This does not involve stamps, but it enforces a point I want to make.

I had purchased something at a local department store and needed to return it. I had the original receipt. I go to the service counter and the clerk processes my return. Then things get interesting.

She needs to see my driver’s license. I lied, “I don’t have it on me.” Furthermore, “I did not need a driver’s license to buy the product. Why do I need one to return it? You have the original receipt.” After some grumbling, she managed to proceed with the transaction.

Now she needs my phone number. “I don’t give out my phone number. I do not want telemarketing calls. Use any phone number you like.” This time, she was more insistent. I gave her a phone number that was one digit away from my real phone number. She was happy. I was not amused.

After all the fuss, the return was credited to my credit card.

If I did not have the original receipt, I understand that stores do not want to be ripped off by every Tom, Dick, and Harry walking into the place. I understand them wanting to make sure some scheme is not going on to defraud them. However, I had the original receipt. I did not need three forms of ID to make my purchase. Why was the return so complicated? It was unnecessary.

I offer a no-questions-asked seven day return policy. If you purchase something by mistake or the item is not what you were expecting, you can return it to me. I do not need your driver’s license or phone number. You get a refund check or a credit voucher good towards your next order. I try my best to make sure customers are happy with their purchases. Returns sometimes happen for various reasons. I want to make the experience to be as painless as possible.

I only ever had one customer attempt to return an item to me that was not the item he purchased. There is one bad apple in every bunch. That person is no longer on my mailing list. I will not do business with him again.

Someone else is getting a phone call right now from the department store wondering if their experience returning the item was OK. That person has no clue what the caller is talking about. Huh? They never returned an item to that store. Sorry!