Does anyone else feel that personalised cards are actually impersonal?

[Yourinmyspot]

I mean the ones that you get through the post like moonpig that are printed rather than handwritten.

I don’t like them, I know it’s daft and someone has taken the time and effort to send a card but it just somehow feels impersonal to me.

It’s the opposite of impersonal 🫣

It’s the opposite of SWALK, isn’t it? The hands of your loved one didn’t touch it at any point! It’s odd because it takes work, but just from someone s sofa. Somehow not the same as them actually handling some cards to pick one out, having checked the verse inside, found a pen to write in it and address the envelope, dug out a stamp, gone to the post box…

I have an elderly relative that sends Jackie Lawson virtual cards- or at least, instructs me to send them- then complains when people don’t reply to thank her for the virtual card.

This post nails it.

I've been known to check out 5 or 6 different shops (although not necessarily during the same shopping trip) in order to find the right card (the image and verse are important)...

It's a different kind of thought and effort isn't it? I know what you mean, but I wouldn't really judge someone as caring less because that is the option they chose over going to the shops. Not saying you do, but saying for myself that receiving any card is rather lovely.

And I think people on this thread might be mixing up: personalise and personal!

Me too. Especially for my Mum. She might end up with Moonpig this year (birthday very soon) as I'm not well enough to get out the house & im running out of time to get it posted 🥲

I might not have worded it very well. I do appreciate that someone has made the effort to send me a card, and can fully see why someone would use the online companies. I know I'm being picky.

Depends who it's from & what they've chosen. Generic birthday card I'm a bit 'why bother. Might as well just send a what's app really'.

One they've personalised with photos etc I still live to get.. A little bit less than one they've handwritten, but still enjoy.

I feel exactly the same! No thought goes into it and I don't like the printed "signatures". I would honestly rather folk didn't bother than send me a Moonpig card. Luckily for me most of my friends send normal handwritten cards.

I do buy the personalise cards, but I get them sent to me to physically sign and give to the recipient personally.

I agree, i'm not a fan. BIL sends them to my kids and taps away in about 2 mins on his commute to work. Probably a pop up reminder on his phone.

If he asks what presents they would like I might make suggestions, if I list a few ideas and one is a link he always always always replies within 2 mins to say he just bought the one with the link. They get delivered here so I have to wrap them and present them to kids as he lives a distance away and isnt around for the birthdays. It's such a petty complaint I know, he is a lovely uncle and very generous with money but not generous with time. And I value time more.

Aww bless you - there are lots of legitimate reasons to send via Moonpig.

I lived 8,000 miles from the UK, relying on BFPO, for four years... I always used Moonpig as I knew it would actually get there. There are still plenty of bits of post swirling around from me that never made it home.

And I'm still pissed off that Brize Norton lost a really important item that they made me put into the hold on departure and somehow never made it to Oxfordshire.

Happy almost birthday to your mum.

Jackie Lawson cards! I’d forgotten about them. My DM used to pay to send me Jackie Lawson cards but they didn’t work on the phone that I had at the time and she would get really annoyed at me for not viewing them 😂

If you live elsewhere it's an absolute godsend! Especially post Brexit where ordering a batch from whistle fish is out of the question.

I like them. Postage is so expensive now it’s better value.

Yes, I feel this. I’m pleased to get a card of course but it does feel a bit more impersonal with the lack of handwriting. I have once sent a Moonpig card when I had left it too late to send one through the post though.

My DBs daughters always used to send him Moonpig cards and he absolutely hated them but loved his DDs too much to say anything. He would say they couldn't be bothered to go out and choose, write and post a card for him, and that really hurt him.
He's dead now but every time his birthday comes around I think of that because it upset him so much.
For that reason I would never send one, although I appreciate some people like them.

Thank you🥰

My Mym is 12,000 miles away, so nothing is easy 🙇🏻‍♀️. She's in her 80's & just been diagnosed with dementia. So it's all a bit of a nightmare 😢

How can they lose sonething BN to Oxfordshire??? FFS

Not easy in the slightest. I totally understand. It's really hard being away from family. I'm sure she will love her card. It's always the thought that counts most.

Sorry should have explained. I used to work in the Falklands and had a signed poster to take home. I had it in a cardboard tube and asked if I could put it in the overheads. Military personnel at Mount Pleasant had to call Brize to ask if I could have it in the cabin - Brize said no. It was a poster tube!!!

So I checked it in... did it arrive on the carousel in Brize at the other end? No it did not. Not even a squashed version which I expected. So I registered a missing item/complaint and the guy on the desk at Brize said: "It's just a poster..."

No mate, it's signed poster of amazing shipwreck art by a local artist. They never found it, never apologised... the guy who drew it died in December so I can never get a new one now. Still fuming!

Wow, so it’s not actually the thought that counts, the receiver also needs to feel the sender has put the ‘appropriate’ amount of effort in, otherwise it’s not worth it?! So if I don’t physically traipse to the shops on one of my 2 weekend days and choose the card, hand write it, lick the envelope, buy the stamp and find a sodding post box to put it in my wishes are worth less or even hurtful/offensive?

I find grown adults who get worked up about cards, their birthday, and having everything exactly as they want it to be utterly tedious

I love Moonpig cards personalised with photos but I’m always happy with any kind of card as I really do think it’s the thought that counts!

id love to know whether the ‘handwriting’ option in Moonpig makes any difference to how much you appreciate the card?

I write the message, take a photo and upload that text which appears inside the card.

ckme to think of it, it’s either that or no card, I’d prefer to send no card but feel the Moonpig is a fair compromise

I also do this for family birthdays. Personalised cards with a personal sentiment written inside.

So do I. The right photos take ages to hunt down and set up in the right card. I get to write personal greetings, perhaps a line from a film TV show, poem Etc.

So no mine aren't impersonal.

I normally spend a long time creating my Moonpig type cards. I send them for special occasions such as big birthdays or when I can't find an appropriate card in the shops. You can always handwrite a personalised message in the card by having it sent to yourself first then forwarding it on if it's for someone you see regularly.
There are some truly dire cards around. My pet hates are the cards with a big number on the front and not much else.. They are totally impersonal and give the impression that they are bought by someone who can't be bothered looking for somwthing more interesting. I'd much rather spend some time designing a well thought out Moonpig (or similar) card.