Random Chitchat

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time)]

We are close! Everyone actually has tomorrow to sign up and the matches are assigned at midnight tomorrow night!

[Lisazj1]

Cannot wait!!!

[Lisazj1]

I was just now..uuummm....shopping wish lists, as you do, and I noticed that quite a few peeps do not have books on their lists.

If you want peeps to look at a list here on GR or something, please make sure you link it on your Elfster profile or you're going to have a sad Secret Santa!

[Shelby]

So need to double check that it's still linked for just that reason. I've been super busy and haven't updated my Elfster wishlist, though I've got some stuff on my Secret Santa Shelf. :)

[Mamacita aka MawMaw]

Heather K (dentist in my spare time) wrote: "We are close! Everyone actually has tomorrow to sign up and the matches are assigned at midnight tomorrow night!"

Hey HK! Thanks again for running this group again. Will you do a separate thread for who we are matched with or will we be PM'D?

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time)]

Mamacita wants a Bedtime Story wrote: "Heather K (dentist in my spare time) wrote: "We are close! Everyone actually has tomorrow to sign up and the matches are assigned at midnight tomorrow night!"

Hey HK! Thanks again for running this..."

You will find out your match through elfster!

[Aղցela W.]

I see that the names have been drawn, but what do you when your person doesn't have a wish list or on GR

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time)]

Aղցela W. wrote: "I see that the names have been drawn, but what do you when your person doesn't have a wish list or on GR"

No worries, I can help. This happens all the time. Sometimes the person has their profile to private on elfster. I'll check it out for you.

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time)]

Aղցela W. wrote: "I see that the names have been drawn, but what do you when your person doesn't have a wish list or on GR"

It's right there under "more info" under your match's elfster profile. It links to their GR page.

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time)]

Aղցela W. wrote: "I see that the names have been drawn, but what do you when your person doesn't have a wish list or on GR"

If they don't have a "wishlist" I just check their to-read list and go from there. Or I message them through elfster.

[Aղցela W.]

Thanks Heather

[Pavellit]

Please check out the actuality of your wish list because I've just found out that my receiver has already read one of his/her desired options.

[Christelle]

Pavellit wrote: "Please check out the actuality of your wish list because I've just found out that my receiver has already read one of his/her desired options."

Thanks Pavellit for the tip. I will check before gifting : better be safe than sorry :-(

[Sarah (is clearing her shelves)]

Pavellit wrote: "Please check out the actuality of your wish list because I've just found out that my receiver has already read one of his/her desired options."

I've read one of the books on my Elfster wishlist, but I really enjoyed it and would like to own it, so that's why I've got it on the list. I'm not suggesting you're my Secret Santa, just giving one possible reason for a book on a wishlist already having been read.

[Ami]

YAY, we have all been paired up!!

[Ami]

ALSO, if you've purchased gift for your Elf based on their Elfster wishlist, don't forget to "mark it as purchase". Because sometimes we have different Santas wanting to spread around joys, and ended up buying the same titles. It happens every year ^^

As for me, to make it easy, if I receive present, then I'll delete that title from my Elfster wishlist immediately.

[Sarah (is clearing her shelves)]

Ami wrote: "ALSO, if you've purchased gift for your Elf based on their Elfster wishlist, don't forget to "mark it as purchase". Because sometimes we have different Santas wanting to spread around joys, and ended up buying the same titles. It happens every year ^^

As for me, to make it easy, if I receive present, then I'll delete that title from my Elfster wishlist immediately."

That's what I do too. I don't want anyone wasting money on an already bought gift.

[tinyteaplots]

I've scheduled all my gifts to be sent out on certain days to my giftee.
I really hope they are pleased when all is said and done.
Color me excited!

[Cadiva]

I've got my person but none of their books are available on Smashwords and I can't send via Amazon, B&N, Waterstones etc when it's a digital gift to another country :(

Will have to have a think!

[Vicki]

I'm in the same boat. I'm looking at Google books right now to see if they have any of them.

Cadiva wrote: "I've got my person but none of their books are available on Smashwords and I can't send via Amazon, B&N, Waterstones etc when it's a digital gift to another country :(

Will have to have a think!"

