Secret Santa?
December 17, 2010 11:07 PM Subscribe
Someone left a $125 Target gift card on our car either this morning or last night. Who???
So my wife found this gift card on her car this morning. It was in an envelope, and was addressed to "The Brocktoon Family". We have no idea who did this. We aren't terribly social people, and we can't think of anyone we might have "touched" recently who could actually afford to do this (we certainly couldn't). Who or what organization might have done this, or how would we go about tracking this person down?
So my wife found this gift card on her car this morning. It was in an envelope, and was addressed to "The Brocktoon Family". We have no idea who did this. We aren't terribly social people, and we can't think of anyone we might have "touched" recently who could actually afford to do this (we certainly couldn't). Who or what organization might have done this, or how would we go about tracking this person down?
It sounds like the giver doesn't want to be tracked down. You're probably better off just basking in the glow of a mystery gesture of seasonal goodwill. But, if it's really driving you crazy, my guess would be a family member, neighbor, or co-worker who wanted to help you out but knew you'd refuse if offered directly.
posted by amyms at 11:17 PM on December 17, 2010 [5 favorites]
posted by amyms at 11:17 PM on December 17, 2010 [5 favorites]
Assuming you don't mean it was literally addressed to "The Brocktoon Family" (with your MeFi name), it looks to me like you have friends or neighbors who would like to anonymously (to save any embarrassment) give your fine but not wealthy family something useful for Christmas.
posted by pracowity at 11:20 PM on December 17, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by pracowity at 11:20 PM on December 17, 2010 [2 favorites]
If I remember correctly either the Asset Protection people (basically Loss Prevention) or the ETLs (assistant managers) at Target can access something called InsidePOS which tracks the number on the gift card with what ever else they bought and the method of payment. If they used a card their name would show up. I'm not sure if they would give you this information though.
The Target Guest Relations phone number is 1-800-440-0680. They may be able to help you.
posted by daninnj at 11:21 PM on December 17, 2010
The Target Guest Relations phone number is 1-800-440-0680. They may be able to help you.
posted by daninnj at 11:21 PM on December 17, 2010
Look, this might not be the right answer. But you should stop looking. Someone, whoever it is, wanted to do something great and whether they're a stranger or your best friend, let them have that great glowing feeling of doing something wonderful. If you don't need it, spend it on things you can donate to people who do.
In fact, regardless, do that. Because then you get to feel that way too.
posted by mckenney at 11:29 PM on December 17, 2010 [30 favorites]
In fact, regardless, do that. Because then you get to feel that way too.
posted by mckenney at 11:29 PM on December 17, 2010 [30 favorites]
Mod note: "You don't need to/shouldn't find them" pretty well covered at this point, if there's nothing else substantive to say it's okay to just give this question a miss.
posted by cortex (staff) at 12:18 AM on December 18, 2010
posted by cortex (staff) at 12:18 AM on December 18, 2010
Mention how thrilled you are to your most gossipy friends/relatives/neighbors. Whomever left you the gift will know you received the gift and appreciated it. And maybe, they'll fess up to being the giver.
posted by 26.2 at 12:47 AM on December 18, 2010 [6 favorites]
posted by 26.2 at 12:47 AM on December 18, 2010 [6 favorites]
There are a lot of people who set aside money specifically for doing something for others at Christmas. My family used to make up boxes of treats and presents for somebody in our area with little kids who we knew wouldn't be having a very good Christmas.
The whole point of the game was not to be found out. We would park down the street, my dad would put the box by their front door, then ring the doorbell and hide until the box was picked up.
My family was never well off. If people were looking for somebody who could afford to give stuff away they would look right over us. The person who gave this gift to your family might be in a similar position and have the same kind of tradition. Pay it forward next year.
posted by TooFewShoes at 5:16 AM on December 18, 2010 [4 favorites]
The whole point of the game was not to be found out. We would park down the street, my dad would put the box by their front door, then ring the doorbell and hide until the box was picked up.
My family was never well off. If people were looking for somebody who could afford to give stuff away they would look right over us. The person who gave this gift to your family might be in a similar position and have the same kind of tradition. Pay it forward next year.
posted by TooFewShoes at 5:16 AM on December 18, 2010 [4 favorites]
Are you social-network active? Maybe posting messages like, "The Brockton Family thanks their anonymous Santa for the lovely gift card!" on Facebook, Twitter, or wherever will at least find you people in your life who have received the same thing, and maybe the giver will come out of the woodwork?
