<p>Last fall, DH and I sold our old house and bought a new one. We used the same realtor, Sheila, for both transactions. At Christmas, Sheila gave us a gift card for a new restaurant in town. She sent me an email to let me know it was it our mailbox. And on the greeting card enclosed with the gift card, she scrawled a note that said to let her know if the gift card was less than $100, because she bought two of them and she might have mixed them up. </p>
<p>I no longer have the greeting card.</p>
<p>Last night, DH and I went to the restaurant and presented the gift card. It was only $15!!!</p>
<p>I feel really tacky going back to her and telling her she “owes” me $85. Should I just let it go??</p>
<p>And, while we’re at it, regale me with other socially awkward situations you’ve had to deal with, and how you handled them.</p>
<p>I agree it would be tacky to approach her for more money.
Good reminder to check the gift card balance before you spend it, but I wouldn’t tell her.</p>
<p>I don’t usually get myself in those kind of situations, but I do remember saying to one of Ds friends @ preschool " how nice your grandpa could come with you today!"
( I was about 27 & her dad was probably in his early 60’s - :o)</p>
<p>I would let it go also. Your story is making me feel “better” about the dining card my realtor gave us when we purchased our home 7 months ago, a “buy one dinner get one free” at only a handful of restaurants in our area.</p>
<p>Unfortunately she ( the realtor) was WRONG and absolved herself by putting the onus on you! Unfortunately our society does not allow persons who receive gifts to tell the one who is gifting a mistake has been made! I wish common etiquette would allow for such instances!<br>
That goes for inconsiderate gifts as well! I told my office manager and its common knowledge that I cannot eat. chocolate so every year I receive a box of Godiva Chocolate for the holidays. Might as well by me a stage coach too! I mean yes it’s a gift but come on. Our society doesn’t provide to correct the obvious because its a gift ( do not look a gift horse in the mouth mentality).</p>
<p>She did send me a follow up email to ask how the restaurant was and at the time I told her we hadn’t gone yet. I suppose I could respond to that email now and tell her it was excellent, then wait for her to ask if the gift card was correct? Of course she is fairly ditsy so she might not ask. I also really don’t want to have anything more to do with her.</p>
<p>I am always so paranoid when I buy gift cards that they will load them incorrectly… I usually save the giftcard receipt for awhile after a purchase for this very reason. I think IF you speak to her again, I would mention it, mainly because she mentioned there might be a mix-up to begin with… If I mean for someone to get a $100 gift card, and they only got $15, I would want to know.</p>
<p>It was tacky of her not to double check once she purchased the cards, before presenting it to you. I can’t imagine letting it go if there were the possibility of a mistake.
I think I would tell her- but not right away. Wait until she contacts you for some reason so you can say it in a casual way, and make light of it. I’d also decline her offer (if she makes one) to make it up to you- just say it was a sweet thought, and you and Dh enjoyed the dinner, regardless.<br>
Realtors rely on word of mouth for referrals, and she probably would rather know and be able to “fix” her mistake than have you think less of her. She’ll probably thank you in some other way down the line.</p>
<p>Just read your latest post. If you really don’t want to have anything to do with her, then let it go.</p>
<p>If it’s OK, I have a question about a gift situation too. One of my favorite people to work for was really generous and got me a thank you gift for helping out on a project. The gift was a bottle of wine and another food item. I loved the food item, but I don’t drink. I am still VERY thankful for the thought and didn’t say anything, but I am concerned that the gifter will sooner or later realize I don’t drink (we have a lot of different company events, and people do ask why you are not drinking) and feel like the gift was wasted or I didn’t like the gift (which is not true - I loved the other part of the gift, and the thought alone meant a lot to me) . I don’t want the person to feel unappreciated, but I don’t know if there is much I can do in this situation.</p>
<p>If she truly mixed up gift cards then somebody else got a card with a much greater value than intended. But buying both a $15 and a $100 gift card for the same restaurant does not make a lot of sense, as the lower might only cover a lunch for one but the other would presumably be for dinner for two.</p>
<p>I would not be inclined to mention it unless I thought she had deliberately done that to look more generous than she actually was. In THAT case I would go back to her as I would not want her to get away with it LOL! Do I have a suspicious mind or what?
Usually gift cards I have bought are enclosed in a cardboard cover with the amount written on the cover. But anything is possible.
Since you say she is ditsy that may be the explanation. And I would be inclined to just let it be in that case.</p>
<p>@acollegestudent, even if you don’t drink, it’s nice to have a bottle around when entertaining. If by some chance the person who gave it to you says something about you not drinking, you could just say, “It was a lovely gift and I was so glad to have it when friends dropped over and I could share it with them” or something along those lines.</p>
<p>To the OP, I agree about not mentioning anything about the amount of the gift card.</p>
<p>A college student - I wouldn’t worry if the ‘gifter’ finds out you don’t drink. If it comes up you can graciously thank her for the thoughtful gift and tell her you’re sure you’ll serve it to friends/family who will enjoy it (unless you do not drink for cultural or religious reasons and wouldn’t serve it in your home). Generally I don’t give wine as a gift unless I’m positive the person enjoys it, and what kind, for this very reason. Usually people take it in stride, such as yourself, however some can be offended.</p>
<p>She might have been regifting the cards & was going by what she had been told was the amount!
For example, I had been giving my D & her BF giftcards for their Christmas stocking, not realizing that as a teacher- she already received more gift cards than she could keep track of.</p>
<p>If you want to open pandora’s box, you could let her know.</p>
<p>Suppose her note was legitimate. Suppose she gave the same admonition to the other person in reverse (let me know if its more than $15…a little awkward of course, and probably not what she did). In any case, she might be interested to know what the gratitude level of the person was who was supposed to get the $15, and instead got $100. Or, she might conclude you’re trying to job her for an extra $85 (she’s ditzy, remember). Not worth it. </p>
<p>So my conclusion would be to let it go and not say anything. I’ve had disappointing experiences in real estate transactions when using “friends” or “neighbors” as service providers. Momx and I now have a rule that we don’t use anyone that we can’t fire or sue (or at least be annoyed with). If you’re not going to use her again or recommend her, use this as an opportunity to begin creating some distance.</p>
<p>I would send her a note thanking her for the $15.00. Tell her you enjoyed going out, and it was sweet of her to pay for dessert. Well, I might not do that, depends on the relationship . . .</p>
<p>We used a friend as a realtor, and it was a fantastic experience. I didn’t use her just because she was a friend. She was just starting with a reputable local realty co., and I had a hunch that she would do a terrific job, being a very conscientious, organized person with a great personality.</p>
