41 replies to this topic

[juanadeal]

Jeesh! My in-laws NEVER give gift receipts. Fine, but when you get all my kids toys from TRU and TRU won't return or exchange anything without a regular or gift receipt, that's a problem. TRU registers automatically print a gift receipt for each and every item you buy so I know the in-laws have them:mad: . That's just my vent. I'm pissed because SIL bought DS a Sit & Spin which is already not working very well and I can't exchange it. She's in another state so it's not like I can just stop by and pick it up. Is there something I'm missing? I ALWAYS give gift receipts because I don't want people to feel obligated to keep something I bought if they don't like/need/want it.

[bayhaysay]

I never give gift reciepts. I have no reason really. I just don't think about it. If you are just wanting to do an exchange do you still have to have a reciept at TRU?

[Shortness]

Gosh, I would think an exchange would be allowed without a receipt. Everywhere else that I know of allows that. That's truly a bummer if TRU won't do an exchange. Especially if the toy isn't working.

[juanadeal]

I never give gift reciepts. I have no reason really. I just don't think about it. If you are just wanting to do an exchange do you still have to have a reciept at TRU?

I haven't tried to do an exchange without a receipt but I know it's their policy to require a receipt for ALL returns & exchanges. It's plastered all over the stores and it's on the receipts.

[comm402]

I know how you feel juanadeal !! My in-laws, (MIL more so), are the same way. She NEVER asks what to get the kids or what they have then gives them toys they either have or don't want or that break. I don't even know where she gets them because she rips off every single tag !! Even on clothing !! and she doesn't even ask their sizes first !! I agree 100% with you about the gift receipts. I attach them to the actual receipt and set them aside. I let everyone know that I have them and would be more than happy to give them over if there are any problems with anything.

[heatherkw]

OK I feel you guys on this my MIL & SIL do this too. And they also rip off the whole tag on clothes which they always give. Here is whats worse though. I write down sizes, actually this year I wrote them down TWICE and they still got stuff that won't fit!! MIL got DS a Power Rangers shirt in a size 7/8 needs a 10/12 and he hasn't watched Power Rangers in 3 YEARS. Sheesh I was going to send it to my nephew but I checked with my sister and it's to big(hes 5) and he doesn't watch them anymore either!! Heather Anybody need a Mystic Power Rangers Shirt?

[conj]

It is the thought that counts. I usually forget to give people the gift reciept - though I have it. Have you tried asking? tell her the toy is broken, and the child would like to exhange it - does she have the receipt, or gift receipt?

[scrabbler]

My MIL also rips all tags and identifiable markers off any clothing and gives it to us without receipt. All her gifts go to Goodwill, neighbors or the garbage, depending on what it is. I disagree that it is the thought that counts...because if you were trying to get a gift that someone liked/wanted/needed, you would try to ask questions and notice if the person was interested in such things. My MIL bought my daughter a small t shirt this year and ripped all the tags off. Last year she bought her a sweater that was too small and a boys sweatshirt that was almost too small. Personally, clothes are one of the toughest things to buy anybody so if you do not know them well enough, they should not be purchased.

[bmwmommykids]

We also took back a number of duplicate items (sans gift receipts) to Target and TRU from the in-laws. Got the sale/clearance prices in store credit, which had to be less than they were purchased. The items with the higher value, but not really what the kids wanted, were torn into immediately by the in-laws....boxes destroyed as though opened by jackals...and no longer returnable. Just give gift receipts...please...andthe world would be a better place.

[comm402]

It is the thought that counts. Its is the obvious lack of thought that bothers me. Like a size medium sweater for my DH (Her son !!!!). He is 5'11" tall and 215 lbs. He hasn't worn a medium since he was in his freshman year of high school. All the tags were ripped off and I did ask for any kind of receipt and she got so mad at me that no one in the family spoke to me for 6 months. Since then I don't even bother. It goes to Goodwill or I put it with the Christmas stuff and donate it to Toys for Tots the next year.

