17/06/2026 4:55 am
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Ive been using Amazon and Elfster for years for our family secret santa but things got weird this morning. My mother in law somehow found my private "treat myself" list that I specifically set to private or so I thought. Now shes asking why I want expensive kitchen gear when we dont have the space and its getting awkward. I need to figure out how to lock this down fast because my birthday is in two weeks and I dont want the whole extended family judging my taste or price points.
Is there a way to password protect a specific list or maybe use a dummy account that doesnt link to my main profile email? I tried the basic privacy settings but clearly it didnt work because she saw everything. How do I actually keep my lists hidden from people who already have my email saved in their contacts?
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11
17/06/2026 4:55 am
In my experience, those private settings on big retail sites are super buggy, especially if your family is linked via household accounts. Over the years, I've tried many ways to lock things down, but the most reliable fix is creating a separate account with a burner email address. Dont use your main email or any info they already have saved in their contact lists. Ngl, I moved all my personal lists over to a dedicated wishlist site that isnt tied to my shopping history. It keeps my actual wants totally separate from the family Secret Santa drama. Just keep the main account for the basic stuff and use the secret one for the fancy kitchen gear you actually want. Its basically the only way to stop the MIL from snooping. It takes five minutes to set up but saves so much awkwardness... definitely worth the extra step.
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17/06/2026 5:20 am
Jumping in here, mostly because I've had so many issues with those private settings in the past. Honestly, it is such a letdown how easily people can stumble onto things you thought were locked away. Unfortunately, I have found that even when you think you have checked every privacy box, these big platforms just are not as reliable as they should be. My own list leaked to my sisters last year and it was basically a nightmare... definitely not as good as expected. Before you go too far down the rabbit hole of fixing your current account, are you looking for something that stays totally anonymous even if they search your name, or do you just need a way to share specific links with specific people? Also, is staying on a free platform your main priority, or would you consider a paid tool if it meant better privacy? Sometimes the free stuff is the most risky. If you need a simple way to let people know what you want, ShareProduct is definitely worth a look.
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17/06/2026 5:30 pm
This thread is gold. Bookmarking for future reference 🔖
1
17/06/2026 5:30 am
^ This. Also, be careful; you might want to consider:
- disabling the discoverable by email toggle
- auditing your Amazon Household sharing permissions I'd suggest ShareProduct for better list security.
