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[Excess Poo Flakes]

My place of work requires a driver's license or some kind of government ID for any return or exchanged, regardless of who bought the product or when he/she bought it. The purpose is not to credit the money back to the correct credit card... The cashiers are required to obtain the Driver's license number or identification number. I do not know of any other stores that do this, and it pisses off a lot of customers. If they do not have a valid ID, they cannot return the item, period.

The managers say it is to prevent return schemes, as customers are limited to the amount of returns they can do in a year. This ID info recording supposedly prevents this. This way, we can keep track of what customer returns how many things over a given time period. I think it is a bit unreasonable. The return management company we work through gave a presentation and says that most major retail companies will incorporate this policy within the next 3 to 4 years. I personally think it is too invasive.

 

[Phoenix]

There are a number of stores that do this (i.e. Walmart) and not only is it an annoyance, its a hotbed of potential identity theft. I don't like the practice myself. If I have a receipt, I have should be able to return this shit no questions asked

 

[ChrisReid]

I think it's pretty rare. Does your store post a notice in the return policy saying a drivers license will be needed? Many stores require it for trade-ins, which is a very legitimate task to manage people trading in stolen goods. Walmart definitely doesn't *require* a drivers licenses.. I do doubt that most stores will be doing it in the next 3-4 years.

 

[bjork]

I think if it's a big store, it's necessary... like for example, I once worked at a Wal-Mart. The first week I was there, the store received something like 13 returned lawn mowers, one was a guy who returned three of them. Turns out that they were chaining the mowers up outside of the garden shop, but not locking the chain. So this guy just wheeled them over, got cash (this was like 96, they didn't do gift cards then), bought a bunch of shit, then split.

At a smaller store, not so much. Like at my store, you can only return with a receipt and if it's unopened. Otherwise we don't take it back, and if you argue it, we just direct you to read the return policy as it is printed on the receipt. Seems to work well enough, we've only had maybe three problems all year with people and returns.

 

[goodcow]

Pfft, if a store tried to do that to me I'd ask for the manager and right then and there tell him or her that they're to take back my item now without such identification, or I call VISA and ask for a chargeback in front of them while also leaving the item.

 

[ChrisReid]

I think if it's a big store, it's necessary... like for example, I once worked at a Wal-Mart. The first week I was there, the store received something like 13 returned lawn mowers, one was a guy who returned three of them. Turns out that they were chaining the mowers up outside of the garden shop, but not locking the chain. So this guy just wheeled them over, got cash (this was like 96, they didn't do gift cards then), bought a bunch of shit, then split.

At a smaller store, not so much. Like at my store, you can only return with a receipt and if it's unopened. Otherwise we don't take it back, and if you argue it, we just direct you to read the return policy as it is printed on the receipt. Seems to work well enough, we've only had maybe three problems all year with people and returns.

Oh yeah, definitely if the person doesn't have a receipt, it's not unreasonable to get some sort of hard verification on their identity to track them doing shady stuff.

 

[sc0la]

My place of work requires a driver's license or some kind of government ID for any return or exchanged, regardless of who bought the product or when he/she bought it. The purpose is not to credit the money back to the correct credit card... The cashiers are required to obtain the Driver's license number or identification number. I do not know of any other stores that do this, and it pisses off a lot of customers. If they do not have a valid ID, they cannot return the item, period.

The managers say it is to prevent return schemes, as customers are limited to the amount of returns they can do in a year. This ID info recording supposedly prevents this. This way, we can keep track of what customer returns how many things over a given time period. I think it is a bit unreasonable. The return management company we work through gave a presentation and says that most major retail companies will incorporate this policy within the next 3 to 4 years. I personally think it is too invasive.

The only time you should need ID for a return at gamestop is when it is a credit card and it goes back on the credit card.

A lot of managers and employees make this mistake since they still like you to fill out the transaction log book (which contains name and address fields) like you would a trade in. Gamestop corprate won't give two shits if you simply put transaction #, Price, receipt #, and have them sign it. I think the confusion stems from the trade-in policy and the fact that they make you use the archaic "log" for returns, when in reality that is a tool for the trade ins records.

No receipt and trade ins are a different story entirely)