Well, This Is Awkward . . .

roshke
Fri, 22 Feb 2013 12:39:18 +0000

The agent did tell VH to check the card and let her know if it wasn’t the right amount. That’s really the major thing she did wrong.

However, I can easily envision how the cards could have been mixed up in the first place. For example, a grateful client or a referee colleague gave the agent a $100 gift card and the agent used it to go out to dinner herself (leaving $15 balance). Agent liked the restaurant enough to buy a gift card for her client, and mixed up the two. Or, agent bought two gift cards originally intended for clients, used one herself instead, then mixed them up.

Much stranger things have happened. I find it more far fetched that she’d go through some convoluted plan to say there might be a mix up, in the hopes that the OP wouldn’t do anything about it. More likely she’s just the disorganized type.

As for the gift taking so long to appear, many months after we moved in to our home we received a beautiful throw from our agent. The timing of this gift card seemed intentional to coincide with Christmas, though I can see how you might have thought she was sending something that day or shortly thereafter by her question on moving day. From a marketing perspective I know our agent likes to keep his name in front of us from time to time. A gift several months later is just a nice surprise and a reminder to refer your friends.