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Amazon, as well as many other retailers tracks returns, and bans the accounts of abusers. Even Costco, which is very liberal and customer-friendly with its policies, does the same.

Both already have all the records of what has been purchased and returned to the account or membership.

Other B&M retailers rely on third-party data gathering companies to compile the information. If a retailer asks to see one’s driver’s license or other form of ID, it’s a big clue that they’re engaged in return tracking.

To a large extent, it’s a good thing, but the issue is that there is no transparency as to what the limits are, and some have claimed that they’ve been banned even though they have legitimate reasons and are not abusive.

It’s also important to remember that, for the most part, return privileges are just that, and not compulsory in most U.S. jurisdictions. Retailers offer them to remain competitive with others who do, but they are not compelled by law to take returns.

In the end, such abuse affects all customers.