Do you ever get this happening?

sacha28

I'm the terrible person who has done this recently.....although I do genuinely have the said cards/presents. My brother's b'day was end of March but he and his family went away so I wasn't able to give it to him. Due to both of our work commitments we saw each other once in April, which was an impulsive visit on my part as I was driving around when ds had fallen asleep in the car. He then got married in May but didn't have a card box (bad planning!!) and as he was rather worse for wear I didn't trust him not to lose it (rightly so I gather, the card from his MIL seems to have gone missing with some vouchers in it!). I took it home..... where it remains....in the computer desk......with his birthday card

bagpussbear

I've experienced this too. When we were getting married, my husband's uncle and aunt declined the wedding invite (despite accepting originally) 3 weeks before the wedding, but apologised and said they would get us a card and "something nice". Nothing was ever sent, and when my husband went to stay with them for a weekend break about 18 months later, there was no card, nor mention of any wedding gift.

TBagpuss

I had an even more annoying variation on this once - a (former) friend who wanted to meet up, then stayed later than planned and missed her bus, so borrowed a tenner from me to pay for a taxi. She promised to post it back to me the following day.

She didn't. 2 months later she sent me a birthday card which had a note in saying that she had not forgotten that she owed me £10. And a few months after that, a (late) christmas card arrived, also with a note saying she hadn't forgotten she owed it to me.
She never did pay back. I doubt she ever intended to. I don't know why he thought bringing it up without actually paying it back would make me feel better.

(It rankled particularly as I was, at the time, on a very tight budget, which she knew. £10 was a significant amount for me )

Lily-Rose_3

Yep, like the majority here, this has happened over the years, with the same few people (a couple of my rellies, a couple of DH's, and a couple of our friends.)

Us, on the other hand, have not ever done it. Like someone said above, it's possible that people intend to get something, and they don't have time, or forget, and then it kind of becomes too late. (Coz frankly, if it's more than say 3 days late, it's an insult.) But to be honest, some people do it over and over again, and they do it to others too, not just us.

My brother and SIL are the worst; my brother and one of his children share a birthday, and it's 5 days before mine, and SIL's birthday is a week AFTER mine. I always always always give my brother and his child some presents, and I take them usually about 1 or 2 days early.

I hear nothing on my birthday, then I get a text 1-3 days after, saying 'happy belated birthday sis: we will be up with your card and pressie soon.' And then it's always about a week late - and conveniently on the day before SIL's birthday, or ON it, so she can get presents and cards off us for the birthday (because they know we'll have them by then.)

Last time he did it, I didn't have her card and presents, even though they came at 6pm on her birthday (a week AFTER mine remember...) so I just took mine off him and her, and sent hers a week later. The same as they do with me: a week late!

For my daughter's birthday (3 months later,) they sent her card and present a week late. It was always 2 or 3 days late anyway, but it was a WEEK late. Me and DH still reckon that they did this deliberately.

I have a friend I have known many years too, but rarely see, who always emails to say that a gift and card is on the way for our daughter's birthday: but it never ever comes. The last time, I actually didn't even acknowledge the email! Don't promise something and then not send it!!!

One of my cousins is the same: she promises gifts and cards and NEVER delivers, even though we always buy for her 5 children and 3 grandchildren! Me and DH actually decided recently that soon, we are going to tell everyone that we're not doing gifts anymore - OR cards - as they rarely send a card anyway. We get more cards and gifts off friends and neighbours.

SOME of my family (and DH's) are OK, and give on time (as we do,) but the ones that don't, really grate on me, so I would rather just do a clean sweep. It's cheaper in the long run, as there are so many!

marisco_2

Peter333 wrote: »

Not just me then?! It's so frustrating. Don't say you have got something when you clearly haven't. Don't understand it.

Precisely. Pointless to make false promises to someone. Quite hurtful too if this is related to a birthday or special occasion. I always focus on a persons actions above their words. Shows many in their true colours very quick.

Mrs_Imp

Oh botheration. You've just reminded me that I still haven't posted my friend's present. It's already 2 weeks late. How rubbish.

sulphate

I had a lot of this with wedding RSVPs. "the RSVP is on it's way!" And then never appeared.

A friend of mine actually pulled me aside at my wedding to apologise for leaving our card and present at home. No big deal as we didn't expect presents. But it never materialised.

NY1986

This has happened to me far too often with one particular (ex) friend.

I had three consecutive years of no birthday/Christmas presents but a promise of one. A card with a thoughtful message means far more than a present.

I didn't see it at the time but now it clear she's a user as she has two LOs and I never missed any birthday/Christmas and would conveniently make sure we met up in time. :eek: