Confession: Returns Anxiety

Because I tend to purchase, then try, then return if necessary, I wind up returning items... a lot.

I always make my returns within the given 90 days, at least 95% of the time I have the original receipt, and I almost always keep more from any given transaction than I return. Still, any time I have to return more than just one item, I get uncomfortably anxious.

For years now, I've feared that stores keep track of who returns what — they do make you print and sign your name, at the very least, and sometimes even require an address or phone number. Because of my propensity to act now, decide later, I irrationally fear that I'm on some "heavy hitters" list of returners, just one item away from being banned from making returns.

I'll stand at the register, waiting for the return to go through, and worrying in my head, "What if I can never return anything ever again? I guess I'll have to try everything on in the store... Oh no, then I'd need to bring William [my husband] along to get his opinions on everything before purchasing..."

Luckily, I don't think they maintain any list or ban people from returning things. (And if they did, let me tell you, they'd have banned me.) But everytime I walk up to a register with a bag of items and a receipt in my hand, a part of me worries... just a little bit.