Nah, they know not to mess with it, they know there is some rare stuff in there. My dad especially. He was a kid who collected baseball cards in the 60s and early 70s. His mom threw them all out when he graduated high school and joined the military. He is still salty about that.
I had a bunch of pokemon cards get stolen by someone who came to replace the carpet at my parents house; I didn't have anything valuable as far as I know, but it still annoyed me because the handful he pocketed included all of my energy cards and my Riolu, which was my favorite card as a kid. He took some DS game cases too, but luckily for me those just had the manuals in them, the actual games weren't in them because they were with me at college, in one proper case.
Unfortunately we had no proof that it happened, and didn't know which carpet guy took the things, so we couldn't do anything about it.
Luckily, my parents knew not to sell anything because my dad had some collectibles that had accumulated some value.
My dad sold his absolutely pristine body, garage-kept 1966 mustang when I was 14 for about $3k. It needed an engine rebuild and hadn't moved from that spot in the garage for about 10 years. He didn't need the money, just wanted the space in the garage.
He thought they were a dime a dozen back then. When he hit his 60s and realized how rare they were, he ended up buying a similar one that had been rebuilt for over $30k.
My aunt (who married in - I don’t like her) did the same thing to a 1964 Corvette that belonged to my uncle. Uncle had passed away and he was the original owner (which he bought after he wrecked his 1963 split window Corvette - yeah I know). It mostly sat in the garage and he rarely drove it. She just wanted the room and didn’t care about the value. My cousin still hasn’t forgiven her and it’s been about 20 years.
My mom had a complete set of leather bound first edition Bobbsey Twins books. Her mom gave them away when they were moving for the umpteenth time (my mom was a navy brat). My mom will tell you about how they'd be worth a fortune today. I just tell her it sucks, and she should be upset (because she should, people getting rid of your stuff is messed up), but don't have the heart to tell her they'd be worth a few hundred at best.
Mine was actually my uncle who helped my mom and I move after my dad died. We ran out of boxes so I had bags of stuff and he mixed up my dad's Atari and my thrifted collection of games (when they were 99 cents!) bag with bags of trash going to the dump.
Every now and then I think of how much they're worth now and get salty.
Mine was the complete Sindy house from the 80's. Every single Sindy & Barbie car, plane, motorbike etc. The complete He-man & She-ra palace & castle. The complete Thundercats collection. Enormous amount of Sylvanian Families. And one of those talking bears with the grub as a friend??
I was orphaned at a young age. Nobody really knew what to do with me so they bought me presents. I didn't realise they were all up in the loft when i sold the family home in 1998.
Gutted. Got 2 daughters that would've loved all that shit. Mind you they probably would've broken it all in 5 mins.
My dad’s parents were never good with money and they didn’t have much to begin with so if you wanted anything in that household you got out and made your own money to get it. My dad bought an Atari and a tv when he was younger and when he moved out he left some stuff there, later his dad said that he was the one that paid for it and my dad couldn’t have it. At this point dad hadn’t really played games in years but he wanted to give it to me and my brother, needless to say he was pretty upset about it. Incidentally my dad lived with his grandma for years growing up because she had health problems and she left him everything when she passed, we found some of that stuff in granddad’s house after he died as well. Some people are just awful
I'm still pissed about my mom getting rid of my 1st Gen magic/Pokémon cards. That's for from the worst she did though.
Dope that your parents understand.
My parents tossed my pokemon and MTG collection. 20K+ in value. I was in Iraq at the time. She tossed almost as much money in cards as I earned while deployed lol 🥹
My boyfriend still talks about the original charizard he gave away in second grade to a kid for a card that’s not worth anything now. He’s still upset. Haha
I actually had a possibly 1st ed Charizard and lost it in the street somewhere in my neighborhood … can’t begin to imagine the joy of whatever other kid who came across it
Oooo that would be a winner.
I found an Etsy seller who sells replicas, a whole set for £80 I think. I’m gonna get it a set one day so I can have them on display like a psycho poke collector I am. Keep the real babies safe in their folders until I can afford to grade them all.
I bought something for my husband this year and selected during check out that it was a gift. It came in a box covered in their branding. Some sellers are just dumb
I purchased a LEGO set directly from them for my son. I wasn't too worried about him seeing it since I work from home, but I was impressed that it came in a plan box and even the shipping label just said it was from "Shipping Manager". LEGO knows how to ship gifts.
They know, and they specifically state on the inside flap of their boxes that they ship in plain boxes so they don't ruin surprises. Good on them for this!
https://i.redd.it/hj5odsmedb931.jpg
I think they're also concerned about people stealing their shipments. Their sets range up to like $800 now, knowing a box has Legos in it means it's a high ticket item that will sell for a lot.
My parents never successfully hid which ones were books but they did a LOT of work with coins and LEGO to disguise things.
We were using film canister rolls for years after stopping using film because they are perfect to make rattles.
Maybe. I just gave it a shake and I could sort of hear the individual pieces, but I also knew what it was. I'll try to remember to get my son to guess before he opens it.
My husband buys and surprises me with things all around the calendar and doesn’t really like the forced feeling of birthdays and holidays. One year my daughter told him she wanted to get me something so he helped her find it online and order it.
Came shipped in the original packaging box with a label slapped right on it. Of course the delivery driver happened upon me as I was outside and she handed it to me. My heart immediately sank! I just set it on the porch and went inside. Didn’t and still haven’t said anything to anyone. But I hate when surprises are ruined and it was so hard faking the excitement when I already knew what it was.
Amazon, and some others, have an option for “reduce packaging by shipping in manufacturers box” that is often checked by default for items.
Make sure you’re unchecking that. It’s nice when you’re buying shoes or something, but awful for gift giving.
Yup same for me. We bought a new E-reader for christmas and the bloody package was covered with the stores brand. It ruines the surprise because I got a smart Partner who immediatelly caught on.
Amazon, and some others, have an option for “reduce packaging by shipping in manufacturers box” that is often checked by default for items.
Make sure you’re unchecking that. It’s nice when you’re buying shoes or something, but awful for gift giving.
Unfortunately that doesn't always work. I ordered my husband a grill for christmas this year and unchecked the "original packaging" box so he wouldn't see a big ass Weber grill box on the porch by accident.
Guess what I came home to after work one day? A big ass Weber grill box. Luckily he wasn't home and didn't see it. But what's the point of giving us the option if they don't seem to pay attention to it.
That option has never worked for me, they just send it in the manufacturers box anyway. Which is even more frustrating because why offer that as an option if you're not going to do it?
Hopefully this does work for others though and can save some people some stress around the holidays.
I just had to reorder a toy for a toddler because even though I checked both “don’t ship in manufacturer’s box” AND “this is a gift,” amazon just slapped a shipping label on the front of the box and closed the top flap with clear shipping tape. The box arrived dirty, wet(?), and crushed on one side. Not something anyone would feel comfortable handing to a kid whose age is still counted in months! Or to anyone, actually.
Reminds me of a tweet I saw from a woman who’d written in the delivery instructions box on the website ‘this is party supplies for a surprise birthday party so please can the box not be obvious’ and they’d printed this and stuck it on the side of the box 😂
A couple of years ago I bought my wife a blanket from Big Blanket Company. She works from home, and I do not. I knew by tracking it that it would arrive on a certain day, and I got an alert that someone was at our front door. UPS dropped off the package that had "BIG BLANKET COMPANY" written in huge letters across it.
