Pay someone to mail thank-you cards, but not to D.C.

UPDATE – Friday – 10/11/2013, 11 a.m. ET

WASHINGTON – A just-released update in the Apple Store now includes District of Columbia in the app’s Select-A-State wheel.

EARLIER – Friday – 10/11/2013, 4 a.m. ET

WASHINGTON – For those who have ever thought, “I’d pay someone to write all these thank-you cards,” the wait is over. You’re welcome.

In an age where digital correspondence has swallowed-up traditional written notes, cards and letters, the importance of handwritten thank-you notes has largely endured.

bondgiftupdate200.jpg

Just-released update in Apple Store now allows thank-you notes to be mailed to D.C. (WTOP/Neal Augenstein)

Until now.

BOND Gifts, a startup from New York, has introduced a free iOS mobile app that lets a user type a message – up to 255 characters – that will be executed by a handwriting robot.

For $5 per note, the message will be written in cursive, on a gold-embossed card, which is sealed in wax, and sent by mail to the generous gift-giver.

That is, unless the gift-giver lives in Washington, D.C.

While trying-out the app, I attempted to send myself a thank-you note, addressed to WTOP’s Glass Enclosed Nerve Center. But I couldn’t because sending a note to the nation’s capital wasn’t an option.

In the “Enter/Edit Address” stage of the app, the “Select A State” wheel doesn’t include District of Columbia or Washington, D.C.

A spokesperson for BOND Gift apologized warmly, saying “I’m truly sorry for the inconvenience with Washington, D.C.”

The company has a temporary workaround, and is working to get an update through the Apple store.

In the interim, if a user enters “Washington, D.C.” in the city row and chooses any other state, the company will correct the address before mailing the note.

For a limited time, users can send notes for free. At checkout, use the code FREENOTE.

Right now BOND is iOS-only, but Android and Web versions are being developed.

Click below to watch the handwriting robot at work:

Follow @WTOP and @WTOPtech on Twitter.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up