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Original poster

What is this madness, people buying stuff for random strangers via amazon wishlists

34 replies

elliejjtiny · 14/07/2025 22:40

I'm wondering if I am just getting old/turning into my mother and this is the modern way of doing things.

But there seem to be so many people these days who have an account on facebook and you follow because they share good recipes or their dog is cute or their child has the same medical condition yours does. And they keep posting links to their amazon wish list, saying please buy us stuff, we would be so grateful etc. Which i don't obviously, but sometimes i look, to see what's on it. And there is usually a massive variety of things, from treats to the essentials and I wonder to myself does anyone buy dog food, nappies and baby wipes for internet strangers?

Do you buy this stuff for strangers and hope that another random stranger buys stuff from your amazon wishlist? I've seen people crowd funding to pay medical bills or for fancy funerals etc but this buying baby wipes for random strangers is just weird.

OP posts:
CallMeFlo · 14/07/2025 23:52

Theres a wee con man on Tik tok who's made hundreds from numpties sending him stuff. He started off his account as this wee guy just making a fresh start living his best life. The amazon wish list was crazy he was literally getting dozens and dozens of parcels a day.

His lives got banned and suddenly be turned into a nasty aggressive angry little man.

What possessed people to send him the items on his wish list I cant imagine

Sheer madness

fireplaceember · 14/07/2025 23:57

I have one for my pets page. People kept asking so I set it up. I don’t put anything expensive on, just treats/toys etc but if they want to do it.. I don’t force anyone or post about it constantly

on the other side when I had to have my cat PTS I was SO stressed about money. I got to the vet and a message from PayPal pinged up, another pet FB page (a very well liked one) had sent me £600 to cover individual cremation, his ashes back, clear the vet bill and told me to treat myself with the rest. It took such a weight off my mind

healthybychristmas · 14/07/2025 23:57

Whoever is sending them that stuff needs their head examining!

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shellyleppard · 15/07/2025 00:02

I've seen animal rescue asking dor donations but that's all. I think it's a bit cheeky asking strangers for random items....

Saz12 · 15/07/2025 00:07

I dont get it either - it feels a bit like begging, but usually by people who are able to pay anyway.

Maybe some people see it as "payment" for being entertained by social media?

Unexpectedlysinglemum · 15/07/2025 00:12

Pick me men with a sugar daddy fantasy?

FieldsOfPotatoes · 15/07/2025 00:14

I am one of those people who buy gifts for random people. It brings me joy! Sure I’m probably spun a sob story but if me sending a £2 bubble bath or £5 book makes someone’s day then who am I harming?

I earn Amazon vouchers from doing surveys so it doesn’t ’cost’ me anything.

FoxyLoxyy · 15/07/2025 00:26

@fireplaceemberdo you not feel like a bit of a grifter?

fireplaceember · 15/07/2025 00:35

FoxyLoxyy · 15/07/2025 00:26

@fireplaceemberdo you not feel like a bit of a grifter?

No. I’m always very thankful, message people to say so, send photos etc
i am talking a pack of £2 treats or a toy though maybe every few months and I do a lot more for charity/donations etc that I don’t post about at all (except to type this sentence!)

I feel if I added expensive stuff, kept reminding people about the list, asking for specific stuff that would be grifting or making things subscriber only etc

Judystilldreamsofhorses · 15/07/2025 09:39

I follow an animal rescue on TikTok and occasionally send them things like food and cat litter - they are a very small operation and do a lot of really good work. I’ve also bunged them £5/£10 here and there when they are raising funds for a particular animal to have vet care. I have a monthly DD to a couple of animal charities (CP where we adopted our cat and a dog one in Manchester) so I don’t see it as much different just that it’s ad-hoc.

The other day I saw a person’s video about how her daughter really wanted an expensive toy, and how they always went to look at it in the shop window while on a walk. People on TikTok bought the toy. (Contacted the shop and paid for it.) It obviously made the little girl very happy and the mum was grateful, but it seemed quite odd.

Painrelief · 15/07/2025 09:42

Have you seen the Wetherspoon groups where people buy random drinkers off the internet drinks from the app . The drinkers put up their location and table number and people in the group order …

now that’s absurd to me ….

no wonder everyone feels like they are entitled to other people’s money !!