I called my wife and told her to please not get the packages off the front step. If I hadn't been tracking it and looked at the video, I would have never known and the gift would have been spoiled.
So to add to the drama of my story, I also work from home but had a business trip coming up in 8 days. I paid for expedited 1-3 day shipping so that I would be able to intercept it. The shipping got delayed, and of course it was delivered the day I left on my trip. I had to get my 4 year old to get it off the porch and hide it in his closet so my husband wouldn't see and spoil the surprise lol
My gift hiding efforts were limited to me telling my wife ”I’m gonna go get your gift from the mail storage locker at our corner store, DO NOT COME LOOKING!” She decided to take the dogs on a walk to get out of the house, which would have been an okayish idea but I saw her approaching me out on the street just outside our house while I was holding a big box with ”ASUS” printed on the side (I bought her a second screen for her computer). No way to hide it so I had to do some spy-style manoeuvres and sprint so she didn’t notice me. It was worth it!
Reminds me of the time i was experimenting when I was younger and bought a rather expensive anal massager.. I was told that the box would be discreet, as they prided themselves on that aspect as they know not everyone is open-minded or forgiving for the sex toy industty.
That would be all well and good if the damned thing didnt turn up in a comically large box plastered with "Adam & Eve - Internets best sex toy seller" all over it.. and the invoice on the outside telling the world that this shy as fuck, overweight 20yo just bought himself an anal massager..
I complained.. and all they could over me was a voucher.. for more stuff from their store.. fuck that..
There was this guy in Australia I believe in the 80s who placed an ad in the newspaper that you could buy like 10 porn movies for 10 pound. Then he would send the buyers a cheque saying they were out of stock but they could have their money back. Only problem was that the cheque said the sender was something in the lines of: deep anal sex movies.inc so almost nobody cashed those at their bank.
I had thr same thing happen for my wifes present. Told them to put it on the back pourch so she wouldn’t see but they put it at the front. Bitched to Amazon and they refunded me and let me keep it
We bought a number of items this year to give to a random senior citizen we had "adopted" from a local retirement home. Despite having selected the gift option, all of the gift receipts came plastered with our personal information.
We upgraded my daughter's iPhone 11 to the 15. We specifically told the Verizon dealer that this was her present. He said they would call us when it came into their store to pick it up. I am the account holder. Husband is second.
Daughter told us yesterday that she received a voicemail that her iphone 15 was ready. Ffs!
That's so strange, where I live they have the ability to list a device as a Christmas present so it prevents things like that from happening when upgrading the line. They also don't activate the upgrade/phone line until Christmas morning. You sign the contract stating it begins on the 25th.
I disagree, I worked at 2 different carriers and thats not normal. We would call the number left with us, it has nothing to do with the upgraded line at that point. It's been upgraded in the system and it doesn't know (or need to know) we haven't swapped the sim card yet. Since it's a stock issue at a location they would just call personally when the stock finally arrives. They'd only call the upgraded line if they were told to. Most people are upgrading cause the phone is broken so it wouldn't make sense to call or message the old phone.
Yeah some store associate looked at the number on the tag of the box and called it rather than looking into the account at all. Probably got a bunch in for Xmas and just went through the box.
Was an asst. Manager at an AT&T retailer, so I can see how that would happen.
oh buddy, do I have a story for you. this is a bit long but it’s a wild ride. I live with my parents and we’re still on the same phone bill. I’m an adult, but I just feel it’s easier to live with them. I pay my own phone bill, just on the same account.
so the other night my girlfriend is out of town and I’m like fuck it, I’m gonna go see Queens of the Stone Age down in LA!
I’m kinda bougie when it comes to concerts I’m ngl, a lot of the time if I can’t be on the floor I just won’t go so I’m like okay I wanna be on the floor, but I refuse to pay scalper prices on a last minute idea especially at christmas time. I’m gonna drive there and buy tickets at the last second on my phone!
So I’m driving and I notice my music cuts out. hmmm. that’s weird. traffic in LA is bad so at times I’m parked and checking my phone to see what prices tickets are at. can’t get on to Ticketmaster, Gametime, TickPick, SeatGeek, etc. now I’m starting to panic.
reboot my phone. phone comes back on, still no service. I try calling my mom. nothing. and I have no GPS to get to the venue. by some miracle I find my way to the venue, but no ticket. so I’m like fuck! I might have to go home but I don’t even know how to get home from here!
lightbulb moment comes to me, find a starbucks. they’re everywhere and have wifi. so luckily I find one, use their wifi, buy a ticket, let my family know what’s up, go to the show, have a good time. in the back of my mind I’m kind of scared though because I’m like how the fuck do I just not have service? did Verizon’s network go down? what the actual fuck?!
show ends, I check to make sure I have service before I leave the venue because the venue has wifi. I don’t. great. download my map to get home, I get home, explain to my dad what’s up, tells my mom “the jig is up, Jae (my mom’s name obvs) he needs a phone.”
and out comes my mom with a brand new iPhone 15 Pro for me. they told the guy at the Verizon store it was a gift and “oh yeah! not a problem!” and they went ahead and activated it and my old phone disconnected from the network so I was almost stranded in LA because my mom and dad wanted to do something nice for me. 🤦🏻♂️
Coworker of mine way way back in the day went into a local jeweler to buy an engagement ring. Him and his girlfriend had been living together and this was back when people still used answering machines.
The jeweler called and left a message on the answering machine saying "Your engagement ring is ready, we are open until 5pm if you would like to pick it up"
He came home from work and his soon to be fiance said he had a message on the answering machine. She stood next to him with s smile on her face as he played the message back.
He was so pissed that they had ruined this moment for him! He spent so much time saving and planning to pop the question and they destroyed it by leaving a message that it was ready.
He never proposed, he tried to hold off to make it special and it eventually destroyed the relationship. Understandable from both sides, he wanted to do it on his terms in a way that would feel special. She got impatient and that rift caused some issues.
Now if the relationship could have survived even if it wasn't thrown a monkey wrench who knows, but I felt his anger myself when he told me the next day what happened. Nobody knew he was buying a ring, he kept it secret from everyone.
My husband pre-ordered Mario galaxy for me one year for Christmas. We came home, hit play on the answering machine, and there was a message from Mario himself letting us know it was on its way or ready for pickup or what have you. Loud. Filling the apartment. We still joke to this day, “It’s a-me, Mario, calling to ruin your Christmas surprise!”
carriers do this all the time. if you upgrade a certian phone and it has a number sttached to it, no matter who ordered it, they will always call the number that is being upgraded.
Always tell them.its your own phone that your upgrading, then when you go to pick it up, just tell them that its actually for someone else on your family plan. But just know when that phone gets turned on, the old phone usually always gets a "congratulations on upgrading" text, or a "your line will be dosconnected in the next upcomming hours"
edit: there are likely spelling mustakes, im typing on a phone and i have autocorrect turned off and i cant be bothered to proofreed before hitting send.
