This morning I read in the Houston Chronicle how Amazon is proposing early gift rejection. The idea works like this. Amazon has patented a way for people to return gifts before they are received and the patent even mentions the name of the gift giver. The consumer can keep an online list of lousy gift-givers whose choices may be appraised before the gift is even shipped. The recipient does not have to return the gift saving the time and money of having to repack and send the gift back to Amazon. Amazon saves money because they do not have the expense of restocking and sending out a new gift. Supposedly, a win-win situation. But is it really win-win?
No wonder it is so hard to give gifts. What if I am a terrible gift giver? I know I am a terrible gift giver. I have resorted to just giving money because trying to find just the right gift the will bring joy seems impossible. Maybe this is my “Scrooge” attitude coming through this year.
What do you think? Is it a good idea to be able to return gifts before they are even shipped?
Reflections 