Buying Presents for People You Don't Know

[AnaKhouri]

Do you guys ever get customers who are for some reason shopping for a Christmas present for someone they have apparently never met?

I think a few of these people may be buying for the Salvation Army Angel Tree or something, but a lot of them will tell me, "I have to buy something for my cousin's kid/my friend's mom/some other random person."

Now, the way I see it, except for my Angel Tree kids, the only people I am willing to spend money on are people I know and like.

Of course they never have any idea what this person likes or dislikes, if they would like a book or something else, what they do for a living, if they have any hobbies, etc. The ones I hate with a burning passion are the people who have no idea what they want...but they know it's not ANY of the things I've suggested. Usually they take up 20-30 minutes of my time before deciding to go somewhere else.

The worst one though, and I get this a couple times a year, usually around Christmas:

"I need a present for my son/daughter."

OK, what are they interested in?

"I don't know."

OK, drugs and underage drinking it is then!

[Nyx]

"I need a present for my son/daughter."

OK, what are they interested in?

"I don't know."

OK, drugs and underage drinking it is then!

LOL

I remember once I overheard a mother and daughter discussing what gift the daughter should bring to the party of a girl she'd never met. The mom said she could spend $25. It seems like that's a bit much to me. A gift for some one I've never met would be about $5.

[powerboy]

A gift for some one I've never met would be about $5.

Same here. And if it for kids that I do not know, then I would go to dollar Tree or 99 cents store. And get about $5-$7 worth of things.

[bainsidhe]

I have a friend who buys Christmas presents for something like 35 people. Yeah, her husband has an extended family and they usually receive Wilson Farms goodies. I once told her there was NO WAY I'd spend that kind of cash for people I don't know, but she mentioned they all return the favor. WTF??

[earl colby pottinger]

What

OK, drugs and underage drinking it is then!

What not condoms? You should not consider doing the first two without some extra protection.

[RetailActress]

OMG! This just happened to me today!

(not the condoms)

In our clothing store this afternoon, I greeted a woman nicely, as usual, and asked if I could help her find something in particular.

She sez: "Oh, I have to buy a gift for my sister's mother-in-law."

Me: "Okay ... does she wear a Misses' or a Petite size?"

Her: "I don't know. She's 83 and she lives in New Jersey."

Me: "Hmmm ... did your sister give you any suggestions?"

Her: "No, she works full-time and she's too busy. So I told her I'd look around for her."

Me: (already knowing this is doomed but valiantly pushing on) "Can we narrow it down by the mother-in-law's favorite colors, or what she likes or dislikes?"

Her: "No. I never met her. But she's 83."

Me: (wishing we had a section devoted to OCTOGENARIAN STYLE) "How about a gift certificate which comes gift-boxed with our catalog?"

Her: "No, my sister wouldn't want that."

Me: (thinking, OK, I AM NOW DONE WITH YOU AND YOUR SISTER, but responding sweetly ....) "Ahhh, I see .... well, why don't you just browse around and maybe you'll find something."

Her: (lamely drifts off)

Me: (hightails it out of there for dinner break)

[Animae]

I get that. I have two jobs and at the bath place, I get people looking for things for people they have never met, they don't know what smells they like or if they take baths or showers. I think you just have to let these people roam on their own.

[Apathy]

[SIZE="3"]Her: "No, she works full-time and she's too busy.

Too busy to give suggestions? That's pretty damn busy.

[wagegoth]

I limit my gift list. My kids, my in-laws (we're estranged from my parents and their extended families), a few people at work. That's it. I believe Christmas is for kids, mostly, with something thoughtful for the adults. Most of my friends and I have a mutual non-gifting agreement. Makes shopping trips a lot shorter and simpler.

One time, in a small office, I bought several people those little kits at the bookstores that run from $6 to $10 each. One person got a mini-vacation kit, another got a guardian angel kit; I can't remember all of them. It was fun and not too expensive.

[persephone]

I will admit that there was one time I had to buy presents for someone I didn't know (other than from the Angel Trees). I was in college and going to spend part of the holidays with my roommate and her family. I knew enough about her parents to know they would have things under the tree for me, so I figured I would get them something nice.

But know what I did? I TOOK MY FRIEND SHOPPING WITH ME!! Seriously -- it's not that hard!

Oh, sorry. That would be logical. And we all know SCs.

[PepperElf]

Too busy to give suggestions? That's pretty damn busy.

or that's how much she really cares about her own mother-in-law... sending someone else off to shop for her armed with nothing but "She's 83"...?

[Can I Help Your A$$?]

Well, Christmas just happens to be a time when people Expect you to buy stuff for people you don't know. Hostess gifts, for instance. If you get invited places, there's bound to be people you don't know you have to buy for. It happens. So they get your gift, they don't like it. It's a waste, it's also the thought that counts.

For instance, my hubby invited a coworker and her daughter to come to dinner at Thanksgiving. She didn't have to, but she bought me a hostess gift. I didn't really like it, but was really, really flattered that she was so thoughtful to buy it for me.

[AirHostess]

Yep. On the duty free trolley business men who probably have a wife and business often ask me what to buy. Or what perfume their wife/mistress will like. How do I know?

[Hyndis]

When in doubt, give cash. Or cookies.

I find a tin of Ms Field's cookies is a universally welcomed gift.

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

"I need a present for my son/daughter."

OK, what are they interested in?

"I don't know."

OK, drugs and underage drinking it is then!

No No No No NO!

You get them the unabridged Pop-up Kama Sutra

M