[Ky]

Cadiva wrote: "I've got my person but none of their books are available on Smashwords and I can't send via Amazon, B&N, Waterstones etc when it's a digital gift to another country :(

Will have to have a think!"

I haven't tried yet but I might have the same problem. What I thought to do is send a gift card and simply say which books I would have gotten them if there wasn't a region restriction.

[Lisazj1]

Try Riptide or Dreamspinner!

[Vicki]

Great idea. You'd send a traditional card via mail?

Ky wrote: "I haven't tried yet but I might have the same problem. What I thought to do is send a gift card and simply say which books I would have gotten them if there wasn't a region restriction. "

[Vicki]

Unfortunately, the books aren't on those sites either.

Lisazj1 wrote: "Try Riptide or Dreamspinner!"

[Ky]

Vicki wrote: "Great idea. You'd send a traditional card via mail?

Ky wrote: "I haven't tried yet but I might have the same problem. What I thought to do is send a gift card and simply say which books I would ha..."

If you mean like a paper card with the post then nope. It's going to cost me more than the actual gift card if I have to send mail from Greece to the States :-p I was talking about an Amazon gift card. There souldn't be a restriction about that. With the books there is because of which publisher have the rights to destribute them in each country, or that's what I understand to be the problem. A gift card should be fine - I hope!

[Vicki]

I did a chat with Amazon this morning and they said the gift card can be sent but not redeemed. :(

Maybe that's not the case all the time?

Ky wrote: "There souldn't be a restriction about that. With the books there is because of which publisher have the rights to destribute them in each country, or that's what I understand to be the problem. A gift card should be fine - I hope! "

[Ky]

Vicki wrote: "I did a chat with Amazon this morning and they said the gift card can be sent but not redeemed. :(

Maybe that's not the case all the time?

Ky wrote: "There souldn't be a restriction about that. W..."

For real?! What's the point of being able to send a gift card if the recipient can't use it?

[Vicki]

I know. I asked about sending books and she said you could send it but they might not be able to redeem and if not, they could contact customer service and they would get a credit. So there's that...not ideal but looks like still sendable.

Ky wrote: "For real?! What's the point of being able to send a gift card if the recipient can't use it?"

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time)]

Check gifting from the publisher or message me privately and I’ll see if I can help!

[Ky]

Vicki wrote: "I know. I asked about sending books and she said you could send it but they might not be able to redeem and if not, they could contact customer service and they would get a credit. So there's that...."

Ok, at least that's something... I hope it will work more smoothly than that in the end. We'll see..

[Judith]

Help!
So,I've got my person who doesn't have any one specific book on their wishlist,just suggested themes......I'll probably send it from Smashwords or Dreamspinner but how will they know it's from Elfster and not just the website?
Sorry,I'm not making much sense here!

[Ky]

Heather K (dentist in my spare time) wrote: "Check gifting from the publisher or message me privately and I’ll see if I can help!"

Thank you, Heather!

[Josy]

Vicki wrote: "I did a chat with Amazon this morning and they said the gift card can be sent but not redeemed. :(

Maybe that's not the case all the time?.."

I'm just popping in here although I'm not participating this year. Sorry about that!! But you and your match should be fine if you buy and send a gift card through the Amazon site your person uses. If your person uses amazon.com you need to buy and send a gift card through amazon.com and so on. I usually use the German Amazon and have successfully bought and sent gift cards from amazon.com, amazon.fr and amazon.es. As far as I know, you can use your usual login information on all sites. You don't have to create a new account.

[Judith]

Vicki wrote: "I know. I asked about sending books and she said you could send it but they might not be able to redeem and if not, they could contact customer service and they would get a credit. So there's that...."

I've had this in the past when i sent Amazon gift cards to friends in the US.....the gift card was sent without any problem but friends couldn't redeem them....ridiculous!

[Pavellit]

I'm starting to worry about the whole thing with these restrictions. My giftee is from a country (part of EU) that people already mentioned have a problem with it, but he/she put on the wishlist books from amazon.com and I bought them and sent it as a gift. I hope amazon.com to notify me if there is a problem. If there are detectives here, I am fully exposed.Lol!

[Judith]

Help....Again!!

