Ken and Daria Dolan, America's First Family of Personal Finance, answer your money questions every Friday.

Dear Ken and Daria,

My wife and I have the money to pay off our mortgage. Should we pay it off or invest for a higher return?

-Richard

Thinking of re-financing your mortgage? Check out the Dolans' guide to negotiating the best mortgage for you.

Click here to ask Ken and Daria your question.

Here's a pretty convoluted story I found on the GolfWrx.com message board. Basically, this guy went to Golf Galaxy and purchased a club for $60 and then received this phone call: "The sonartec club you purchased 2 weeks ago shouldn't have been for sale. It was an employee's club getting serviced or something. Would you do a big favor and bring it back in? I would appreciate it very much and we will take care of you!"

So this good Samaritan drives 60 miles to return it, and is offered a $100 used driver as a trade. Not satisfied, he asked to be upgraded to a $250 driver and was told that he couldn't have it. He ended up settling for some golf balls because he didn't want the driver he was offered.

So here's the question: did he get ripped off?

Retail renting: for the uninitiated, this is the process of purchasing something with the intent of using for a short period of time and then returning it. Examples might include clothing or a big-screen TV for a Super Bowl party.

A piece in the Boston Globe recently looked at the issue -- a form of "return fraud" -- and problems its causing retailers. How can they crack down on people who abuse liberal return policies while still offering high-quality service to bona fide customers?

My thoughts on this are unambiguous: Purchasing something with the full intent of returning it is unethical and fraudulent. I can't imagine any possibly moral/ethical justification for doing it. A poll on Consumerist shows that most people share this view, with 74% saying that retail renting is unethical.

But that still means 12% of people think that this form of theft is ethical -- and another 13% aren't sure. So I have to ask: What people ethical justification is there for buying something with the intent of returning it?

Bad news if you're unhappy with the blender your aunt got you for Christmas: You might have a tough time returning it. In an effort to crack down on fraud (The National Retail Federation estimates that 1 in 10 returns are bogus), stores are getting tough on returns. Even with a receipt, you might have to settle for store credit, and the store also might need to see some ID. If you return multiple items to the same store over a short period, you may be flagged as suspicious.

There are a few common forms of return fraud. One common strategy is to buy an article of clothing for a special occasion, wear it once, and then return it. Some people consider this a form of thrift but make no mistake: Purchasing an item with the intent of using it and then returning it is fraud.

Another strategy that people use is to steal an item from one store and then "return" it to another for a "refund". Some criminals even purchase an item, keep the receipt, then stroll back to the store, pick an identical item off the shelf, and head to the customer service desk for a "refund".