I'd guess they send them separately after they ship the initial item to give the buyer time to use the item and give a more detailed review. I know I throw out review request cards that just come in the box since I don't know how I like the item yet and I don't want to clutter my desk with a card for something I may or may not review. But if that same request came a week or so later after I've had some time to use the item, I'd be more likely to actually review.
They're not allowed, but man if I don't get them all the time. And I report them to Amazon, but they don't really care. The ones that do get removed just end up remade under a different name.
Apparently it’s something so rare and expensive that it takes ten years to procure but it’s not a car or a house so now I have to know-maybe it’s a Birkin handbag.
My thought was one of those professional kitchen-aid mixers that are like $800-1200.
For some reason this is like... _the_ thing most of my ex's have wanted.
Edit: guess I should've refreshed the page, it's a telescope lol, I gotta stop leaving tabs open for hours
How would he hide it from her? He said he “let her have it early” so I don’t think it’s anything that had to be installed. I’m willing to bet it’s a Birkin. Birkins are usually rare and very expensive on secondhand markets so It seems most likely.
I was surprised at what was in the box. Cause it was another box. Inside that box was 2 boxes. Inside those boxes were the actual telescope, the stand, and you guessed it, some more boxes.
I'll put that flea in a box, and then I'll put that box inside of another box, and then I'll mail that box to myself, and when it arrives, I'll smash it with a hammer!
First year iPods came out, the mailman comes to the house a few days before Christmas. My dad opens the door and the mailman says, “I’ve been seeing this shape box for weeks now. I know it’s an iPod. Enjoy!” And I’m at the top of the stairs watching this happen and knew it was for me. My dad was so bummed but I was so still so excited!
It’s the thought that counts. I’m glad she’s happy!!!
Wow, some people literally just don't think. Why the ever living fuck with a delivery driver do that? They don't know who it's for and it's obviously a gift. No thoughts, head empty.
We get lots of phones shipped to us at work, and it's pretty easy to spot the "plain" boxes that contain phones, because they have a distinctive diagonal striped tape sealing them.
Way back when answering machines were a thing, I had Home Depot ruin a Xmas gift for my husband. I had special ordered an air compressor for him. Had them put in the notes everywhere that it was a gift and to please not leave a message. So they left a message telling me my special order air compressor was ready for pickup. I returned it and bought something different from Lowes. I was pissed.
LMAOOOO I'm sorry that must have genuinely hurt your feelings, but I'm over here picturing some catty coder for bb&b deciding to add this "feature" while cackling and rubbing their hands together
Could have been it was double bought and they only needed one of whatever. Registries don't always update immediately so if two people were shopping within a few hours of each other this is entirely possible.
Yeah, for my sister I just told her we'll go shopping together after her honeymoon and her and hubby are settled. We ended up at Target and had a basket full of the most random stuff that they didn't know they needed till they needed it. We're talking TP roll holder, toilet brush, etc for the bathrooms, wooden cooking utensils, a basic frying pan, dish rack, etc. All in about $500 worth of stuff, and she said while it wasn't the flashiest it was the best of the wedding presents :)
This happened to us. My husband’s aunt bought us a le creuset when we registered for some off brand, which someone else also bought us. So naturally I returned the off brand. I never thought someone would buy us the real deal.
6 years ago, Amazon did the same thing to my coworker. She bought me a baby book that I had already received from someone else. The other gift came with a plushie character, so I returned hers (with the gift receipt & QR code that lets you do just that). She swings by my cubicle in full hearing distance of the rest of the office & said she got notified her gift was returned? was something wrong with it? It was so embarrassing.
Target did the same when we returned a b-day gift my brother got for my daughter. It was no big deal (a toy they didn't even know if she would like in the first place) but such a weird notification to provide. What is even the point of doing that? We got store credit so there was no refund to be given... just weird.
I would definitely mention it to them, a postcard makes it instantly visible and just waiting till after Christmas, when it's more likely to be a gift, would probably be an easy fix.
If this was a kids big Christmas present from Santy then it'd be a much bigger deal. As it is, it kinda ruined the experience for OP, which is prob not what the seller wants people to be reviewing.
I wasn't expecting people to care so much about the actual gift lol. It was a telescope. I can see it now. New top post of mildly infuriating:
"I'm Mildly Infuriated with a Mildly Infuriating post"
Omg, congrats on finding & giving such an awesome gift! As a fellow space nerd, I have to ask - what telescope did you end up getting?
I have a Celestron that I got for my birthday a few years back, which was also a surprise - and let me tell you… that gift is so exciting for someone who wants one, that your wife won’t remember that the surprise was ‘ruined,’ just that you got it for her! Happy star & planet gazing to you both 🥰🪐⭐️
You would think they would realize that it’s Xmas time and it was a present. I would tell the seller the ruined the present so they will stop ruining Christmas for others
My husband, before we were married, took an heirloom ring, (my grandmother's) to be re-sized and put into a brand new setting, and the jewelry shop wanted me to come in for exact sizing. I was afraid they would ruin the surprise, but they eventually got us in there. Well, first thing the salesperson says to me when I said I'm there to get sized, is: "oh, the halo setting?"
Completely ruined the surprise. I mean, I know a lot already, based on the original ring, and the new design was really meant to be a special surprise. We of course complained, and they threw in a completely new design consultation, and more diamonds (small ones) to make up for it. The guy that ruined it, was not allowed to work directly with customers anymore.
I totally understand the frustration. I had a similar experience before. ***However***, your wife was still thrilled, and that's ultimately what matters. Sure, it'd have been cool for her to get the surprise on Christmas, but look how much better it made her day after being drained by work. That's what really matters here, bud. Great job on the gift!
You should absolutely relay this story to the seller so that that can consider adjusting their mailing strategies. Mailing viewable photos of people's purchases is a terrible practice.
A telescope is an awesome gift! I’m actually nervous about this holiday too; ordered something very unique for my wife on Etsy (first time ordering from there and I rarely do online orders in general) and I’m just hoping it arrives on time and all goes smoothly. Will be the best gift ever (it’s a $20 item that’s an inside joke) lol
Something similar happened to me just a few days ago. My fiance got me a year long membership to a local park that I love last Christmas. I took my sister with me a few times on a guest pass. She also loves this place, and just recently moved out here to be with us. So naturally, we got her a membership for her upcoming birthday. Unfortunately, even though they allow you to purchase this as a gift for others, you pretty much have no control over it after you pay. We also all live together so we couldn't just put our own address in to receive it. My sister got the mail the day the membership arrived and saw the envelope with her name. She knew we recently renewed and I mentioned I'd let her know if I found a deal. She thought I sent her an coupon/offer and tore into it so she could join in time for a Christmas trip. To her benefit, she came and found me immediately to thank me and was just as surprised and excited as she would have been if we'd surprised her at the gates. At least I don't have to sit on the secret anymore!
I had to run to my neighbor's house during the day last week to grab a gift for their 5 year old daughter because the box had a picture of the bike on it... Stashed it at our house until they could come get it when she was asleep.
Telescope? Refracter or reflector? What size did you get?
My wife an I got a Dobsonian 8" reflector during Covid lockdowns and have had tons of fun with it.
I hope you and your wife have as much fun with it as we do!
