I remember this being discussed before, I think it was on this board.

When you send someone a gift, do you think it is too much to ask that the recipient give some sort of acknowledgement of receiving the gift?

I recently sent a baby gift to someone, and got in the way of thank you, or even acknowledgement. How do I know it even got there???

Would like to hear other's comments on this subject.

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

If I don't give the gift in person, I expect a phone call at least. A thank you card is more formal, but to not acknowledge the gift that you sent is bad form.

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This space for rent

I think a thank you is needed. I hate when I mail stuff and never hear anything about it. I would be happy with a quick phone call, heck maybe even a email that is longer then 5 words.

That being said, I have my kids in the habit of writing thank you notes whenever they get something from family. We dont live in the same state and I think it is nice to let the sender know that we have the gift and the boys like it.


Darlene

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Sell crazy some place else, we are all stocked up here.

Well I think I would rather get a verbal thank you rather then a card. It is nice to get a thank you. Honestly it doesn't take someone but 5 minutes to pick up the phone and call and tell them you appreciated what they did for you.

I have watched people receive gifts from others before and act like it was no big deal and toss it to the side. The person made a doll for this lady's daughter and she acted like she was offended.

I was offended just watching it all. I would LOVE it if someone would do that stuff for my kids.

YES. Not only do I expect it when giving a gift, I expect it of myself when receiving one. It's plain common courtesy and respect.

Whenever I get something, the first thought on my mind is to contact the person, or go hug them if they're right in the room.

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Yes I do!! I gave a my son's teacher a wedding shower and even gave her some Thank You cards(along with other items) so she didn't have to buy any for the gifts she recieved and still didn't get a Thank you!!

When I send a gift to my nieces and nephews I would like just a call to say they got it!! And a thank you would be nice too!

Personally,I don't require a thankyou for anything,but I think its nice to thank someone.Sometimes you just don't feel like it though,lol.I usually do,unless I forget.

Yes I posted a thread like this once when I sent someone some gas cards for a gas station not in my area. I thought the receiver should have at the very least acknowledged them and should have thanked me.

You would NEVER unless you are rude or ignorant take a gift in your hand from someone, whether it is money or a used coast without saying "thank you". There is no difference in receiving it in the mail or through email.

Say "thank you". It is common courtesy. No matter what anyone says it is rude not to.

First of all someone mails something to you from across the street, the state, the country or the world they have no way of knowing if you got it unless you let them know. And saying "thank you" does not take anything from you.

I can't think of any reason except the two I've mentioned: rudeness and ingnorance for someone to not acknowledge and say "thank you".

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

Most of mine and Dh's family celebrates children's birthdays with a family dinner and cake. When I give a gift and see the child get it and hear a thanks- that's all I need. DH's brother does not have a family celebration for his children's birthday any more. That is their choice and that is fine. I still buy gifts for the kids and go out of my way to get them to them on their b-days. I either mail them, drop them off, or have MIL drop off when she gives them their gift. ( We live about 6 miles away!!!!)I have never gotten a thank-you. I have asked them on several occasions when I see them at a later date- did you get the swim suit and sandals we sent you? did you get the sweaters? I get a yes- that's it. It is a shame that the parents haven't taught them any better, but the older two are plenty old enough to pick up the phone and say thanks. I have to add that they often skip family occasions they are invited to.
I think from now on we will send a card to let them know we were thinking of them on their day- no gift.

I think some people are really uncomfortable about recieving gifts.My grandmother was like that,and my mom is like that too,but has lightened up a little through the years.
If you tried to give anything to my grandmother, I think she would have been insulted,lol.

I sent a baby shower gift (worth about $100) to my sister years ago, and never got a *thank you* from her. Several months later, I mentioned one of the books that was in the package...and she said "what package?". It has gotten lost in the mail...never to be found. I appreciate any form of acknowledgement, even a quick e-mail would do.

When I send someone a gift, I do think it's nice that they acknowledge receiving the gift. I think it's nice if they send a thank you note. If they can't do that, it would be nice if they sent an email or picked up the phone. It used to really annoy me when we'd send DH's nephew's and niece's gifts for their birthday's when they were children and they would never thank us. As they got older, the same thing happened with their wedding and baby gifts...nothing. I blame their parent's for not teaching them right. I've taught our children from the time they were little that they either call or write a thank you note to their Uncles, Aunts, Grandparents, and friends for any presents. It is simply rude not to. I'm proud to say that my children always get comments from their teachers on their report cards how polite and courteous they are. One of their Uncles said that he doesn't ever mind sending our kids presents because they always seem to appreciate it. ~Lisa

For those of you who expect a Thank you (me included), what do you do if you don't receive one??