posted by xingcat at 5:55 AM on December 18, 2010 [6 favorites]
posted by xingcat at 5:55 AM on December 18, 2010 [6 favorites]
26.2, TooFewShoes, and xingcat have the best advice I think - mention the nice thing someone did for your family in grateful terms to your friends, relatives and neighbors and online in hopes it will get back to the giver, and then pay it forward sometime when you have a chance yourselves. The giver may or may not ever fess up, but word of your thanks will probably reach them. As TooFewShoes says, there are a lot of people who set aside money for doing something for others at Christmas, and also sometimes are involved in churches, or in organizations as volunteers that may do nice things for people as well.
posted by gudrun at 6:16 AM on December 18, 2010
posted by gudrun at 6:16 AM on December 18, 2010
Probably someone just performing a Random Act Of Kindness. Doing something anonymously is the ultimate in giving, IMO. Very nice.
posted by sundrop at 6:41 AM on December 18, 2010
posted by sundrop at 6:41 AM on December 18, 2010
for the next week, post a big Thank You and Merry Christmas sign in your car window.
posted by theora55 at 7:32 AM on December 18, 2010 [9 favorites]
posted by theora55 at 7:32 AM on December 18, 2010 [9 favorites]
Someone left a $125 Target gift card on our car either this morning or last night. Who???
It's also possible given the timing of this gift that it's someone who wanted you to have a little mad money to spend on Christmas shopping and pre-holiday things. I get some random things from time to time that I think come from either my association with MetaFilter, my work at the public library or some random person whose computer I fixed for free.
If I were guessing I'd say that if it's not a family member or a co-worker, it's someone who you did a kindness for who is giving you a pleasant surprise around holidaytime. I don't know about Target, but my credit cards [and possibly airline frequent flyer plans] have ways for me to cash out points/miles/wahtever on giftcards like this and it may be someone who did this sort of transaction and then tried to think of a likely recipient. The only reason I mention this is because it might not have been given by someone who necessarily had $125 in cash lying around. Alternately it may be people who received the card themselves and don't have a use for it for whatever reason and decided to pass it along. There's a lot of holiday hot potato going on this time of year.
posted by jessamyn at 8:46 AM on December 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
It's also possible given the timing of this gift that it's someone who wanted you to have a little mad money to spend on Christmas shopping and pre-holiday things. I get some random things from time to time that I think come from either my association with MetaFilter, my work at the public library or some random person whose computer I fixed for free.
If I were guessing I'd say that if it's not a family member or a co-worker, it's someone who you did a kindness for who is giving you a pleasant surprise around holidaytime. I don't know about Target, but my credit cards [and possibly airline frequent flyer plans] have ways for me to cash out points/miles/wahtever on giftcards like this and it may be someone who did this sort of transaction and then tried to think of a likely recipient. The only reason I mention this is because it might not have been given by someone who necessarily had $125 in cash lying around. Alternately it may be people who received the card themselves and don't have a use for it for whatever reason and decided to pass it along. There's a lot of holiday hot potato going on this time of year.
posted by jessamyn at 8:46 AM on December 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
my credit cards [and possibly airline frequent flyer plans] have ways for me to cash out points/miles/wahtever on giftcards like this and it may be someone who did this sort of transaction and then tried to think of a likely recipient. The only reason I mention this is because it might not have been given by someone who necessarily had $125 in cash lying around.
Seconded, this is the first thing I thought as well. Sometimes the credit card "rewards" even offer extra-special deals on gift cards to specific merchants. (Usually those in which I have no interest.)
posted by desuetude at 12:04 PM on December 18, 2010
Seconded, this is the first thing I thought as well. Sometimes the credit card "rewards" even offer extra-special deals on gift cards to specific merchants. (Usually those in which I have no interest.)
posted by desuetude at 12:04 PM on December 18, 2010
I agree with 26.2 - "Mention how thrilled you are to your most gossipy friends/relatives/neighbors. Whomever left you the gift will know you received the gift and appreciated it. And maybe, they'll fess up to being the giver."
In the meantime, enjoy it and feel loved and appreciated this holiday season! And pass the cheer along. Maybe next year or whenever you can in the future, extend an anonymous gift to someone in (or out I guess) of your own life. (Not that you maybe don't already do this, just thinking along the pay it forward idea).
posted by click at 3:51 PM on December 18, 2010
In the meantime, enjoy it and feel loved and appreciated this holiday season! And pass the cheer along. Maybe next year or whenever you can in the future, extend an anonymous gift to someone in (or out I guess) of your own life. (Not that you maybe don't already do this, just thinking along the pay it forward idea).
posted by click at 3:51 PM on December 18, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
A very good friend of mine who is involved with helping kids (at the YMCA and after-school programs) who has a big heart always gets a a basket full of stuff in front of his door every year Christmas time. It usually has a nice note saying something along the lines of "You mean more to people than you actually know". He still doesn't know who does it.
posted by BurN_ at 11:14 PM on December 17, 2010