I didn't realise this is an issue until just now..... 5 December 2017 at 11:37AM in Shop but don't drop 12 replies 2.8K views

tonygold

trying to buy a gift of perfume and send it to a colleague as a xmas gift who lives the other end of the country.

tried debenhams online as they advertise the perfume i wanted as a gift but after going thru all the stages of purchase the last button to press is the 'pay now' one.
hold on, i'm thinking, i must have missed where you can type a few words to the recipient like 'merry xmas from xxx' but no there is no facility for this. called customer services in case i'm being thick but no, this is not something they can do!!
so cancel the purchase and....

log onto the fragranceshop.co.uk web site. heavily advertising the xmas gift angle so go thru all the hoops of purchase here, even opting for gift wrapping in a giftbox and once again cannot find where to leave a message to recipient.

phone their helpline (hang on for 15 mins) to be told, sorry we don't offer that service, it's something we are considering.
For a giftwrapped item at xmas?!!!
either i'm being unreasonable or stupid, but wouldn't you think if you're offering to send a gift as a seller, there would be a way of letting the receiver know who has sent it?

or is it just me?

sarah1972

tonygold wrote: »

trying to buy a gift of perfume and send it to a colleague as a xmas gift who lives the other end of the country.

tried debenhams online as they advertise the perfume i wanted as a gift but after going thru all the stages of purchase the last button to press is the 'pay now' one.
hold on, i'm thinking, i must have missed where you can type a few words to the recipient like 'merry xmas from xxx' but no there is no facility for this. called customer services in case i'm being thick but no, this is not something they can do!!
so cancel the purchase and....

log onto the fragranceshop.co.uk web site. heavily advertising the xmas gift angle so go thru all the hoops of purchase here, even opting for gift wrapping in a giftbox and once again cannot find where to leave a message to recipient.

phone their helpline (hang on for 15 mins) to be told, sorry we don't offer that service, it's something we are considering.
For a giftwrapped item at xmas?!!!
either i'm being unreasonable or stupid, but wouldn't you think if you're offering to send a gift as a seller, there would be a way of letting the receiver know who has sent it?

or is it just me?

I would get it sent to me so I could wrap it and enclose a note or card personally and then send on to them.

jenniewb

sarah1972 wrote: »

I would get it sent to me so I could wrap it and enclose a note or card personally and then send on to them.

I'd imagine the OP was trying to reduce or cut out postage fees- having an item sent to the OP would mean one set of postage fees, sending it out to a friend would add a separate set of fees and that is without considering the items the Royal Mail will not deliver which on my last check did include perfumes.

ERICS_MUM

I sent perfume last week. I told the woman n the counter set the post office and she stuck a label on the parcel which presumably denoted the contents as flammable.

tonygold

sarah1972 wrote: »

I would get it sent to me so I could wrap it and enclose a note or card personally and then send on to them.

i get what you are saying sarah but it rather defeats the purpose of buying gifts online if when you send them you can't even add a note so that the person receiving them knows who sent it.

Pollycat

jenniewb wrote: »

I'd imagine the OP was trying to reduce or cut out postage fees- having an item sent to the OP would mean one set of postage fees, sending it out to a friend would add a separate set of fees and that is without considering the items the Royal Mail will not deliver which on my last check did include perfumes.

Jenniewb is right.
Royal Mail say they don't allow perfume to be posted - from their 'prohibited' list:

Perfumes and aftershaves (including eau de parfum and eau de toilette and alcohol-free perfumes, but excluding non-flammable perfumed creams, gels, oils or lotions.)

https://personal.help.royalmail.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/96/~/prohibited-goods---personal-customers

sarah1972

tonygold wrote: »

i get what you are saying sarah but it rather defeats the purpose of buying gifts online if when you send them you can't even add a note so that the person receiving them knows who sent it.

I get what you mean but I would rather add a personal touch rather than them just receive an unwrapped gift with a typed out card.

Each to their own though.

Does seem a missed opportunity by the retailers.

sarah1972

ERICS_MUM wrote: »

I sent perfume last week. I told the woman n the counter set the post office and she stuck a label on the parcel which presumably denoted the contents as flammable.

Same here and I sent aftershave yesterday and they just stuck the label on.

steveE2

Pollycat wrote: »

Jenniewb is right.
Royal Mail say they don't allow perfume to be posted - from their 'prohibited' list:

https://personal.help.royalmail.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/96/~/prohibited-goods---personal-customers

If you click "Perfumes & Aftershave" you'll see it can be sent in UK subject to restrictions

International - Not allowed in the mail
UK - Allowed in the mail, see restrictions and packaging guidelines below:
Volume per item must not exceed 150ml.
No more than four items in any one parcel.
Must be sent in its original retail packaging, placed in strong outer packaging and cushioned to prevent breakage.
An ID8000 label must be applied (see example ID8000 label).
The sender's name and return address must be clearly visible on the outer packaging.
These items must be presented at a Post Office® counter.

tonygold

sarah1972 wrote: »

I get what you mean but I would rather add a personal touch rather than them just receive an unwrapped gift with a typed out card.

Each to their own though.

Does seem a missed opportunity by the retailers.

It's not an unwrapped gift though. that's just the point. they offer a gift wrapping service as an 'extra'. so the item arrives in a gift box but with no way of adding a card or even a note to say who sent it.
ideal foe valentine's day i suppose!!

sarah1972

tonygold wrote: »

It's not an unwrapped gift though. that's just the point. they offer a gift wrapping service as an 'extra'. so the item arrives in a gift box but with no way of adding a card or even a note to say who sent it.
ideal foe valentine's day i suppose!!

It does seem a bit silly gift wrapping but no option to put a note in it I must admit !