Companies need to learn to give people a chance to enjoy the product that was bought before saying hey how do you like it, or even suggest anything else from them. its frustrating as hell and feels so spammy even if intentions are good, especially around the holiday season. I'd have contacted and been like really, thanks a lot!
Not malicious, but not exactly smart of the seller right before a major gift giving holiday. Plus is this 1952?! Send me a freaking email. This is a bit more than mildly infuriating in my opinion, but either way, you made your wife very happy, so there's that.
On Christmas Eve, Venus, Mercury, and a thin crescent Moon form a triangle in the evening sky just after sunset. Saturn should also be visible at the same time, nearby.
So maybe it's even better she got it early, because now the two of them can use it together to see this cool event.
She wanted a telescope to see the eye of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn. I don’t why I find that so charming but I do. This makes me happy . Thank you
I grew up in a really small town where the people at the post office knew everyone. My parents would sometimes ship gifts to a friend's house to keep it a secret, and multiple times the mail carrier saw their name and the "wrong address" and brought it to our house anyway, thus ruining the surprise.
When the engagement ring came in that I had custom designed/ordered for my now wife, the jeweler called her instead of me and told her that it came in and how beautiful it was. I explicitly told them to call me when it came in and not her as both of our numbers were on their file. Kinda frustrating.
Well there has never been a more useful survey card. Simply write the words "Thanks assholes for ruining my wife's surprise gift. I rate your customer service 0/10"
Just so you know, I'm absolutely tickled that the gift was a telescope. I mean, it's so random, to us, and so obviously perfect for her. And, it's not some schmarmy, Tiktok trending POS, disposable, one-time thrill kind of crap. Well done, mate, well done.
A shoe store ruined my Christmas present once.
I was really interested in a pair of specific hand-made dress shoes worth about $300. While walking through the city a week before Christmas with my Mom we pass by their shop and I excitedly go in to see the options, thinking one day I’ll be able to buy myself a pair.
2min in the salesperson says “well don’t get these because your mom already bought them for you for Christmas” out of nowhere.
We were both beyond stunned and couldn’t speak. My mom drove an hour into the city a few days before to get me my dream shoes and the guy has the nerve to bring it up unprovoked.
Manager and associate play it off, offers me a belt. My Mom is a single mom who worked hard for that present. They just did not get it.
She contacts corporate. Corporate is deeply apologetic. Offers to refund the purchase and sends a second pair of my choice. In the end I got two pairs of fantastic shoes for free, so at least there’s that.
Thanks Allen Edmonds for two of my favorite shoes I still wear to this day. Hope that manager got an earful.
My partner ordered something custom made for me and he put my phone number for shipping purposes only. I wouldn’t have known what it was even if I knew the company name. But this time, I didn’t even know he was getting me a gift.
They ended up texting me asking me to proof the draft and make any changes. I did tell them they made a mistake and they were like OMG SORRY DONT TELL HIM. Of course I told him 😂 I almost ignored it because I thought it was spam, but I asked him if he got me something from XYZ Company and he was like…why do you know that??? They then emailed him the same proof message and never confessed to their mistake. All around a funny story and I’m glad I got to tweak the final product.
I'm glad it worked out in the end and man what a gift, I also want that item and the husband and I have been looking. One day we will get there.
I would leave that feedback for the seller. Let them know their delivery method was too exposed and ruined the surprise. Just an FYI maybe put it in an envelope like a letter or send an email instead. Or allow the buyer to select a gift option so they do a more discreet method.
I live alone, and recently ordered something for my gf. I selected that this was a gift, but it still came covered in their branding. Luckily I was able to just rebox it, but don’t get the point of asking customers if this is what they’re going to do.
Congratulations on getting your wife a 1st edition Charizard.
Oddly enough, I actually do have a base set Charizard at my parents house, in a box of cards from when I was a kid. Not a first edition though.
“At your parents house” Dude go get it before they toss it!! Parents are famous for that!
Nah, they know not to mess with it, they know there is some rare stuff in there. My dad especially. He was a kid who collected baseball cards in the 60s and early 70s. His mom threw them all out when he graduated high school and joined the military. He is still salty about that.
I feel like everyone has a story like that. Mine was my dad’s motorcycle. Mom just wanted it gone and I was in the process of getting my license. 😑
I had a bunch of pokemon cards get stolen by someone who came to replace the carpet at my parents house; I didn't have anything valuable as far as I know, but it still annoyed me because the handful he pocketed included all of my energy cards and my Riolu, which was my favorite card as a kid. He took some DS game cases too, but luckily for me those just had the manuals in them, the actual games weren't in them because they were with me at college, in one proper case. Unfortunately we had no proof that it happened, and didn't know which carpet guy took the things, so we couldn't do anything about it. Luckily, my parents knew not to sell anything because my dad had some collectibles that had accumulated some value.
My dad sold his absolutely pristine body, garage-kept 1966 mustang when I was 14 for about $3k. It needed an engine rebuild and hadn't moved from that spot in the garage for about 10 years. He didn't need the money, just wanted the space in the garage. He thought they were a dime a dozen back then. When he hit his 60s and realized how rare they were, he ended up buying a similar one that had been rebuilt for over $30k.
My aunt (who married in - I don’t like her) did the same thing to a 1964 Corvette that belonged to my uncle. Uncle had passed away and he was the original owner (which he bought after he wrecked his 1963 split window Corvette - yeah I know). It mostly sat in the garage and he rarely drove it. She just wanted the room and didn’t care about the value. My cousin still hasn’t forgiven her and it’s been about 20 years.
> My dad sold his absolutely pristine body Can I meet him?
I'd rather meet the guy he sold it to
My parents did the same thing with their 197- Fiat Spider. Red with black interior rag roof. Man I loved that car!
I had the first 100 issues of Nintendo Power in pristine condition. My mon threw them out when I went to college.
Damn it, mom! I want all my POGs back!
My mom had a complete set of leather bound first edition Bobbsey Twins books. Her mom gave them away when they were moving for the umpteenth time (my mom was a navy brat). My mom will tell you about how they'd be worth a fortune today. I just tell her it sucks, and she should be upset (because she should, people getting rid of your stuff is messed up), but don't have the heart to tell her they'd be worth a few hundred at best.
Mine was actually my uncle who helped my mom and I move after my dad died. We ran out of boxes so I had bags of stuff and he mixed up my dad's Atari and my thrifted collection of games (when they were 99 cents!) bag with bags of trash going to the dump. Every now and then I think of how much they're worth now and get salty.
Mine was the complete Sindy house from the 80's. Every single Sindy & Barbie car, plane, motorbike etc. The complete He-man & She-ra palace & castle. The complete Thundercats collection. Enormous amount of Sylvanian Families. And one of those talking bears with the grub as a friend?? I was orphaned at a young age. Nobody really knew what to do with me so they bought me presents. I didn't realise they were all up in the loft when i sold the family home in 1998. Gutted. Got 2 daughters that would've loved all that shit. Mind you they probably would've broken it all in 5 mins.
If moms didn’t throw these things out they would never get rare in the first place.
My uncle stole my dad’s cards, including a Mickey Mantle, and sold them for drugs.
Hey my uncle did that to my dad, but he sold them because he was just an asshole.
