Help me shop

[loira]

If you had 200$ to spend on Amazon, what would you buy? My in-laws have given us gift cards to spend but they are for Amazon US and not Amazon Canada. Basically I need to order from the US and ship up to Canada since the US gift cards don't work on Amazon.ca. Which means I need to find something I like enough to pay customs fees on. I was going to buy a second car seat, but Canadian regulations for car seats are different than in the US, so that won't work. I hate feeling ungrateful, but we've never lived in the US (aside from my H being there for work) and have told them repeatedly never to give us US gift cards so I'm irrationally annoyed that I have to spend my own money to use these things or else their money is wasted.

Other than a 2nd car seat, there's nothing A really needs, so I'm thinking something for myself or H.

[mpc]

can you use it for Kindle books or streaming TV shows or movies? I don't know how that works with the difference in countries. Can you get around the shipping and customs by having them bring the stuff the next time they visit? Pick smaller lightweight items I guess. Hmm. I order so much on amazon but it's a lot of random, don't have time to go to the store for that stuff, so not really what you're looking for.

[loira]

mpc, yeah that's my problem with it too! Maybe I'll get something nice for my mum for her birthday. My in-laws basically never visit because we have nowhere for them to stay at the moment. Will look into the books - assuming tv wouldn't work because of country specific streaming rights.

[cherryvalance]

That's so annoying. Do they live in the U.S., or is it completely random that they bought that gc?

Do you need anything replaced? I either use my GCs to replace things I don't really feel like buying, or to get something I'd never buy for myself. I bought a pair of Cavalli snake arm sunglasses and they're my favorite thing ever.

[loira]

Jun 27, 2018 7:49:38 GMT -5 cherryvalance said:

That's so annoying. Do they live in the U.S., or is it completely random that they bought that gc?

Do you need anything replaced? I either use my GCs to replace things I don't really feel like buying, or to get something I'd never buy for myself. I bought a pair of Cavalli snake arm sunglasses and they're my favorite thing ever.

Yes, they live in the US. And my H keeps telling them we love that they want to buy us gifts but to please make sure that gift cards are from the Canadian site of whichever store they're using (or the UK when we lived there). But they don't seem to understand how these things work. At least Amazon US will ship to Canada. We've been given gift cards to US brands that won't even ship here, so basically useless. 8 years we've been married now!

Maybe I will buy myself something completely different. Sunglasses are a good idea! I'm mainly annoyed because I know I'm going to have to cough up customs fees to the delivery person for whatever I buy, so I basically have to spend my own money to use these GCs. I also think it's stupid that an Amazon account is a global account, but gift cards can't be applied to other currencies.

[cherryvalance]

Jun 27, 2018 12:12:50 GMT -5 loira said:

Jun 27, 2018 7:49:38 GMT -5 cherryvalance said:

That's so annoying. Do they live in the U.S., or is it completely random that they bought that gc?

Do you need anything replaced? I either use my GCs to replace things I don't really feel like buying, or to get something I'd never buy for myself. I bought a pair of Cavalli snake arm sunglasses and they're my favorite thing ever.

Yes, they live in the US. And my H keeps telling them we love that they want to buy us gifts but to please make sure that gift cards are from the Canadian site of whichever store they're using (or the UK when we lived there). But they don't seem to understand how these things work. At least Amazon US will ship to Canada. We've been given gift cards to US brands that won't even ship here, so basically useless. 8 years we've been married now!

Maybe I will buy myself something completely different. Sunglasses are a good idea! I'm mainly annoyed because I know I'm going to have to cough up customs fees to the delivery person for whatever I buy, so I basically have to spend my own money to use these GCs. I also think it's stupid that an Amazon account is a global account, but gift cards can't be applied to other currencies.

Ugh, I get you. That would annoy me to no end. I get angry when I have to pay shipping somewhere, lol, forget customs.

[shauni27]

Is there any way you can sell it to someone in the US? Then take the cash and buy yourself whatever you want, lol. I am sure someone on here would buy it from you for say, $190. You lose $10 but it's not like you spent it already and you wouldn't need to SPEND your own money on customs, you know?

Just a thought. Or could you contact Amazon and return the gift card and exchange it for the canadian one?

[Mushe]

loira, I was going to say the same as Shauni. We need to buy a ton of crap at Amazon, so I’d happily trade you for face value, If there’s a way to make that happen easily.

[loira]

shauni27, Mushe, those are good ideas (and thanks for the offer Mushe). Alas, I'd already applied the amount to my account. But maybe I'll try to contact Amazon and exchange for a Canadian one. Don't know why I didn't think of that - maybe I just assumed they wouldn't help me, haha.

Anyway, I realised I needed some flats and another nice bag for work, so I do have some things earmarked.