The Gift That Counts

[kybearfuzz]

Over lunch, a co-worker and I were having a discussion regarding gift giving. His position was the giving gift certificates was the easy way out, that it basically says that you are not putting any thought into a gift. He was especially saying this if you gave a certificate to a place you are registered (he just recently had a baby).

Now I often give gift certificates as birthday presents, even when my friends or family member might have a wish list. I guess I often considered shopping part of the gift experience, the ability to get whatever you want or need. Granted, this alleviates me from making a choice of does he or she like it, but at least it gives that person the ability to get something they truly enjoy. Naturally, if I were attached, this wouldn't go for my other half, but for friends and family I never saw the problem.

So, I pose the question to the masses: Are gift certificates a sort of etiquette-breach? Is purchasing an item better than giving a gift certificate or are they equivalently good?

Comments

[thespisgeoff.livejournal.com]

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.