If you are shopping for someone who is hard to buy for, consider gifting them an Amazon eGift instead of buying a physical gift.  An Amazon eGift is simply a gift card attached to a particular item.  Your recipient does not have to buy the item you suggest, but can instead use the gift card for anything on Amazon.com.

I stumbled across this during my research the other day, and I thought it was the perfect solution for that person who is hard to buy for.  You still get points for a thoughtful gift, but if your recipient doesn’t like it, there isn’t a hassle with returns or any of that – they simply choose something else.

The way it works is you pick out a product you think your recipient would like, such as a cute outfit for the baby or some other baby item, and then send it as an eGift.  What you are actually sending is a gift card for an amount you specify, along with a personalized message.  The item is simply a suggestion for your recipient but is not a required purchase item.

Amazon’s idea is genius and hopefully will catch on at other stores.  No more will you buy the wrong item, because you don’t actually purchase the item.  What you are really buying is the gift of thoughtfulness.  Your recipient won’t have the awkward choice of saying they don’t like an item or being stuck with it anyway – they just get what they want.

So next time you’re buying a gift, consider using an Amazon eGift to let them get exactly what they want.