Gift Rebate

December 23, 2003 5:19 PM

Gift etiquette question: I bought my parents a digital camera and extra memory card for Christmas. There is a mail-in rebate for the memory card -- but to get it I have to have the barcode from inside the hard plastic shell package. Assuming my folks like the camera and choose to keep it, I'd like to get the rebate without looking like a skinflint. Other than secretly rummaging through the garbage cans in the aftermath of the gift exchange, what's the polite way to handle this?
posted by Alylex to Shopping (6 answers total)

If it's a commonly used memory card format, you can always use it for other things. You could just take it out, most memory cards come with their own case. So if you can use the card later on, go ahead open it up.
posted by riffola at 5:21 PM on December 23, 2003

Since you are old enough to afford the camera plus generous enough to give a reasonably expensive present, presumably your parents love you enough to not be concerned about such a thing and also have sufficient experience with you to have already formed their opinions. OTOH, you could wait until their dozing on the couch in the feasting aftermath and sneak it out then.
posted by billsaysthis at 5:21 PM on December 23, 2003

Best answer: Yeah, just install it in the camera and keep the UPC. You were just testing it, right?
posted by machaus at 5:23 PM on December 23, 2003

Best answer: It's a good idea to test the camera beforehand anyway, Alylex. I always test things out if I can - it's just too sucky for someone to get presents that don't work.
posted by orange swan at 5:46 PM on December 23, 2003

Best answer: I like the testing it idea if you don't want to be upfront about wanting the rebate. You can even leave a cute "test" picture on the memory as part of the gift.
posted by catfood at 5:53 PM on December 23, 2003

Response by poster: Now that you mention it (yeah, that's the ticket, it's riffola's fault for mentioning it!) my own digicam uses the same memory format... and yeah, the folks will be tickled pink to have pix of their grand-puppy already installed on their new toy... testing, that's it, I was just testing it. (Truly, it had occurred to me that if they don't like the camera, I could manage the hassle of returning it while keeping that juicy memory card for myself.) Thanks all.
posted by Alylex at 6:01 PM on December 23, 2003