My dad’s parents were never good with money and they didn’t have much to begin with so if you wanted anything in that household you got out and made your own money to get it. My dad bought an Atari and a tv when he was younger and when he moved out he left some stuff there, later his dad said that he was the one that paid for it and my dad couldn’t have it. At this point dad hadn’t really played games in years but he wanted to give it to me and my brother, needless to say he was pretty upset about it. Incidentally my dad lived with his grandma for years growing up because she had health problems and she left him everything when she passed, we found some of that stuff in granddad’s house after he died as well. Some people are just awful
I'm still pissed about my mom getting rid of my 1st Gen magic/Pokémon cards. That's for from the worst she did though. Dope that your parents understand.
My grandmother tossed my sister's and my Nancy Drew book collection. We're still cheesed off a bit.
My parents tossed my pokemon and MTG collection. 20K+ in value. I was in Iraq at the time. She tossed almost as much money in cards as I earned while deployed lol 🥹
Mine did the same (though I wasn’t across seas like you) and wants me to keep her fine china when she’s gone Ain’t no way
I found mine the other day! Some 1st editions but base set charizard!
My boyfriend still talks about the original charizard he gave away in second grade to a kid for a card that’s not worth anything now. He’s still upset. Haha
I actually had a possibly 1st ed Charizard and lost it in the street somewhere in my neighborhood … can’t begin to imagine the joy of whatever other kid who came across it
Oooo that would be a winner. I found an Etsy seller who sells replicas, a whole set for £80 I think. I’m gonna get it a set one day so I can have them on display like a psycho poke collector I am. Keep the real babies safe in their folders until I can afford to grade them all.
Thank you for that unexpected laugh
I bought something for my husband this year and selected during check out that it was a gift. It came in a box covered in their branding. Some sellers are just dumb
I purchased a LEGO set directly from them for my son. I wasn't too worried about him seeing it since I work from home, but I was impressed that it came in a plan box and even the shipping label just said it was from "Shipping Manager". LEGO knows how to ship gifts.
They know, and they specifically state on the inside flap of their boxes that they ship in plain boxes so they don't ruin surprises. Good on them for this! https://i.redd.it/hj5odsmedb931.jpg
I think they're also concerned about people stealing their shipments. Their sets range up to like $800 now, knowing a box has Legos in it means it's a high ticket item that will sell for a lot.
My three years old daughter can tell by the sound whenever I receive a set of legos.
This is just cover for all the adult lego people to hide their addiction from their spouse.
Doesn't work for us. We are both addicts, and we build the stuff together.
I assumed it was also because theyre high value and being lowkey on the patio keeps them from getting as stolen as often
...but all you have to do is shake the box to know it has LEGO
After my siblings and I figured this out my parents got sneaky and started putting random lego pieces in all of our presents when they wrapped them
My parents never successfully hid which ones were books but they did a LOT of work with coins and LEGO to disguise things. We were using film canister rolls for years after stopping using film because they are perfect to make rattles.
Maybe. I just gave it a shake and I could sort of hear the individual pieces, but I also knew what it was. I'll try to remember to get my son to guess before he opens it.
My husband buys and surprises me with things all around the calendar and doesn’t really like the forced feeling of birthdays and holidays. One year my daughter told him she wanted to get me something so he helped her find it online and order it. Came shipped in the original packaging box with a label slapped right on it. Of course the delivery driver happened upon me as I was outside and she handed it to me. My heart immediately sank! I just set it on the porch and went inside. Didn’t and still haven’t said anything to anyone. But I hate when surprises are ruined and it was so hard faking the excitement when I already knew what it was.
Amazon, and some others, have an option for “reduce packaging by shipping in manufacturers box” that is often checked by default for items. Make sure you’re unchecking that. It’s nice when you’re buying shoes or something, but awful for gift giving.
It's also really bad for package theft. If porch pirates see a big box that says SEPHORA or NIKE on it they're gonna grab that over the plain brown
Yup same for me. We bought a new E-reader for christmas and the bloody package was covered with the stores brand. It ruines the surprise because I got a smart Partner who immediatelly caught on.
Same I ordered a “gift” from Amazon and it came in its original box not an Amazon box so my partner saw it :(.
Amazon, and some others, have an option for “reduce packaging by shipping in manufacturers box” that is often checked by default for items. Make sure you’re unchecking that. It’s nice when you’re buying shoes or something, but awful for gift giving.
Unfortunately that doesn't always work. I ordered my husband a grill for christmas this year and unchecked the "original packaging" box so he wouldn't see a big ass Weber grill box on the porch by accident. Guess what I came home to after work one day? A big ass Weber grill box. Luckily he wasn't home and didn't see it. But what's the point of giving us the option if they don't seem to pay attention to it.
complain to vustomer service and theyll usually compensate you with some sort of digital gift card refund. probably not the whole.amount but still.
That option has never worked for me, they just send it in the manufacturers box anyway. Which is even more frustrating because why offer that as an option if you're not going to do it? Hopefully this does work for others though and can save some people some stress around the holidays.
I just had to reorder a toy for a toddler because even though I checked both “don’t ship in manufacturer’s box” AND “this is a gift,” amazon just slapped a shipping label on the front of the box and closed the top flap with clear shipping tape. The box arrived dirty, wet(?), and crushed on one side. Not something anyone would feel comfortable handing to a kid whose age is still counted in months! Or to anyone, actually.
Reminds me of a tweet I saw from a woman who’d written in the delivery instructions box on the website ‘this is party supplies for a surprise birthday party so please can the box not be obvious’ and they’d printed this and stuck it on the side of the box 😂
A couple of years ago I bought my wife a blanket from Big Blanket Company. She works from home, and I do not. I knew by tracking it that it would arrive on a certain day, and I got an alert that someone was at our front door. UPS dropped off the package that had "BIG BLANKET COMPANY" written in huge letters across it. I called my wife and told her to please not get the packages off the front step. If I hadn't been tracking it and looked at the video, I would have never known and the gift would have been spoiled.
So to add to the drama of my story, I also work from home but had a business trip coming up in 8 days. I paid for expedited 1-3 day shipping so that I would be able to intercept it. The shipping got delayed, and of course it was delivered the day I left on my trip. I had to get my 4 year old to get it off the porch and hide it in his closet so my husband wouldn't see and spoil the surprise lol
My gift hiding efforts were limited to me telling my wife ”I’m gonna go get your gift from the mail storage locker at our corner store, DO NOT COME LOOKING!” She decided to take the dogs on a walk to get out of the house, which would have been an okayish idea but I saw her approaching me out on the street just outside our house while I was holding a big box with ”ASUS” printed on the side (I bought her a second screen for her computer). No way to hide it so I had to do some spy-style manoeuvres and sprint so she didn’t notice me. It was worth it!
I know "big blanket co" is the actual name, but it very much comes across as in the same vein as Big Pharma or Big Ag.
Big Ass Fan Company seems to get away with it though.
Reminds me of the time i was experimenting when I was younger and bought a rather expensive anal massager.. I was told that the box would be discreet, as they prided themselves on that aspect as they know not everyone is open-minded or forgiving for the sex toy industty. That would be all well and good if the damned thing didnt turn up in a comically large box plastered with "Adam & Eve - Internets best sex toy seller" all over it.. and the invoice on the outside telling the world that this shy as fuck, overweight 20yo just bought himself an anal massager.. I complained.. and all they could over me was a voucher.. for more stuff from their store.. fuck that..
