Gone are the days when store clerks check IDs along with credit cards, or even handle the credit card at all.

And if you have to “sign” that little electronic pad, any scribble will do.

OP, though, was working retail back in the day when a store clerk could match your ID to your card before finalizing a sale.

I worked many years for Toys R Us (RIP) throughout high school and college.

One late December evening, a customer wanted to checkout with the hot new video game console —a not small transaction.

For payment he presented a credit card. Our corporate policy was to ask for ID with any card payment.

And sure, it wasn’t exactly legal, but who knew that?

He approached my checkout with what was unquestionably one of our largest sales of the day.

I rang him up and requested his payment and, as required by policy—and the written statement on his card—identification.

He immediately became belligerent and informed me that I was contractually obligated to part with valuable wares without any assurance.

That he was who he said he was or that I would actually receive remuneration for them.

Fun fact: I looked it up later; that’s true—as a condition of accepting card payments, merchants must agree to contractual language promulgated by card issuers.

In most cases that precludes sellers from requiring identification.

However, neither this man nor me are parties to that contract.

Nor does this man have any reason to believe that his retail checkout clerk in South Carolina has any knowledge of—or is paid enough to care about—some contract someone in an office park in Paramus, New Jersey may or may not have agreed to with Visa or MasterCard.

When this difficult customer wanted a manager, OP brought himself back to the register.

Naturally upon being informed that I refused his purchase, he threatened to sue me personally and demanded to speak to my manager.

I, in fact, was the highest ranking employee in the store that day.

With a pittance more above minimum wage, several years more experience than any other hourly employee, and anyone with more clout than me off for the holiday, I was the “manager” on duty and had stepped onto a register myself to expedite operations.

I cheerfully told him I would be happy to get the manager for him. I literally spun on my heel and then asked him how I could help him. I made him re-explain to “the manager” why he was upset with “my associate”.

And agreed that they could just match up signatures…except they weren’t the same either.

He ultimately then presented his ID, but “the manager” agreed that photo ID was entirely irrelevant—as the customer had said, if the card was signed I must accept it based upon his signature.

Unfortunately, however, the signature on the card and the signature on the receipt did not match. The card was prominently signed “(HIS NAME) ASK FOR ID”. The payment slip was signed “HIS NAME”.

Close, but clearly not a match.

My employer was therefore contractually required to refuse the transaction and to report the fraudulent attempt—resulting in a card freeze.

It wasn’t a good day for the other guy.

“Can I trust you to find the exit, or will you require the assistance of the local constabulary?”

He was served a formal trespass notice and—in an abundance of caution—I also called every store within three counties to ensure no one was duped by that clever near-match.

Did Reddit enjoy this blast from the past?

This really used to be a thing.

They just want to cross the t’s and dot the i’s.

There are only so many moves to make, y’all.

That’s one way to beat the secret shopper.

Although there is this little fun fact.

This is actually pretty interesting.

You learn something new every day.

Thought that was satisfying? Check out what this employee did when their manager refused to pay for their time while they were travelling for business.