Return policies are something Sarah Nord knows all about.
"I'm always returning things with a baby," she said. "He's growing out of things before he can wear them or I'm exchanging diaper sizes."
But what the Phoenix woman didn't know is her name and driver's license number may go into a national database, depending on where she's making her returns.
"I think it's a little weird that they keep track of that," she said.
Rob Trainor found out about it at a Best Buy right after Black Friday.
"The first transaction got a warning, the next return was denied," he said. "These were items that were unopened with receipts that I bought 24 hours ago."
Some stores ask for your driver's license when making a return, not just to prevent theft but also because they're clients of The Retail Equation. It compiles a database to keep track of who is returning what.
According to The Retail Equation's website, it's to keep customers honest, so retailers don't have to "impose stricter return policies such as 'no receipt, no return' or 14-day limits on returns."
"I don't necessarily think that's fair. I think if you've purchased it and have the receipt and I think if you're willing to buy something else from that store, that's perfectly fine," said shopper Meredith Kester.
Trainor worked things out with Best Buy and can make returns once again, but he's not sold on this national database.
"It seems like it's unfair because my purchase was with Best Buy, not The Retail Equation," he said.
If you get flagged for being a serial returner, click hereto get your return report from The Retail Equation.