If you're sending a book from Dreamspinner,Smashwords,or Riptide does the receiver have to have an account with them to access the book?

[Christelle]

Ami wrote: "YAY, we have all been paired up!!

"

Hehehe : I am too....so much !!!!

[Christelle]

Judith wrote: "Help....Again!!

If you're sending a book from Dreamspinner,Smashwords,or Riptide does the receiver have to have an account with them to access the book?"

Hey, Judith. I don't know for Dreamspinner, but no need with Smashwords nor Riptide.

[Christelle]

Pavellit wrote: "I'm starting to worry about the whole thing with these restrictions. My giftee is from a country (part of EU) that people already mentioned have a problem with it, but he/she put on the wishlist bo..."

From what I remember, if the gift is made from the US site, the giftee from an EU country can retrieve it. The restrictions are from EU to US or between EU websites....**sigh** : it's so complicated my head is spinning sometimes :-(

EDIT post : these are the rules on Amazon. It's different for other websites...just to make it simpler :-(

[Judith]

Christelle wrote: "Judith wrote: "Help....Again!!

If you're sending a book from Dreamspinner,Smashwords,or Riptide does the receiver have to have an account with them to access the book?"

Hey, Judith. I don't know ..."

Great,thanks darling! I've got a terrible feeling I'm going to mess this up!

[Christelle]

Judith wrote: "Christelle wrote: "Judith wrote: "Help....Again!!

If you're sending a book from Dreamspinner,Smashwords,or Riptide does the receiver have to have an account with them to access the book?"

Hey, Ju..."

LOL : don't worry, Judith. I made some mistakes last year, but at the end of the day, the fun is from participating and see all the other nice elves having fun !!

[Aղցela W.]

Heather K (dentist in my spare time) wrote: "Aղցela W. wrote: "I see that the names have been drawn, but what do you when your person doesn't have a wish list or on GR"

If they don't have a "wishlist" I just check their to-read list and go f..."

I found it

[Cadiva]

Christelle wrote: "Pavellit wrote: "I'm starting to worry about the whole thing with these restrictions. My giftee is from a country (part of EU) that people already mentioned have a problem with it, but he/she put o..."

Yeah I think the issue is gifting from outside the USA to the USA. I've received a gift bought from a US account on my UK account before (although someone did mention that may have now changed too).

[Ami]

Cadiva wrote: "I've got my person but none of their books are available on Smashwords and I can't send via Amazon, B&N, Waterstones etc when it's a digital gift to another country :(

Will have to have a think!"

This is just an idea ...

Worst comes to worst, for me, I will buy the book myself. Then de-DRM the book and send it to my person using specially-made email for this event.

Like SecretSanta2017@gmail.com or something.

So it still stay anonymous but I can gift without the restriction.

[Melissa]

Ami wrote: "Cadiva wrote: "I've got my person but none of their books are available on Smashwords and I can't send via Amazon, B&N, Waterstones etc when it's a digital gift to another country :(

Will have to ..."

I will admit to thinking the same thing when I read about all the restrictions and difficulty people were talking about when gifting outside their area.

I personally don't see a problem with doing this because you legit bought a copy and had you been able to gift a copy the way you wanted, you would have.

[Vicki]

Great idea and I tried this today with a small gift card. I'll follow up if it works.

EDIT: It worked! Thanks so much for the idea! :)

Josy wrote: "But you and your match should be fine if you buy and send a gift card through the Amazon site your person uses. "

[Liz (Bugetta)]

I'm bummed you can't send gifts from Audible anymore. :( And the minimum gift membership is $45 for three months. Uh no.

[Diane]

Liz (Bugetta) wrote: "I'm bummed you can't send gifts from Audible anymore. :( And the minimum gift membership is $45 for three months. Uh no."

I know it sucks. I would love getting audiobooks as I listen to them while driving and at work.

[Aղցela W.]

Liz (Bugetta) wrote: "I'm bummed you can't send gifts from Audible anymore. :( And the minimum gift membership is $45 for three months. Uh no."

Wow when did this happen must have been recently

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time)]

I have insider Audible information! They are working on bringing gifting back. they had issues with people selling and stealing codes, so they had to re-do their whole gifting system!