Things That Exist But Shouldn't - Part 22

22) Poor Gifting

I pride myself on being a courteous gift giver. What does that mean? If I give someone a gift (and modestly admit that it may not be to their liking), I make sure that:

a) it is from a regularly-patronized store*
b) I attach a gift receipt

*A regularly-patronized store is a place that has multiple locations and/or is located close to the gift recipient's residence. (Example: Target)

You should not be gifting a shark tooth necklace that you got from a street peddler while on vacation in Sedona unless you know that the recipient will love the gift. (In this case, unless they are a member of an aquatic species or a dentist, they probably will not.)

If you buy an item from a regularly-patronized store, attach a gift receipt.
Failure to do so is not only impolite, but increases the suspicion that you are re-gifting something that you got a long time ago.

Note to sales associates: When a customer asks you for gift receipt for an item, that means that said customer is likely going to be giving that item as a gift. Ergo, you should remove the price tag. I cannot tell you how many times a sales associate has wrapped my gift up in beautiful tissue paper in a box (with an expertly-tied bow), only to have me later ruin all of it because I have to open it up to remove the price tag.