[Sunshyne]

Could you buy a new sit and spin there and then return the broken one with that receipt? Just a thought... I always give the gift receipts for toys we buy for birthday party gifts. I just put it in with the card. I can't keep track of what friend has what toy, and I don't trust myself with picking out good toys for girls. Unless it's bought at Wal-Mart, and then I just tell them that is where I got it since, at least here, they will take back most anything. I usually give stuff to a friend if I don't have a receipt for it and can't use it.

[juanadeal]

Could you buy a new sit and spin there and then return the broken one with that receipt? Just a thought...

I always give the gift receipts for toys we buy for birthday party gifts. I just put it in with the card. I can't keep track of what friend has what toy, and I don't trust myself with picking out good toys for girls. Unless it's bought at Wal-Mart, and then I just tell them that is where I got it since, at least here, they will take back most anything.

I usually give stuff to a friend if I don't have a receipt for it and can't use it.

Duh! How could I not think of that getting a new one just for the receipt? I guess I'll do that. Why is it always the in-laws? My MIL is also touchy about being asked for a receipt for an exchange. Even if something is way too small for my kids, she will just tell us to squeeze them in it. I've stopped thinking about it too much in order to preserve my sanity. I say thankyou, and just add it to my ebay or salvation army box. They are also notorious for ripping all tags off of clothing. Not just the price which is preforated at the bottom.

[biomajor]

3 years ago, my MIL sent my daughter an adult Large sweatshirt. At that time, she was wearing 14-16 in girls. The sweatshirt STILL is too big for her and it's still UGLY. She wears a Juniors size 3, now. She wears it to sleep in occasionally. The lack of thought about my kids pisses me off. The other grandkids all got things they wanted and asked for. My kids got ugly sweatshirts that they hated and didn't fit them. Last year, she sent them travel blankets--yes, for a kid. They are 14 and 17 now. This year, she didn't have the time to shop for my kids, so she sent them a check, with Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas written on the check, and inside the Christmas card. My son's birthday was in October. The package with the cards came 2 days before Christmas. My daughter's birthday is on the 11th of January. She doesn't forget the other kids' birthdays. She gave the oldest girl who lives near her $25 just for Christmas, (the kids were comparing gifts, I didn't ask) but my kids' got the same amount as a combined Birthday and Christmas gift. I'm sick of it and her.

[Sunshyne]

lol glad to help. I've done it before when I lost the receipt to something that broke right after it was bought. I don't know the morality of it, but if you're sure it was bought there and they are just going to write it off as defective, it all seems the same to me. I don't understand people that just buy whatever they see to give as a gift to someone else. I put a lot of thought into the gifts I buy for people, and I'd like them to do the same thing for me and my kids! It's not like they don't know Christmas is coming and don't have the time to shop properly! My ex-MIL was/is the same way. She buys toys from the dollar store, clothing from the flea market and just expects it to all be okay.

[conj]

let me ask you this - if it is not the thought that counts - would it be better if they didn't give your kids anything? My 9 yr old has the right philosphy - as we were preparing both kids for the presents that come I asked " what do you do if you get a present you don't like?" - her reply "that's virtually impossible!"

[bayhaysay]

This thread is kinda funny. Anyway, I've got you all beat on crappy gifts this year. My BIL and his gf (who have never even bought for my 3 kids in the past although I ALWAYS get their 3 kids something) gave my kids all a shirt this year for Christmas. They didn't have any tags on them but 2 of them did have something a little *special* about them. One had a stain and the other had a hole in it. Yes, they gave them all used clothing. The thing is, he has a job, makes decent money so they could have spent $5 a peice on them and my kids would've never known the difference but they can tell if a shirt has come from a yard sale or a store. Don't get me wrong, I love yard sales (I have 2 every year ) but I would never give someone used clothing for Christmas.

[comm402]

Used clothes ??? You win

[biomajor]

let me ask you this - if it is not the thought that counts - would it be better if they didn't give your kids anything?

My 9 yr old has the right philosphy - as we were preparing both kids for the presents that come I asked " what do you do if you get a present you don't like?" - her reply "that's virtually impossible!"

