Technique for utilizing a computer system to provide price protection to retail customers

A method for utilizing a computer system to provide price protection to retail customers of a dealer for at least selected goods, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) storing in the computer system information on each retail transaction for the goods including customer information, product identification, date and price paid for each product;
• b) storing in the computer information on the selected goods advertised for sale by others within a selected geographic area, such information including product identification, advertisement date and advertised price;
• c) utilizing the computer to determine at selected time intervals whether automatic rebates are due to any customer, rebates being due when the computer determines that a product of the selected goods purchased by the customer has been advertised at a lower price by another within a selected time period after the purchase transaction, step (c) including the steps of comparing advertised products stored during step (b) with the transaction products stored during step (a) to find matches, and verifying that dates for the advertised product and transaction product are within the selected time period;
• and
• d) for each rebate which is determined due, printing a check to the customer for the difference between the price paid by the customer and the lower advertised sale price, which check is sent to the customer.