Any online gift vouchers where you can see what the voucher was spent on?

[Dave Vanian]

Please excuse the somewhat odd query. I will try to include as much detail as I can without divulging more personal details than I would wish to.

I would like to buy a birthday present for a relative, a teenage boy. His mother is not my biggest fan and would probably intercept a gift from me. It's a long time since I was a teenage boy and I don't have regular contact with him, so I was thinking that a gift voucher would be suitable. My issue is that if I simply send a gift voucher for something general like One4All, his mother might very well take it for herself. Similarly cash and even a cheque could be taken.

Can anyone think of a way of sending a gift that could only be used by him? Or online vouchers that would allow you to see if/when they were used and on what?

Thank you.

 

[jpd]

Transfer the amount to his bank account ?
What age is the teenager?
Does he have a Revolut card or whatever it is teenagers use for money?

 

[Leo]

Not many options that wouldn't breach data protection. A cheque crossed and marked 'payee only' would mean it could only be lodged in an account in the recipients name. Or PayPal if they have an email address you're aware of.

If they're into gaming vouchers for PlayStation of XBox stores are unlikely to be of value to the mother.

 

[ant dee]

If you don't think of anything better, One4All might work as "tamper evident" to some extent, if you keep a copy of the number and CVV2.

You can see the transaction history with merchant names on https://www.one4all.ie/one4all-checkbalance

 

[peemac]

Ask him to look through Amazon and to send you a link to something he'd like.

Then buy it and have it delivered to him (doesn't have to be bought on Amazon)

Another option is for him to send a link to a cool pair of shoes.

 

[Thirsty]

As a parent, I would be very unhappy that someone (of whom I did not approve) tried to act in this clandestine manner.

The parent(s) views may be entirely justifed, they may be reprehensible; either way you are perfectly well aware of them, trying to wiggle around it is not the way to go.

If this young person is in their teens, it won't be long before they are an adult & therefore free to make up their own mind about contact with you.

In the meantime, stick to birthday cards and / or cake.

 

[Autofill]

Don’t know your situation but it must be hard not being able to have a better relationship with a young relative you obviously care about. Maybe you could google clothes shops in his area that sell clothes for his age group or for a shop like GameStop if he is into that.