Yes, it would be better, because then I wouldn't have my kids asking how come their granny likes the other kids better and actually gives them things they like. It Hurts my kids, it pisses me off. Is it so hard to actually treat 8 kids the same way for 1 day out of a year?? Or at least the 3 girls who are all within a year and 2 months of each other in age, instead of treating one like gold, one like silver and one like trash. She bought the golden one an Ipod shuffle this year for Christmas. The new, cute little one. She lives with her, with her mother (not my MIL's Child, but her ex DIL) The silver is remembered on time for all Birthdays, and my children are forgotten on every birthday and get cards that say "Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas" written inside them months after my son's birthday and usually at least 3 weeks before my daughter's. There really isn't any thought put into my kids' presents, ever.

My kids' preferred the money this year, because at least they could USE it, unlike the Sweatshirt of 3 years ago and the travel blanket of last year.

[heatherkw]

Yes, it would be better, because then I wouldn't have my kids asking how come their granny likes the other kids better and actually gives them things they like. It Hurts my kids, it pisses me off. Is it so hard to actually treat 8 kids the same way for 1 day out of a year?? Or at least the 3 girls who are all within a year and 2 months of each other in age, instead of treating one like gold, one like silver and one like trash. She bought the golden one an Ipod shuffle this year for Christmas. The new, cute little one. She lives with her, with her mother (not my MIL's Child, but her ex DIL) The silver is remembered on time for all Birthdays, and my children are forgotten on every birthday and get cards that say "Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas" written inside them months after my son's birthday and usually at least 3 weeks before my daughter's. There really isn't any thought put into my kids' presents, ever.

My kids' preferred the money this year, because at least they could USE it, unlike the Sweatshirt of 3 years ago and the travel blanket of last year.

I hear you on this one year before last MIL got my DD a Bratz sleeping bag she was twice as tall as it, again no tags and DS a knockoff power rangers movie(see above post) Their are 4 grandkids my 2 got about 75 dollars worth of stuff this year.Half clothes that don't fit, no tags but the other 2 GC got about $2000 worth of stuff A PIECE. Ipods, PS3s, Nintendo DS, Dooney& Burke handbags, expensive makeup and perfume.Heres the best part all 4 kids are my DH. We are always even on all 4 kids. We spend as much on my 2 as we do my 2 steps and I get a list from them and only get things they want. Granted we don't spend 2000 on them but our limit this year was $350 a piece plus they got board games and a Wii that Santa puts to all the kids. Somebody please explain this.

Heather

[PeachieKeen]

This thread is kinda funny. Anyway, I've got you all beat on crappy gifts this year. My BIL and his gf (who have never even bought for my 3 kids in the past although I ALWAYS get their 3 kids something) gave my kids all a shirt this year for Christmas. They didn't have any tags on them but 2 of them did have something a little *special* about them. One had a stain and the other had a hole in it. Yes, they gave them all used clothing. The thing is, he has a job, makes decent money so they could have spent $5 a peice on them and my kids would've never known the difference but they can tell if a shirt has come from a yard sale or a store. Don't get me wrong, I love yard sales (I have 2 every year ) but I would never give someone used clothing for Christmas.

I have a funny story that sort of relates, one year for my birthday when I was only 12 years old, one my aunt in law gave me a Blazer (which for one, I don't know a 12 year old that wears a blazer, but that's just my opinion on that) Anyway, it was the wrong size, so my mom asked her for a receipt so we could basically return it and get something that I might actually use...She said she would get the receipt for us, which she never did. Not too long after that, we discovered the dry cleaning receipt in the pocket of the blazer. That's still a story my mom and I laugh over.

[Sunshyne]

Used clothes? OMG...that is bad!!! My IL's don't send my kids presents, and we don't see them for the holidays. In fact, they've only seen my oldest son twice and the youngest once. I'm fine with no gifts from them, and I know the other grandkids (much older and live in NY near them) get all kinds of stuff from them. But, the way I see it, they don't know them that well, so they wouldn't get stuff they'd like anyway. The last time we were there (last January), they went out and bought them a few toys, and my kids were fine with them. Also, I practiced with my oldest son on what to do at his birthday party if he got something he didn't like or already had. Luckily, there was no problem, but we had rehearsed what to say just in case so he didn't embarrass anyone. The baby got something he already had (joint party), and my oldest son looked at me with his mouth open, and then just stopped and let it go. lol About half of the presents came with gift receipts.

