Amazon gift card from client - would you accept it? (1 Viewer)

[Loose Cannon]

Alright, I debated this with a friend for awhile via text and am curious what a larger group of people would respond.

Quick back story: fairly new client signed about two months ago. Have already delivered some good work for them, happy client, happy consultant, good relationship. They're really strict about IT security, so I actually work from a laptop that they shipped me, via an account on their internal network and everything. So I've got an @client.com email address and exist in their directory.

Got an email from their internal employee engagement team with a $50 gift card to Amazon. Obviously sent to every "employee" via polling the internal list of users to get everyone's email address; which I happen to have as a contractor/consultant.

Here's the rough yin and yang:
- Don't take it: The spirit of the gift cards is supposed to be for actual employees of the company; it wasn't meant for vendors or consultants. Taking it is tacky. It could have been accidental, could get someone in trouble, etc.

- Take it: whoever sent it knows that contractors are included on that list; every other active 3rd party contractor got a gift card too, and the person sending it knows it. You won't be the only contractor to accept it. It's only $50. They won't care. You do good work for them. Even if they didn't mean to, nobody is ever going to notice.

What would you do?

 

[Loose Cannon]

FYI - I already know what my decision is, I'll tell ya'll what it is later on after the poll closes or whatever.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

"hey just wanted to double check with you guys that you meant to send me the gift card"

 

[Infoman]

It'll take more than fiddy bucks to trap this squirrel... that's all ima say...

 

[CapitalCitySaint]

Isn't it supposed to be you buying your clients gifts, not the other way around?

In all seriousness, send it back (or offer to). Keep your integrity in check. Even if they tell you to keep it, at least they'll know you're an honest person which will only make your professional reputation/relationship with them stronger. Someone in the company is going to figure this out and once they all start gossiping, if it actually wasn't meant for vendors, someone is going to get in trouble for being dumb and not verifying that the gift card was actually going to an employee. They should also have a better way in their Exchange server to identify non-employees and when the do a data pull, exclude those folks from the "random selection".

 

[zatsnzapps]

If you know it was intended for you and it was over $50, I'd probably decline it outright because that amount could be perceived as a payoff or something unethical.

$50 or less, I'd consider keeping it after confirming for certain it was intended to be given to you.

 

[rob22278]

Does the client have an office?
Use the gift card to send a care package of snacks/drinks to the local office for the employees to use.

 

[Grumpy Old Manatee]

I'd email your contact and tell her/him that you received something that probably wasn't intended for you and ask them where and who you should return it to. If your contact says "no, we meant for you to have that" then I'd say keep it.

I'd then sell it to someone else because I don't do business with Amazon, but that part is up to you.

 

[bclemms]

Don't say anything but don't spend it. Wait 30 years to retire and then buy denture cream.

 

[Charlie Brizzown]

What gift card?

 

[Loose Cannon]

Also keep in mind it was emailed to me as a virtual gift card that you simply "claim" by clicking a link, it's not an actual physical card.

And the person who the email came from (assuming a mass email) I have never interacted with.

 

[gboudx]

Maybe it’s a phishing attempt.

 

[bigdaddysaints]

Also keep in mind it was emailed to me as a virtual gift card that you simply "claim" by clicking a link, it's not an actual physical card.

And the person who the email came from (assuming a mass email) I have never interacted with.

I would simply ask. that way you know for sure.
I am a contract employee at a plant with a client laptop and a client email. if I was sent something like that, I would just clarify with them. but I play their safety crosswords and nickname game, etc. I never won, but they didn't seem to mind me playing.

 

[SaintJ]

This sounds like way more trouble than the $50 could possibly be worth.

Send your best contact there a screenshot of the email, saying that while you appreciate the gesture, your bigger concern was making sure they hadn't been breached.

Whatever happens from there will probably work.

 

[Saint_Ward]

usually gifts are limited at $25, if memory serves me correctly. So, I'd pass.