Gift certificates are appropriate in a couple of situations:
When it's a teenager or kid you don't know that well. It's much easier to buy them an iTunes, or Target, or clothing store gift certificate that you know they'll use and like, than to try to pinpoint their taste, and inevitably be wrong.
When it's a gift certificate for a particular service or store that you know is meaningful to the person. Spa services, high-end linen or cookware stores (or for the geeks among us, high-end electronics stores) fall into this category.
But yeah, he's right - if they're registered, and you just get a gift certificate? You're just lazy. They've told you what they want, so there's no reason not to get it. Unless, of course, it's waaaay out of your price range. Then etiquette tells you to go in on it with someone else.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2008-10-10 06:19 pm (UTC)When it's a teenager or kid you don't know that well. It's much easier to buy them an iTunes, or Target, or clothing store gift certificate that you know they'll use and like, than to try to pinpoint their taste, and inevitably be wrong.
When it's a gift certificate for a particular service or store that you know is meaningful to the person. Spa services, high-end linen or cookware stores (or for the geeks among us, high-end electronics stores) fall into this category.
But yeah, he's right - if they're registered, and you just get a gift certificate? You're just lazy. They've told you what they want, so there's no reason not to get it. Unless, of course, it's waaaay out of your price range. Then etiquette tells you to go in on it with someone else.