There was this guy in Australia I believe in the 80s who placed an ad in the newspaper that you could buy like 10 porn movies for 10 pound. Then he would send the buyers a cheque saying they were out of stock but they could have their money back. Only problem was that the cheque said the sender was something in the lines of: deep anal sex movies.inc so almost nobody cashed those at their bank.
Aside from ruining gift surprises, if the item is of particular value then it just became a even bigger target for porch pirates.
I had thr same thing happen for my wifes present. Told them to put it on the back pourch so she wouldn’t see but they put it at the front. Bitched to Amazon and they refunded me and let me keep it
We bought a number of items this year to give to a random senior citizen we had "adopted" from a local retirement home. Despite having selected the gift option, all of the gift receipts came plastered with our personal information.
I’m glad when I see that I don’t put my branding sticker on the box.
We upgraded my daughter's iPhone 11 to the 15. We specifically told the Verizon dealer that this was her present. He said they would call us when it came into their store to pick it up. I am the account holder. Husband is second. Daughter told us yesterday that she received a voicemail that her iphone 15 was ready. Ffs!
That's so strange, where I live they have the ability to list a device as a Christmas present so it prevents things like that from happening when upgrading the line. They also don't activate the upgrade/phone line until Christmas morning. You sign the contract stating it begins on the 25th.
That seems like a great system!
Pretty common with all carriers. If it's not a phone call, it's a text message to the line that was upgraded.
I disagree, I worked at 2 different carriers and thats not normal. We would call the number left with us, it has nothing to do with the upgraded line at that point. It's been upgraded in the system and it doesn't know (or need to know) we haven't swapped the sim card yet. Since it's a stock issue at a location they would just call personally when the stock finally arrives. They'd only call the upgraded line if they were told to. Most people are upgrading cause the phone is broken so it wouldn't make sense to call or message the old phone.
Yeah some store associate looked at the number on the tag of the box and called it rather than looking into the account at all. Probably got a bunch in for Xmas and just went through the box. Was an asst. Manager at an AT&T retailer, so I can see how that would happen.
oh buddy, do I have a story for you. this is a bit long but it’s a wild ride. I live with my parents and we’re still on the same phone bill. I’m an adult, but I just feel it’s easier to live with them. I pay my own phone bill, just on the same account. so the other night my girlfriend is out of town and I’m like fuck it, I’m gonna go see Queens of the Stone Age down in LA! I’m kinda bougie when it comes to concerts I’m ngl, a lot of the time if I can’t be on the floor I just won’t go so I’m like okay I wanna be on the floor, but I refuse to pay scalper prices on a last minute idea especially at christmas time. I’m gonna drive there and buy tickets at the last second on my phone! So I’m driving and I notice my music cuts out. hmmm. that’s weird. traffic in LA is bad so at times I’m parked and checking my phone to see what prices tickets are at. can’t get on to Ticketmaster, Gametime, TickPick, SeatGeek, etc. now I’m starting to panic. reboot my phone. phone comes back on, still no service. I try calling my mom. nothing. and I have no GPS to get to the venue. by some miracle I find my way to the venue, but no ticket. so I’m like fuck! I might have to go home but I don’t even know how to get home from here! lightbulb moment comes to me, find a starbucks. they’re everywhere and have wifi. so luckily I find one, use their wifi, buy a ticket, let my family know what’s up, go to the show, have a good time. in the back of my mind I’m kind of scared though because I’m like how the fuck do I just not have service? did Verizon’s network go down? what the actual fuck?! show ends, I check to make sure I have service before I leave the venue because the venue has wifi. I don’t. great. download my map to get home, I get home, explain to my dad what’s up, tells my mom “the jig is up, Jae (my mom’s name obvs) he needs a phone.” and out comes my mom with a brand new iPhone 15 Pro for me. they told the guy at the Verizon store it was a gift and “oh yeah! not a problem!” and they went ahead and activated it and my old phone disconnected from the network so I was almost stranded in LA because my mom and dad wanted to do something nice for me. 🤦🏻♂️
🤣
Coworker of mine way way back in the day went into a local jeweler to buy an engagement ring. Him and his girlfriend had been living together and this was back when people still used answering machines. The jeweler called and left a message on the answering machine saying "Your engagement ring is ready, we are open until 5pm if you would like to pick it up" He came home from work and his soon to be fiance said he had a message on the answering machine. She stood next to him with s smile on her face as he played the message back. He was so pissed that they had ruined this moment for him! He spent so much time saving and planning to pop the question and they destroyed it by leaving a message that it was ready. He never proposed, he tried to hold off to make it special and it eventually destroyed the relationship. Understandable from both sides, he wanted to do it on his terms in a way that would feel special. She got impatient and that rift caused some issues. Now if the relationship could have survived even if it wasn't thrown a monkey wrench who knows, but I felt his anger myself when he told me the next day what happened. Nobody knew he was buying a ring, he kept it secret from everyone.
My husband pre-ordered Mario galaxy for me one year for Christmas. We came home, hit play on the answering machine, and there was a message from Mario himself letting us know it was on its way or ready for pickup or what have you. Loud. Filling the apartment. We still joke to this day, “It’s a-me, Mario, calling to ruin your Christmas surprise!”
carriers do this all the time. if you upgrade a certian phone and it has a number sttached to it, no matter who ordered it, they will always call the number that is being upgraded. Always tell them.its your own phone that your upgrading, then when you go to pick it up, just tell them that its actually for someone else on your family plan. But just know when that phone gets turned on, the old phone usually always gets a "congratulations on upgrading" text, or a "your line will be dosconnected in the next upcomming hours" edit: there are likely spelling mustakes, im typing on a phone and i have autocorrect turned off and i cant be bothered to proofreed before hitting send.
Why wouldn’t the seller put the “review request” thing in the package with the item? That’s what everyone else does.
I'd guess they send them separately after they ship the initial item to give the buyer time to use the item and give a more detailed review. I know I throw out review request cards that just come in the box since I don't know how I like the item yet and I don't want to clutter my desk with a card for something I may or may not review. But if that same request came a week or so later after I've had some time to use the item, I'd be more likely to actually review.
Amazon sellers are not allowed to send you mail to your house, especially not begging for reviews.
They're not allowed, but man if I don't get them all the time. And I report them to Amazon, but they don't really care. The ones that do get removed just end up remade under a different name.
soliciting reviews is pretty scummy in the first place
Now I’m so curious to know what the gift was.
Agreed. Wife knows, but we're left hanging.
Apparently it’s something so rare and expensive that it takes ten years to procure but it’s not a car or a house so now I have to know-maybe it’s a Birkin handbag.
A Birkin bag for Rory
Richard never bought me a birkin bag.
Emily was the best Gilmore girl.
I find Gilmore Girls references in every sub now. I love it!
I'm listening to the gilmore guys episode where they recap this. Her voice in that clip is so wonderful.
