# Can I buy something off someone's Amazon wishlist and have it shipped to them? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 20, 2004, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-something-off-someones-amazon-wishlist-and-have-it-shipped-to-them/246117 "2004-05-20T03:41:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-something-off-someones-amazon-wishlist-and-have-it-shipped-to-them/246117/1 "2004-05-20T03:41:54Z")
Is this possible? I’m excited because I just found the [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com) account of an old friend whom I haven’t been able to get in touch with in over a year. I know it’s him because he has the same first, middle, and last name, is from the same small town in Norway, has the same undying love for all things WWII, and -the most telling thing- he has his last known email address listed. The problem is that this email address isn’t active anymore and he moved to Oslo so I don’t have his phone number or address. Coincidentally I also moved so he doesn’t have my phone number or address either. On a whim I googled his name and got his Amazon account and now I want to buy something off his wish list and send it to him (with a note or something? if possible?) so I can get back in touch with him. Is any of this reasonable? ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-something-off-someones-amazon-wishlist-and-have-it-shipped-to-them/246117/2 "2004-05-20T03:54:37Z")
Yes. I think most online shopping sites have something like this. [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/759346/ref=br\_bx\_c\_1\_2/102-8922741-3403306](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/759346/ref=br_bx_c_1_2/102-8922741-3403306) > [@](#): > > We make it easy to send most items as gifts. You may send the items in your Shopping Cart to different shipping addresses–simply specify the name and shipping address of each recipient when you fill out the order form. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-something-off-someones-amazon-wishlist-and-have-it-shipped-to-them/246117/3 "2004-05-20T04:02:27Z")
If the Amazon account still has his old inactive email address, they may also still have his old mailing address. I think you need to find out where he is first, or you may just be sending a gift to his old address (unless a parent or relative still lives there, in which case why not try writing to them and giving your new address so that it can be passed on to him?). ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-something-off-someones-amazon-wishlist-and-have-it-shipped-to-them/246117/4 "2004-05-20T04:27:00Z")
> [@](#): > > simply specify the name and shipping address of each recipient when you fill out the order form. I don’t have his address. That’s why I wanted to ship it through Amazon. I was hoping there would be some way to do that, since I’m sure they have his address.