How to surprise someone on your account with a Kindle book
I love to get books as gifts…and I love to give books as gifts!
Back in the pre-digital days 😉 , I used to always buy used copies of the first Doc Savage book, The Man of Bronze, so I could gift them to people (and not worry about getting back my copy). I usually had a few of them around…they were popular in the 1960s, so there were often copies available for under $1.
When we first got the Kindle, more than ten years ago, one of the biggest complaints was that you couldn’t gift Kindle books.
We’ve been able to do that for a long time, since November 19 of 2010, and I’ve done it many times.
My family members do gift lists: several do Amazon ones, others do more of a narrative…but I think they all address books, and we do give them…a lot.
However, there is a challenge if you want to give a Kindle book as a gift to someone who is on your same account (such as me gifting a book to my Significant Other).
When you buy a Kindle store book, it shows up on your device…whether you sent it to that device or not. That’s particularly true on a (Kindle) Fire tablet, where it appears on the “Carousel”. If it hasn’t been sent to that device, when you tap it, it will want to download.
So, if I buy a book for my SO, the way we usually do, my SO would see it before the gift-giving occasion.
I could just wait until that time, of course, but book prices vary wildly. Take a look at today’s
Kindle Daily Deal (at AmazonSmile…benefit a non-profit of your choice by shopping*)
for example. Those “page turning reads” are up to 80% off…today.
Also, today’s
12 Days of Deals (at AmazonSmile: benefit a non-profit of your choice by shopping*)
which is the 8th day, focuses on music lovers, avid readers, and film buffs (and there are particular e-book deals).
The trick is to buy the book as a gift…but have the gift e-mailed to you, rather than e-mailed to the other person.
That’s a specific choice: you don’t just put your e-mail into the top slot as the giftee.
Then, you get an e-mail, which you can print to give. In that situation, while today’s price is preserved, it does not show up in your account (and on your devices) until you enter a code in the e-mail into an Amazon account.
There you go! You can take advantage of sales, and still surprise people on your account!
Happy giving!
You can be part of my next book, Because of the Kindle!
Join thousands of readers and try the free ILMK magazine at Flipboard!
All aboard The Measured Circle’s Geek Time Trip at The History Project!
* I am linking to the same thing at the regular Amazon site, and at AmazonSmile. When you shop at AmazonSmile, half a percent of your purchase price on eligible items goes to a non-profit you choose. It will feel just like shopping at Amazon: you’ll be using your same account. The one thing for you that is different is that you pick a non-profit the first time you go (which you can change whenever you want)…and the good feeling you’ll get. 
Shop ’til you help!
This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog. To support this or other blogs/organizations, buy Amazon Gift Cards from a link on the site, then use those to buy your items. There will be no cost to you, and a benefit to them.
I Love My Kindle 
December 11, 2017 at 4:52 am |
My wife and I started with separate accounts but have had ours merged for a few years and this is exactly how I buy her Kindle books for Christmas. I have it emailed to me, print it, then wrap it in various ways. One thing I do every single year is put one in my Kindle 1 box. I no longer have the Kindle but I have the box. Sometimes I wrap it and sometimes it just sits under the tree. I have about decided I like the looks so much I doubt I’ll wrap it going forward. She knows what it is as soon as she sees it wrapped anyway.
Other ways I have wrapped the certificate. Oh, I always cut off the excess paper around the certificate so it’s much smaller.
Empty paper towel roll. Just roll up the certificate, place it in the paper towel roll, and wrap that.
I’ve taken one of her DVD’s, off the shelf, put the certificate inside, and wrap the DVD. She used to think it was a wrapped DVD. Now, she never knows if it’s a Kindle book or DVD. And yes, sometimes she has asked me “have you seen such and such DVD?” Nowadays if she notices one missing at Christmas time she just figures it’s wrapped under the tree LOL.
I’ve done the same with CD jewel cases.
I’ve taped it to the top of a box of noodles and wrapped the noodles. This is great for shaking.
In a box with all kinds of odd and ends I find for shaking noise. I might throw a few batteries in it, as well as a bottle of used hand lotion we had sitting around, and anything else non breakable I can find and do without until Christmas.
Inside a hardcover book I took off the shelf and wrapped. I’ve gotten rid of all but 3 of my hardcover books but my wife has quite a few.
December 11, 2017 at 2:03 pm |
Thanks for writing, Phink!
I love those!
I have wrapped creatively in the past, but I think yours are great! What a great way to make opening a package fun!
December 11, 2017 at 3:12 pm |
As far as Christmas gift tags go on one of her presents every year I put ‘Imzadi’ which is Betezed for ‘My Beloved’. This year I thought I’d put ‘My’ in front of everything on her gift cards such as ‘My Flame’, ‘My Life’ etc. Someone came over and after realizing what I did said “You forgot to put My in front of Imzadi. It just says Imzadi.” I explained Imzadi means ‘My Beloved’ so to say My Imzadi is to say My My Beloved which is grammatically incorrect.” They simply thought I was weird LOL. I went instantly from being a sweet adorable husband to some kind of weird Trekkie freak hehe.
December 11, 2017 at 7:36 am |
I wish I could gift books in Amazon.es.
People have been asking for that for years, but for some reason it’s not allowed.