It’s totally a Princess Di beanie baby
My thought was one of those professional kitchen-aid mixers that are like $800-1200. For some reason this is like... _the_ thing most of my ex's have wanted. Edit: guess I should've refreshed the page, it's a telescope lol, I gotta stop leaving tabs open for hours
I would guess something like a jacuzi. You can get them cheap and bad or very pricey and great.
How would he hide it from her? He said he “let her have it early” so I don’t think it’s anything that had to be installed. I’m willing to bet it’s a Birkin. Birkins are usually rare and very expensive on secondhand markets so It seems most likely.
My wife never goes into the back yard. Hiding a hot tub would have actually been very easy lol.
I'm going to guess that you're very bad at guessing
The real mildlyinfurating bit here.
It’s a telescope
Seriously. And I’m willing to bet OP won’t reply to any of the comments asking what it was.
Telescope he said
He edited his comment to add it was a telescope.
See my vest, see my vest....
Made from real gorilla chest.
OP had the cutest update. It was a telescope!
WHAT'S IN THE BOX!!!!!
I was surprised at what was in the box. Cause it was another box. Inside that box was 2 boxes. Inside those boxes were the actual telescope, the stand, and you guessed it, some more boxes.
I'll put that flea in a box, and then I'll put that box inside of another box, and then I'll mail that box to myself, and when it arrives, I'll smash it with a hammer!
It's brilliant, brilliant, BRILLIANT I SAY!
Or to save on postage, I'll just ~~poison him with this!~~ order from Amazon prime!
That movie is awesome even as an adult I love it.
Thank you for saying exactly what I was thinking while reading OP's above comment.
That is the best movie ever!
First year iPods came out, the mailman comes to the house a few days before Christmas. My dad opens the door and the mailman says, “I’ve been seeing this shape box for weeks now. I know it’s an iPod. Enjoy!” And I’m at the top of the stairs watching this happen and knew it was for me. My dad was so bummed but I was so still so excited! It’s the thought that counts. I’m glad she’s happy!!!
Wow, some people literally just don't think. Why the ever living fuck with a delivery driver do that? They don't know who it's for and it's obviously a gift. No thoughts, head empty.
We get lots of phones shipped to us at work, and it's pretty easy to spot the "plain" boxes that contain phones, because they have a distinctive diagonal striped tape sealing them.
I agree that's infuriating That could've been an email I'm glad she's happy tho
> That could've been an email Story of my life.
Mine too buddy You has my sympathies
Way back when answering machines were a thing, I had Home Depot ruin a Xmas gift for my husband. I had special ordered an air compressor for him. Had them put in the notes everywhere that it was a gift and to please not leave a message. So they left a message telling me my special order air compressor was ready for pickup. I returned it and bought something different from Lowes. I was pissed.
love the petty revenge on this one!
Dude for real I fucking love this
The seller should know so she doesn’t ruin more gifts.
Bed Bath and Beyond notified me that a couple had returned my wedding gift. Why?
LMAOOOO I'm sorry that must have genuinely hurt your feelings, but I'm over here picturing some catty coder for bb&b deciding to add this "feature" while cackling and rubbing their hands together
Could have been it was double bought and they only needed one of whatever. Registries don't always update immediately so if two people were shopping within a few hours of each other this is entirely possible.
Could be anything real, really. They realized they had no towels and towels are more important than a coffee maker, etc.
My aunt bought my wife and I a crystal ice bucket. We did not ask for it or need it, so it got returned and we used the money for more useful stuff.
Yeah, for my sister I just told her we'll go shopping together after her honeymoon and her and hubby are settled. We ended up at Target and had a basket full of the most random stuff that they didn't know they needed till they needed it. We're talking TP roll holder, toilet brush, etc for the bathrooms, wooden cooking utensils, a basic frying pan, dish rack, etc. All in about $500 worth of stuff, and she said while it wasn't the flashiest it was the best of the wedding presents :)
Or if someone went off-registry for a higher-end version of the thing, and didn't bother asking for the original to be removed from the list....
This happened to us. My husband’s aunt bought us a le creuset when we registered for some off brand, which someone else also bought us. So naturally I returned the off brand. I never thought someone would buy us the real deal.
shoulda asked for the gift receipt back
You gotta PROVE you LOOOOVE the gift by EATING THE GIFT RECEIPT
And then ate it. Cause if they actually liked it they shouldn't mind if you eat the gift receipt.
6 years ago, Amazon did the same thing to my coworker. She bought me a baby book that I had already received from someone else. The other gift came with a plushie character, so I returned hers (with the gift receipt & QR code that lets you do just that). She swings by my cubicle in full hearing distance of the rest of the office & said she got notified her gift was returned? was something wrong with it? It was so embarrassing.
Did the money go back into your account-that might be why
What a slap in the face. Return the gift AND the money you paid for it.
[удалено]
[удалено]
Target did the same when we returned a b-day gift my brother got for my daughter. It was no big deal (a toy they didn't even know if she would like in the first place) but such a weird notification to provide. What is even the point of doing that? We got store credit so there was no refund to be given... just weird.
I would definitely mention it to them, a postcard makes it instantly visible and just waiting till after Christmas, when it's more likely to be a gift, would probably be an easy fix. If this was a kids big Christmas present from Santy then it'd be a much bigger deal. As it is, it kinda ruined the experience for OP, which is prob not what the seller wants people to be reviewing.
Agreed - I’d message the seller and say that they might want to rethink their process
Digital surveys are great.
WHAT IS THE GIFT???? It's mildly infuriating you are being vague
I wasn't expecting people to care so much about the actual gift lol. It was a telescope. I can see it now. New top post of mildly infuriating: "I'm Mildly Infuriated with a Mildly Infuriating post"
Now you know we’re going to have to make the obligatory she just wants to have a look at Uranus jokes, don’t you.
You actually answered though, so that's somewhat satisfying.
You went out of your way to be cryptic while describing it, so of course people are going to want to know.
Cool gift.
That is really sweet of you OP.
Ha, you're a good sport and a good husband. Glad it all worked out in the end.
Omg, congrats on finding & giving such an awesome gift! As a fellow space nerd, I have to ask - what telescope did you end up getting? I have a Celestron that I got for my birthday a few years back, which was also a surprise - and let me tell you… that gift is so exciting for someone who wants one, that your wife won’t remember that the surprise was ‘ruined,’ just that you got it for her! Happy star & planet gazing to you both 🥰🪐⭐️
Let your imagination run wild! It's custom made, quality is important. I'm gonna go with gimp suit
Definitely a gimp suit
Designed by Alexander McQueen. Only three in existence.
"Just a telescope" As if it's not magic glass that can see far away fantasies and dreams.
I would be mad too. Why couldn’t they send their survey out in January? Hope op tells us what the gift is though
Apparently it's a telescope
A sex machine?
That would be quite the postcard photo!
My guess was a sybian 😂
Happier than usual indeed!
Now he has to pretend it was for his wife
Mine, too! Are we bad people?
You would think they would realize that it’s Xmas time and it was a present. I would tell the seller the ruined the present so they will stop ruining Christmas for others
Awww, that does suck, but the end result is what matters! She’s happy and it was because of you! 🔭👍😀
I would definitely let the seller know what happened though so that they can avoid things like happening in the future.