Worriedmum67 · 15/07/2025 09:42

FieldsOfPotatoes · 15/07/2025 00:14

I am one of those people who buy gifts for random people. It brings me joy! Sure I’m probably spun a sob story but if me sending a £2 bubble bath or £5 book makes someone’s day then who am I harming?

I earn Amazon vouchers from doing surveys so it doesn’t ’cost’ me anything.

Where do you do those surveys? Thank you very much

EveryKneeShallBow · 15/07/2025 09:45

Completely mad!

LipstickLessons · 15/07/2025 09:46

I don't have a wishlist or buy people stuff but essentially isn't it just people saying 'if you like my content here's a way to pay me for it if you like'.

So we will say you follow Anne. Anne posts recipes. You really like Annes recipes, they make your life easier, you now make quick healthy dinners for your family because of Anne. Is it that crazy that you might want to buy Anne a plate off her wishlist because she has helped you? It's kind of like paying for a cookbook but you are cutting out the middle man and just paying Anne.

FieldsOfPotatoes · 15/07/2025 18:57

Worriedmum67 · 15/07/2025 09:42

Where do you do those surveys? Thank you very much

Show quote history

I use this list makemoneywithoutajob.com/free-amazon-gift-cards-uk/

GrandTheftWalrus · 15/07/2025 19:26

Painrelief · 15/07/2025 09:42

Have you seen the Wetherspoon groups where people buy random drinkers off the internet drinks from the app . The drinkers put up their location and table number and people in the group order …

now that’s absurd to me ….

no wonder everyone feels like they are entitled to other people’s money !!

One of those groups does a lot for the homeless and they work with a charity for SEN kids as well.

andanotherproblem · 15/07/2025 19:45

There’s a group on Facebook Amazon wishlist gifting (can’t remember the name) I find it so so strange, basically there’s hundreds of posts a day and even games where you buy one person a gift in a certain budget and everyone buys each other, it baffles me as why wouldn’t you just buy it yourself instead of gifting and then asking other people?

XenoBitch · 15/07/2025 19:50

I have not see it. Just wish lists for animal rescues mainly.

Although the groups a PP mentioned where people buy small gifts for a stranger sounds quite nice.

I have always said that if I won the lottery, I would spend my evenings with some wine and browse GoFundMe, and makes lots of people happy.

XenoBitch · 15/07/2025 19:53

Painrelief · 15/07/2025 09:42

Have you seen the Wetherspoon groups where people buy random drinkers off the internet drinks from the app . The drinkers put up their location and table number and people in the group order …

now that’s absurd to me ….

no wonder everyone feels like they are entitled to other people’s money !!

I have seen that! To join the group, you need to add 5 other people to it.

I remember when the app first started, and people were ordering their mates side orders of peas for a laugh.
Someone on my FB was in a spoons for their birthday and posted the pub and table number on there. They begged people to stop sending them drinks in the end. They had a table full, and it was just the two of them there 😄

Summerhillsquare · 15/07/2025 20:00

There's always been beggars.

Sohot2025 · 15/07/2025 20:12

There's a dog sanctuary in Ireland I've somehow ended up following always wanting their "army" to send money and buy stuff their sob stories are something else.

There are groups where you go ask for money too! Literally, starbies me (their words not mine) pay for this and that often it isn't small amounts either!

DeanStockwelll · 15/07/2025 20:56

shellyleppard · 15/07/2025 00:02

I've seen animal rescue asking dor donations but that's all. I think it's a bit cheeky asking strangers for random items....

My local independent cat rescue charity does this , I have had pets from them in the past and I know they do a great job so I occasionally donate items they ask for , mainly kitten food and cat litter.

But I wouldn't do it for a compleat stranger.

shellyleppard · 15/07/2025 21:04

@DeanStockwelll agree I will support local groups

caringcarer · 15/07/2025 21:13

It's like the random acts of kindness thing. I know a man who often pays for the person behind him as well as his own order at McDonald's and KFC. He is very well off though. I've paid for nappies And a few lunch box foods for a lady at Aldi with a baby and 2 DC who got to checkout and her card was declined and she looked like she was about to cry. It didn't cost much and it didn't really make any difference to me but she seemed very grateful.

Confuuzed · 15/07/2025 22:43

I loosely follow a page where the page owner is constantly begging from his followers. He's always got a gofundme and an amazon wishlist. He pleaded poverty and they bought him a new fridge freezer. Anyway, a week later and he's just bought himself a kitten, so... I guess we can wait for the crowdfunding for vet bills and food.

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