Baby registries - what do you do when buying for others?

[Velar Fricative]

I'm facing a dilemma - do I use the money I plan to spend for SIL and the twins she's expecting to buy a few more items she and BIL will need on Amazon because they're much cheaper there (even with sales/coupons at BRU) but also risk duplicate purchases, or do I buy fewer things from BRU so she could exchange whatever she needs/wants to exchange since that's where she's registered?

But I figured I'd also open up the question of what you guys do when shopping from registries. If you find items cheaper elsewhere, do you buy the cheaper items (and risk duplication) or do you stick with the registry store to make exchanges easier?

[preppy]

I usually stick with the stores where they register to make things easier. I say this as someone who's shower was yesterday who got a few dups from people buying the items from different stores. However if you include gift receipts its NBD since then if its a dup they can return and get other items, there is always something they could buy with an Amazon credit.

[Ashley&Scott]

I stick to the stores they registered at.

[Brie]

You can call BRU and have them mark items as purchased elsewhere to avoid the duplicate problem.

[Velar Fricative]

Jul 27, 2015 9:40:24 GMT -5 preppy said:

I usually stick with the stores where they register to make things easier. I say this as someone who's shower was yesterday who got a few dups from people buying the items from different stores. However if you include gift receipts its NBD since then if its a dup they can return and get other items, there is always something they could buy with an Amazon credit.

Yeah, I'm leaning towards sticking with BRU but I wish I could buy her a few more things because OMG TWINS. 

I'm pretty sure the bolded happened with another SIL who opened up three Crane humidifiers at her shower lol. That was...awkward. Although I generally stick with breastfeeding-related gifts if the mother is planning to breastfeed and I've noticed people stay far far away from the breastfeeding gifts, so I'd be shocked if there were duplicates!

[sent]

BRU will price match Amazon if it's sold directly by Amazon and not a third party. I'd stick with the store they registered.

[longtimenopost]

Jul 27, 2015 9:44:25 GMT -5 Brie said:

You can call BRU and have them mark items as purchased elsewhere to avoid the duplicate problem.

This, but I have always found BRU to be AWFUL about duplicates even when everyone buys from them! So I wouldn't stress about it. 

[sunshine608]

I try and price match at BRU or just buy clothes.

[Brie]

Jul 27, 2015 9:45:16 GMT -5 sent said:

BRU will price match Amazon if it's sold directly by Amazon and not a third party. I'd stick with the store they registered.

Yeah, I've done this too.

Also check Retailmenot for coupons to BRU. There is usually a "spend $15/20/30 and get X free" deal. Just show them your phone. I got a free pack of diapers last time I was there.

[Deleted]

BRU is a complete shit show. I try to avoid that place if possible.

I would buy from Amazon or Wal-Mart or Target (or whatever is local and easy) and include gift receipts.

Almost no one marked things off my registry anyway (Buy Buy Baby where the store is usually pretty competent) so that isn't usually much of a help anyway.

I always pick practical stuff with clear receipts.

[preppy]

Jul 27, 2015 9:45:17 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

Jul 27, 2015 9:40:24 GMT -5 preppy said:

I usually stick with the stores where they register to make things easier. I say this as someone who's shower was yesterday who got a few dups from people buying the items from different stores. However if you include gift receipts its NBD since then if its a dup they can return and get other items, there is always something they could buy with an Amazon credit.

Yeah, I'm leaning towards sticking with BRU but I wish I could buy her a few more things because OMG TWINS. 

I'm pretty sure the bolded happened with another SIL who opened up three Crane humidifiers at her shower lol. That was...awkward. Although I generally stick with breastfeeding-related gifts if the mother is planning to breastfeed and I've noticed people stay far far away from the breastfeeding gifts, so I'd be shocked if there were duplicates!

I always buy the BF items too! Such a necessary gift too. Nursing items are the only thing I didn't receive at my shower, I think people def shy away from buying those in general.

[linz]

I stick with registry. I know BRU will price match even with amazon if it's the same brand so you can always try that.

[perkyderky]

I'm ashamed to say that I've never thought about checking at Amazon to try and find the same item as ones on the registry! Bad MMM!

Having said that, I think you would probably be OK buying your kind of gift(s) from Amazon than BRU, and as one of the above posters mentioned, a credit to amazon or BRU more than likely will NOT go to waste (assuming you know they have/use Amazon).

[sent]

Also I know I'm probably in the minority, but I'm not a huge Amazon fan. Luckily DD's only ever gotten a birthday gift from Amazon with a gift receipt but it seemed like a hassle to return - find a box, pack it, ship it, etc. I just wound up keeping the things. It's much easier for me to return and exchange things from BRU since TRU is only like 4 minutes down the road from us.

[Velar Fricative]

I'm glad I posted this! I did see thanks to this thread that BRU will price-match Amazon. That solves my particular problem, yay!

[Susie]

I price shop, buy where it's cheapest (or from where ever has better shipping options), and then email the registry department and ask to have item #____ marked as purchased on registry #______.  Both BRU and BBB have done it for me in the past within a day or so.  I don't elaborate on where I bought it or logistics on why it didn't get marked off at point of purchase and no one has ever asked.

Actually I just did it on my own BBB registry this weekend; I bought a Chicco play yard directly from Chicco for >50% off, then had them mark it as purchased on my BBB registry so people would know I had one.  I just said I'd received the item and wanted to avoid dups.

[autumnfire]

If you buy items at different places that are on their BRU/Amazon registry I do think that you can actually go to the lists online check off that it's been bought to help prevent duplicate purchases. I believe other registry's also have this capability even BRU (again I think?)

I'm bad, I rarely look at the registry. I make a survival kit that I felt helped when we had a newborn and also some handmade items, 3 A&A blankets (They were a godsend for swaddling), crochet hats NB, 3mths, 6mths, 9 mths and a year. Multi use thermometer that had interchangeable tips for oral, armpit and rectal, gripe water, shampoo, nail clippers, hair brush, change mat, hand made burp clothes, embroidered security blanket, a diaper caddy that you can take with you to change baby no matter where you are. (We used this a lot when DD was in our room and I didn't want to change her in her room.) Hooded towel, desitin ( a big jar of it), a 5 pack of plain white onesies.