[comm402]

I have 4 daughters and have already told them that if I start to act like my MIL please shoot me. I get all the same things that everyone here is posting and then some. 2 years ago MIL bought a civil war book for "us". DH is a civil war buff so I guess that makes me one too. This year she gave my 10 year old DD a Bratz Genie !!! This kid is a tomboy to the extreme. She said thanks then traded it to her 12 year old sister who was given an EBGames gift card. My favorite was the look on my 16 year old DD's face when MIL gave her a pink sweater with a fur collar !! DD was into nothing but Hot Topic at the time and the whole way home kept shaking her head saying "it's pink!" over and over.

[nikkilugi]

I guess I am lucky that my MIL does consult me about what gifts to buy the kids. At least the past couple of years she did. In fact this year she gave me $100 per child to buy gifts that I know they would like as well as purchasing some of the things they circled in the TRU big toy catalog this year. We don't ever get receipts though and she does act really pissy if we suggest that we need to return an item. Like it is a personal attack on her so we don't tell her. Everything just goes back to Walmart if it needs to. I am sure if something was malfunctioning though she would take it back and exchange it for us.

[scrabbler]

let me ask you this - if it is not the thought that counts - would it be better if they didn't give your kids anything?

Yes, I do think it would be better if they got them nothing. If you take no time to purchase a gift, but give a gift just to participate in the act of giving a gift, why did you give the gift?

In other words, a gift should be a thoughtful token of what you want to give to the person you are gifting. If there is no thought, it is not a gift but instead a responsibility.

My kids always write a thank you note too even tho the gift wasn't given to them in actuality.

In my own circumstance with my MIL, she views her grandchildren as a fun accessory but spends no time with them at all, thus she doesn't know them. She likes to brag about her grandchildren but doesn't want to get to know who they really are and what they like. So in my own circumstance, my MIL gives a gift because it is part of the image.

[comm402]

In my own circumstance with my MIL, she views her grandchildren as a fun accessory but spends no time with them at all, thus she doesn't know them. She likes to brag about her grandchildren but doesn't want to get to know who they really are and what they like. So in my own circumstance, my MIL gives a gift because it is part of the image.

Agreed 100%. My MIL brags about the kids but never invites them over or takes them out. She just cries to the rest of the family that I keep them from her. She has this image of each one of them that is way off base. As far as buying gifts for me she skips my birthday every year with the excuse that she doesn't do the adults anymore, only the kids and then throws in some words of wisdom that the adults are "old news". The real kicker is that she gets b-day presents for DH and his 3 siblings and their spouses. For christmas I either get something for DH tagged for the both of us or some piece of junk from the dollar store. I really would prefer that she buy nothing then something that I hate and she expects to see displayed in my home on the holiday.

[comm402]

I'm the same way, I always make the kids say thank you and hold doors etc. And yeas they do have to be courteous even when they hate / have the gift they got.

[Sunshyne]

I get frustrated that people don't realize that when a mom is pushing a stroller, it is extremely hard to open doors and get the stroller through too! When I am out without the kids, I always open the door if I see someone coming with a stroller. But when I have the stroller, I'm the one struggling about 80% of the time while people watch me try to get through the door or they go around me to another door.

One time when we went to Kohl's, and I told ds to push the handicapped button that opens the door because I had little ds in the stroller. Some older lady had the nerve to say to my son, "That button is only for people that are in wheelchairs. No need to be lazy. You need to learn to open the door for your mom." I was like WTH? My son always open doors for me, but if the button is there, there's no sense in him struggling with the door...they can be really heavy for a 5-year-old. Argh..people frustrate me.

[comm402]

maybe that is why we are all sitting "here".