Christmas gift help!

[jeeptruck]

So I live in Michigan and I am spending Christmas with family in Florida. We did secret Santa this year so that we all got one gift of a higher value instead of lots of small gifts from multiple people. I am the first one home so I am sort of doing Amazon box control I can see that my SS got me what I wanted because it was shipped in its own box clearly stating what it is on the outside. The problem is that it's a pretty large mitre saw! How on earth do I get this thing home to Michigan? I want to seem gracious when I "open" the present and "learn" what it is but I really don't want to pay over half the value of the item to get it home. Should I return it to Amazon and then ship it to my address? Seeing who it is from normally this person is smarter than this. I have no idea why she wouldn't ship it to my house!

 

[jeeptruck]

Also I am active military and the American Airlines website says I get complimentary checked baggage for personal travel but in my experience that has been hit or miss with some agents saying I must be on orders. Also some agents don't believe me that Coast Guard is active military .....

 

[chris31997]

I would suck it up and either pay the checked fee or see if you can get it in your luggage(if you brought any). Act way surprise. Time to win an Oscar The other thing is to price out shipping from USPS, FedEx or UPS and take the slowest time to get there with insurance. It might surprise you. I would not return it to Amazon and then reorder it and ship it yourself in Michigan.

Odds are SS wanted you to have something to open and not feel left out. SS did not want to look like a slacker in the gift department. I could also see SS not thinking the logistics of getting it "home" all the way through. As fellow military, we have been there and done that for years. We accept the gifts with the love and thoughtfulness that they were intended, and then figure out how to get them home without making a big deal of it.

 

[supersnoop]

FedEx Ground is usually pretty reasonable for heavy, bulky items.

 

[scrapquitler]

So I live in Michigan and I am spending Christmas with family in Florida. We did secret Santa this year so that we all got one gift of a higher value instead of lots of small gifts from multiple people. I am the first one home so I am sort of doing Amazon box control I can see that my SS got me what I wanted because it was shipped in its own box clearly stating what it is on the outside. The problem is that it's a pretty large mitre saw! How on earth do I get this thing home to Michigan? I want to seem gracious when I "open" the present and "learn" what it is but I really don't want to pay over half the value of the item to get it home. Should I return it to Amazon and then ship it to my address? Seeing who it is from normally this person is smarter than this. I have no idea why she wouldn't ship it to my house!

Maybe the person who bought it for you has a plan that you don't know about (a secret plan to drive up and visit you and throw it in the back of their car when they do so?). If not, I'd be on the return and rebuy side. I can't imagine it not costing a ton to mail.

 

[IceSkatingPrincess]

I have been in the same situation. Yay military! I have done the return/rebuy, but not with Amazon. Check out Fedex/UPS slow ground shipping. It's sometimes not that bad, I shipped a whole moving box full of space bags of clothes really inexpensively through Fedex once (I think it was like ~$30). If not, can it fit in your checked bag and you buy a cheap bag/tote to carry on with whatever had to come out to make room?

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

If you return to amazon, you have to pay to ship it to them. So you might as well ship it to yourself...

Also, go Army!