Thank you for backordered gift?

Lottie&Paul

My sister is getting married next week, and she just received an email from Macys that a gift was purchased for her from a colleague, but it is on backorder and will arrive in August.  We both think she should send a thank you card right away - not wait until August, but should she say that she received an email that it was purchased and will arrive in August, or should she just say thank you for the gravy boat, in which case the colleague will likely assume that she received the gift? I think she should do the latter; I don't see any reason to explain that she hasn't actually received it yet. 

brookelynpaisley

Since she got an email notifying her of the gift, and it's been purchased and will be sent, I'd send a thank you and just say "Thank you for thinking of us and for the lovely _____." My guess is that whoever ordered it also knows it's on backorder. If they were to call and say "oh, you got it?" your sister could simply let them know that she received an email that it was headed her way and is looking forward to receiving it. But then, I'm big on thanking people when I know a kind deed has been done regardless of when I get something - I'm on an accrual basis when it comes to giving thanks

Mrs.B6302007

I wouldn't send a TY yet.  The TY also serves the purpose of letting giver know it arrived and since it hasn't, it would be more awkward later to have to let the giver know it never showed (if something were to happen to it).

As PP said, the giver probably received notification as well.  There's nothing wrong with a quick phone call or email acknowledging that she received the email notification and say something along the lines of "We're very excited about the gift and can't wait to actually get to receive/see it."  Then upon receiving it, she can send the formal TY.

brookelynpaisley

Okay, I change my answer. I'd go with what B said. You'd think I would have learned by now.

TNMurray

I would send the thank you note right away. And say thank you for the gift, I can't wait till it gets here. Clearly everyone knows that its on back order and if you wait it just seems like you didn't appreciate the thought until you got the gift in hand. then when the gift arrives, give them a phone call to let them know you physically got the gift. Thats just my opinion.

AlexiaANDRobert

We had the same thing happen to us, and I sent the thank you right away.

The gift was from really close friends and it came about 2 months earlier than the email from Macy's said it would so I just let them know when I actually got it.