step SE3, the user picks up the item that was being used. In this case as well, the purchase is requested from the purchasing merchant.

[0062] (Procedure for evaluation and determination) In this rental service providing device 1, when the user attempts to apply for a rental contract, that is, when trying to proceed to step SA4 in FIG. 4, the rental service providing device 1 evaluates whether the access to the rental service providing device 1 is unauthorized access, and also evaluates whether the user has the ability to pay the rental fee. This procedure for evaluation and determination will be described in detail based on the flowchart shown in FIG. 11.

[0063] In step SH1, the unauthorized access evaluation unit 11f and the payment ability evaluation unit 11g acquire the email address, phone number, etc. among the user information stored in the user information storage unit 21. Also, in step SH2, the unauthorized access evaluation unit 11f and the payment ability evaluation unit 11g acquire the card information, etc. used for paying the rental fee. Step SH1 and step SH2 may be in either order or may be simultaneous.

[0064] In step SH3, the unauthorized access evaluation unit 11f evaluates whether the access to the rental service providing device 1 is unauthorized access based on the user information input by the user. For example, when the email address is an unclear string, etc., the unauthorized access evaluation unit 11f determines that it is unauthorized access and proceeds to step SH4, where the contract is not permitted, so it is not possible to proceed to step SA4 in FIG. 4.

[0065] If it is determined in step SH3 that there is no unauthorized access, the process proceeds to step SH5. In step SH5, the payment ability evaluation unit 11g evaluates whether the user has the ability to pay the rental fee based on the user information input by the user. For example, in the case of a debit-type credit card, it is determined that the user does not have the ability to pay the rental fee, and the process proceeds to step SH6, where the contract is not permitted, so the process cannot proceed to step SA4 in FIG. 4. If it is determined in step SH5 that the user has the ability to pay the rental fee, the process proceeds to step SH7, and the control unit 11 permits the contract. By performing such an evaluation and determination before the contract, it is possible to prevent others from impersonating and using the item, or from paying the rental fee only at the time of application and then leaving the rental fee unpaid.

[0066] The unauthorized access evaluation and the payment ability evaluation are not only performed by the rental business operator, but also by using credit information of, for example, a credit card company (settlement processing company), a company handling credit information, a collection insurance company, etc. Therefore, the possibility that the rental business operator suffers financial damage can be extremely reduced, and as a result, a business model in which the same item is continuously rented to the user can be realized over a long period of time.

[0067] (Operational effects of the embodiment) As described above, in this embodiment, when a user who intends to use the rental service providing apparatus 1 registers user information such as name, address, and credit card information, the user information is stored in the user information storage unit 21 of the server 20. When the user has an item for which they wish to apply for rental, the user can search for the desired item from among the plurality of types of items presented by the item information presenting unit 11a while operating the user terminal 3. At this time, since the plurality of types of items presented by the item information presenting unit 11a are items sold at each of a plurality of stores, the variety is richer than the items sold at a single store, and it becomes possible to select an item having a function or design that satisfies the user, that is, an item that the user wants to continue using.

[0068] When a user selects an item, the selected item is received by the item reception unit 11b, and the purchase processing unit 11c purchases the item from the store that sells it at the lowest price. As a result, the purchase price of the item can be reduced. The purchased item is managed by the management unit 11d as a rental target item and is directly delivered from the purchase destination store to the user's place of use. Therefore, the rental business operator does not need to manage inventory, and this reduces costs. In addition, the user can use a new and clean item.

[0069] The above-described embodiments are merely illustrative in all respects and should not be construed in a limiting sense. Furthermore, all modifications and changes belonging to the equivalent scope of the claims are within the scope of the present invention.

Industrial Applicability

[0070] As described above, the rental service providing apparatus according to the present invention can be used, for example, when providing rental services for home appliances, furniture, bicycles, etc.

Explanation of Signs

[0071] 1 Rental service providing apparatus 10 Operator terminal 11a Item information presentation unit 11b Item reception unit 11c Purchase processing unit 11d Management unit 11e Delivery processing unit 11f Unauthorized access evaluation unit 11g Payment ability evaluation unit 11h Settlement processing unit 20 Server 21 User information storage unit 22 Item information storage unit

Claims

1. A rental service providing apparatus that provides rental services for a plurality of types of items to a plurality of users, a user information storage unit that stores user information input by the user, an item information presentation unit that presents a plurality of types of the items sold at each of a plurality of stores to the user, an item reception unit that receives the user's selection of the item from among the items presented to the user by the item information presentation unit, a purchase processing unit that identifies a purchasing store where the selling price of a new item of the item received by the item reception unit is equal to or lower than a predetermined price among a plurality of stores selling new items of the item, and executes a purchase process for the new item at the purchasing store, a management unit that manages the item for which the purchase process has been executed by the purchase processing unit as a rental target item, and a delivery processing unit that identifies the usage location of the item based on the user information stored in the user information storage unit, and executes a process for directly delivering the item managed by the management unit to the usage location by the purchasing store. A rental service providing apparatus.

2. In the rental service providing apparatus according to Claim 1, a settlement processing unit that acquires settlement information from the user information stored in the user information storage unit, and receives the rental fee of the item from the user at a predetermined timing based on the acquired settlement information. A rental service providing apparatus.

3. In the rental service providing apparatus according to Claim 1, a malicious access evaluation unit that evaluates whether access to the rental service providing apparatus is malicious access based on the user information input by the user. A rental service providing apparatus.

4. In the rental service providing apparatus according to Claim 1, a payment ability evaluation unit that evaluates whether the user has the ability to pay the rental fee based on the user information input by the user. A rental service providing apparatus.

5. In the rental service providing apparatus according to Claim 1, a control unit that presents a plurality of options regarding the handling of the item after the expiration of the rental period to the user a predetermined number of days before the expiration date of the rental period, When the control unit detects that the return of the item during rental has been instructed by the user, the rental service providing apparatus executes an arrangement process for a purchasing merchant who purchases the item to be returned.

6. In the rental service providing apparatus according to claim 1, a control unit is provided that presents a plurality of options regarding the handling of the item after the expiration of the rental period to the user a predetermined number of days before the expiration date of the rental period, When the control unit detects that the exchange of the item during rental for another item has been instructed by the user, the rental service providing apparatus executes an arrangement process for a purchasing merchant who purchases the item before the exchange.

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