to want my own gift?

[hoppershopper]

Not the end of the world, i know, but just something thats has narked me a little

Brother and family (SL and 2 teenagers)have recently moved back into the area, and we are very happy about this and as they havent got very much possession wise we have helped out as much as possible giving lots of our unused things and lifts here there and there.

Last week, they asked if I could recommend them to Sky TV. There was an offer on which gave the exsisting customer a free gift of an ipod and then the new customer got the sky package for free. Good deal i thought.

Anyway, since last week, we have have several calls from them enquiring if 'thier' ipod has arrived yet.

Im a bit taken aback, because as far as i understood (and i have double checked this) the ipod was MY free gift

I dont want to sound mean and say that i want it, and if they asked if they could have it i would have probably say yes, its not worth falling out over, however i wouldnt mind an ipod myself and whilst its not a nessessiaty for me, its not for them either.

AIBU to keep it?? Its not really worth the hassle tbh, but i think thats its bloody cheeky to just expect that they have it.

It's one of those niggly things isn't when you can't decide if it's petty or not. But if you want an iPod then you should have it. Tell them it's yours as part of the deal or tell them it never turned up ( and hide it when they visit).

If you don't want one then give it to them as a gift.

I think if it's the teens asking you could say hey the gift goes to the existing customer here, that's me.
Or have a word with the parents along the lines of you'll never guess the teens thought thaey were having my ipod.

next time they ask i'd say 'oh yes, the ipod! i meant to tell you, i looked up the offer and we got confused - its actually just ONE ipod for existing customer and just the free sky for the new customer, sorry. i would have offered my one to you, but i've after an ipod for a while myself'
makes it clear you are keeping it without blatently telling them they are being cheeky in expecting it!

yanbu
Go along with Fel1x's 'there must have been a misunderstanding' thing.

I would like to think that it was a simple misunderstanding of the offer. But then if it was for them, why would it be arriving at your house?

I would go with Fel1x advice.

YANBU to keep it for yourself, however I am a little cynical so I would have assumed when they first brought the deal to your attention that they were wanting the iPod for the teenagers, and clarified it then.

I would probably make a sarky remark when handing it over e.g. "so which of you lucky kids is getting my free gift?". Then I would feel mean for saying that and feel bad. But that's just me!

The adults want it! I think i'm not going to mention it and say in a few weeks that they ran out of ipods and put a credit on my bill

i think that the top and bottom of it is that they dont really have very much at the moment, and where as we are 'more established' its almost a given that they should have it. I do feel a bit mean tho, but yes they did suggest me recommending them, so maybe they did that with the intention of them having it to start with.

It's a bit unfortunate that they have asked several times and sounds like you didn't clarify the situation up front... either when they first asked, if they had asked you straight out if they could have the ipod then you might have done it as they might have otherwise asked someone else to recommend them instead if they were that desperate for an ipod. Or if you had mentioned in the conversation that it worked out a good deal for both of you as you would like an Ipod and then they would have realised that it wasn't a given that they got it.

definitely think fel1x's advice is the best - or even tweak a bit to say that your ipod had arrived but if they want one they need to sign somebody up like you did. in the nicest possible way of course.

The phrase 'talking at cross purposes' can come in very useful in situations like this - could you use it to say that you thought they had done this offer to get the freebie sky for themselves and the ipod as a way of saying thank you to you for all the help you have given them since moving in.

Or maybe get your husband to drop something into conversation about wishing they gave out ipods to everybody that watched sky, not like lucky hoppershopper getting one.

THink you need to say something though as if you suddenly get an ipod after all this they will assume that you got it from the offer and you don't want it to cause bad feelings.

but yes, think they are being a bit cheeky expecting it from you without having established this as the reason that they were asking you to do this beforehand.

Don't think I would pass it on. Oh and I'd make sure that I have a print out of the offer just in case it changes so you can show it to them

I wouldn't bother coming up with any 'it hasn't arrived' excuses. I'd just show them the offer details and point out it was my end of the deal.

agree, use the misunderstanding route.

just say "oh, the iPod was for the existing customer, do you have any friends you can recommend?"

yanbu
hoppershopper to il's "Actually, the iPod is my reward for signing up a new customer, you got the free sky service"

I think they wanted the ipod in the first place and that is why they asked you to contact sky.Tbh I think you could all fall out over this and I would be inclined just to give them the ipod (esp if it's a shuffle.Might reconsider opinion if it's an ipod touch!)