Personally, I have stopped sending gifts to that person. They obviously don't need or appreciate what we send, so I won't bother them with sending anymore. Last year, DH decided he wanted to send every one of his nieces and nephews $$$ for their birthday. Only one is under the age of 18, btw, and we are NOT that old....large gap in age with DH's siblings. Anyway, NOT ONE Thank you arrived, except for the niece we gave a gift to in person. If they thank us in person, no need to send a seperate note. So, this year, sorry, they get no gifts.

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

Yes, I expect some kind of thank you. It really doesn't matter to me what kind (e-mail, phone call, note, in person, etc.), as long as it comes from the recipient of the gift, or their parent if they are a small child.

Mostly, I want to know that the person received the gift and I think it is just common courtesy to say 'thank you'. It really bugs me when the 'thank you' comes from someone else, however. This happens with my SIL. She will have my MIL to tell us that she received a gift I've sent. She is an adult -- can't she at least pick up the phone or send an e-mail <ugh>.

I do not expect a thank you note. I don't send them anymore. Actually, the only ones I sent were for my wedding gifts. If I give the gift in person, the person *usually* thanks me at that moment and that is enough for me. If I send a gift, I would like an acknowledgement of the gift arriving by a phone or email message. If I don't hear from them for a couple weeks, I phone to make sure it arrived. I don't usually receive gifts other than in person. I do think an acknowledgement is in order but I don't expect a card in the mail

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

Thats all right Ladies, I think I've gotten one to top the stupidity of ppl!! I've been to several baby showers in the last two years and the trend (to help new mommie out) is to put blank envelopes in a basket and pass the basket around and have everyone address their own thank you card envelope. I don't really have a problem with thatMY GRANNY DID AND SHE TOLD THE HOST IT WAS RUDE< but alas thats another story. Then to make you feel better about addressing your own card they reach in the basket and pull a name out and that person gets a "prize"! Again no big deal. The BIG DEAL is that in the last two years I have been filling out envelopes and NEVER once a thank you. (You should know that I'm a great gift giver, not that it should matter but when you put alot of time into someone with thinking of what they need and going through their registery and then spending a butt load I think you should get the thank you) Can you tell this bothers me!!!????

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Vicki


TLJ Women united in Spirit!

If I do not receive a "Thank you" from someone I have just given a gift to I say something to them. Often they are children who either are so excited with the gift they forget or they have not been taught to thank someone. I will say something like "what do you say when someone gives you something?" (obviously for the younger ones) or "What do you think? Do you like it?"

I gave the young man who mows my lawn a CD player and little TV for Christmas and I did not hear a word so I saw in about Feb and said "I had not heard from you and wondered if you liked your Christmas gifts" he then said thanks.

If someone lives far away and it's a child I might call the parent and ask if the gift was recieved and I may even tell them I was expecting a phone call. It depends on who the person is and my relationship with them.

Myself I would never think of not thanking someone for anything. I bring back a gift for the housesitter and when I go to someone's home for dinner or whatever I bring a thank you gift with me.

People go out of their ways to give a gift and they deserve some acknowledgement at the very least and really a nice Thank you is free so what's the harm?

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

I do not need to be thanked for an item. If I was there in person, a thank you is nice.

I have started sending e-cards for after birthday parties. I find in my circle of penny-pinching mom's sending out 20 thank yous is time consuming and expensive when it can be done for free. Not to mention - not wasting paper. But this is just my two cents worth.

I think that's great! You still took the time to give a thank you and were planet-friendly at the same time. If people really want to keep them for a scrapbook or something, they could always be printed out.

Whether it's in person or paper or computer, it seems like most people are happy for the acknowledgement.

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I think a phone call is the absolute minimum, but I think a written note is far nicer. I require my children to write thank you notes for any gifts they receive before they're allowed to use the gift (they're 14 and 16, plenty old enough to understand.)

You know I don't even mind if the Thankyou is by phone, just acknowledge that you got the present, and you appreciate it. We have a niece and a nephew who are guilty of this and it makes me not want to buy them anything.

I think it's just common courtesy to thank someone, however, such courtesy is far less common than it used to be.

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Proud Wife of an Army Soldier and proud mother of an Army MP currently serving in Iraq.


"To any critics who say a woman can't think and work and carry a baby at the same time, I'd just like to escort that Neanderthal back to the cave." - Sarah Palin

I expect a thank you for a gift but I am not fussy about how it arrives. I will not send second gifts to those that do not acknowledge a gift.

Except for aunt. I have an aunt who lives two thousand miles away. She is 90 and once or twice a year, if I see some little gift food item on special online, I will order it and send it to her. Invariably I get a phone call a couple of weeks later. She chats and chats but never mentions the gift. But I know because of the timing that is why she is calling but she gets so caught up in our chat she forgets why she has called. Once or twice as we are getting ready to hang up, she will say something about how she called about something but it must not have been important because she can't remember what it was. 8-)