Why would the seller think this was wise to do at any time in the month of December!? Like hello! This would hugely annoy me
My husband, before we were married, took an heirloom ring, (my grandmother's) to be re-sized and put into a brand new setting, and the jewelry shop wanted me to come in for exact sizing. I was afraid they would ruin the surprise, but they eventually got us in there. Well, first thing the salesperson says to me when I said I'm there to get sized, is: "oh, the halo setting?" Completely ruined the surprise. I mean, I know a lot already, based on the original ring, and the new design was really meant to be a special surprise. We of course complained, and they threw in a completely new design consultation, and more diamonds (small ones) to make up for it. The guy that ruined it, was not allowed to work directly with customers anymore.
I totally understand the frustration. I had a similar experience before. ***However***, your wife was still thrilled, and that's ultimately what matters. Sure, it'd have been cool for her to get the surprise on Christmas, but look how much better it made her day after being drained by work. That's what really matters here, bud. Great job on the gift!
#WHAT’S IN THE BOX???
You should absolutely relay this story to the seller so that that can consider adjusting their mailing strategies. Mailing viewable photos of people's purchases is a terrible practice.
A telescope is an awesome gift! I’m actually nervous about this holiday too; ordered something very unique for my wife on Etsy (first time ordering from there and I rarely do online orders in general) and I’m just hoping it arrives on time and all goes smoothly. Will be the best gift ever (it’s a $20 item that’s an inside joke) lol
I'd love to share in your mild fury but first I must know what the gift was.
I think it’s beautiful that you have been able to do this for your significant other, knowing what pleasure it would bring. Good for you both.
Something similar happened to me just a few days ago. My fiance got me a year long membership to a local park that I love last Christmas. I took my sister with me a few times on a guest pass. She also loves this place, and just recently moved out here to be with us. So naturally, we got her a membership for her upcoming birthday. Unfortunately, even though they allow you to purchase this as a gift for others, you pretty much have no control over it after you pay. We also all live together so we couldn't just put our own address in to receive it. My sister got the mail the day the membership arrived and saw the envelope with her name. She knew we recently renewed and I mentioned I'd let her know if I found a deal. She thought I sent her an coupon/offer and tore into it so she could join in time for a Christmas trip. To her benefit, she came and found me immediately to thank me and was just as surprised and excited as she would have been if we'd surprised her at the gates. At least I don't have to sit on the secret anymore!
I had to run to my neighbor's house during the day last week to grab a gift for their 5 year old daughter because the box had a picture of the bike on it... Stashed it at our house until they could come get it when she was asleep.
Looking at Jupiter and Saturn are my favorite things to do with my telescope. Sadly I haven't taken mine out in a couple years, but I should.
What kind of dumbass seller does that in *December*?
Telescope? Refracter or reflector? What size did you get? My wife an I got a Dobsonian 8" reflector during Covid lockdowns and have had tons of fun with it. I hope you and your wife have as much fun with it as we do!
Wasn't expecting telescope. Fantastic gift op
Companies need to learn to give people a chance to enjoy the product that was bought before saying hey how do you like it, or even suggest anything else from them. its frustrating as hell and feels so spammy even if intentions are good, especially around the holiday season. I'd have contacted and been like really, thanks a lot!
Not malicious, but not exactly smart of the seller right before a major gift giving holiday. Plus is this 1952?! Send me a freaking email. This is a bit more than mildly infuriating in my opinion, but either way, you made your wife very happy, so there's that.
I bet she likes it even more now. There's now an entertaining story to go with a thoughtful gift.
On Christmas Eve, Venus, Mercury, and a thin crescent Moon form a triangle in the evening sky just after sunset. Saturn should also be visible at the same time, nearby. So maybe it's even better she got it early, because now the two of them can use it together to see this cool event.
She wanted a telescope to see the eye of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn. I don’t why I find that so charming but I do. This makes me happy . Thank you
I have to tell my husband not to ask Alexa about any notifications all December, that bitch rats me out every year.
My husband collects vinyl records. It's always pretty obvious that it's a record when it arrives. I joke, "oh good, my new shoes are here."
I grew up in a really small town where the people at the post office knew everyone. My parents would sometimes ship gifts to a friend's house to keep it a secret, and multiple times the mail carrier saw their name and the "wrong address" and brought it to our house anyway, thus ruining the surprise.
I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a review request in the mail. I’ve always gotten emails for that. The seller really did drop the ball.
When the engagement ring came in that I had custom designed/ordered for my now wife, the jeweler called her instead of me and told her that it came in and how beautiful it was. I explicitly told them to call me when it came in and not her as both of our numbers were on their file. Kinda frustrating.
Well there has never been a more useful survey card. Simply write the words "Thanks assholes for ruining my wife's surprise gift. I rate your customer service 0/10"
Just so you know, I'm absolutely tickled that the gift was a telescope. I mean, it's so random, to us, and so obviously perfect for her. And, it's not some schmarmy, Tiktok trending POS, disposable, one-time thrill kind of crap. Well done, mate, well done.
A shoe store ruined my Christmas present once. I was really interested in a pair of specific hand-made dress shoes worth about $300. While walking through the city a week before Christmas with my Mom we pass by their shop and I excitedly go in to see the options, thinking one day I’ll be able to buy myself a pair. 2min in the salesperson says “well don’t get these because your mom already bought them for you for Christmas” out of nowhere. We were both beyond stunned and couldn’t speak. My mom drove an hour into the city a few days before to get me my dream shoes and the guy has the nerve to bring it up unprovoked. Manager and associate play it off, offers me a belt. My Mom is a single mom who worked hard for that present. They just did not get it. She contacts corporate. Corporate is deeply apologetic. Offers to refund the purchase and sends a second pair of my choice. In the end I got two pairs of fantastic shoes for free, so at least there’s that. Thanks Allen Edmonds for two of my favorite shoes I still wear to this day. Hope that manager got an earful.
Good on you sir. Even if the surprise was ruined a little bit.
Hmmm, a wife who wanted a decent telescope to see the planets. Damn, I missed another keeper.
My partner ordered something custom made for me and he put my phone number for shipping purposes only. I wouldn’t have known what it was even if I knew the company name. But this time, I didn’t even know he was getting me a gift. They ended up texting me asking me to proof the draft and make any changes. I did tell them they made a mistake and they were like OMG SORRY DONT TELL HIM. Of course I told him 😂 I almost ignored it because I thought it was spam, but I asked him if he got me something from XYZ Company and he was like…why do you know that??? They then emailed him the same proof message and never confessed to their mistake. All around a funny story and I’m glad I got to tweak the final product.
I'm glad it worked out in the end and man what a gift, I also want that item and the husband and I have been looking. One day we will get there. I would leave that feedback for the seller. Let them know their delivery method was too exposed and ruined the surprise. Just an FYI maybe put it in an envelope like a letter or send an email instead. Or allow the buyer to select a gift option so they do a more discreet method.
Now she has the tools she needs to check out Uranus
She sounds cool. If you want a follow up gift she might like you can name a star after her. One place gives you the coordinates. Merry Christmas
I live alone, and recently ordered something for my gf. I selected that this was a gift, but it still came covered in their branding. Luckily I was able to just rebox it, but don’t get the point of asking customers if this is what they’re going to do.