If that’s their approach, I’ll just refrain from doing business with a company whose default position is that their customers are intending to commit fraud.

Yeah… that should be tied to the product, not a person. And it doesn’t need a unique serial number. Take the old one back, verify it’s not a fraud, send the replacement. If it’s a fraud, destroy it and let the customer know why, then offer them credit on a genuine piece.

A backpack company doesn’t need to know who I am.

No one is wondering why a backpack has a serial number to begin with? Vehicles, sure. Electronics, ok. But a backpack? Why does it even need a serial number?

It’s essentially a clothing item. My t-shirts don’t have serial numbers. I’m just finding it a bit insane that a backpack would have a unique serial.