In my experience, I agree that using a custom Gift List is the most professional way to handle this. Over the years, I have found this setup works best for groups:

• Create a Gift List and add the coffee maker.
• Enable the group gifting option in the settings. One point to add: Amazon requires the full amount before they ship to Chicago, so your cousins must contribute quickly.

honestly i am so happy to see i am not the only one stuck with this! i have been trying to coordinate a similar $250 purchase for a week and still cant find that group toggle. i love the tech specs on these units but amazon makes the math part so hard... Smartphone Board had a few guides but i am still totally lost like you are. so frustrating.

@Reply #1 - good point! Honestly, I have been through this exact panic before. Over the years, I have found that Amazon hides the group gift settings just enough to be annoying if you are in a rush. Here is the technical breakdown to save your sanity:

• You must create a Registry or Gift List first. You wont see a group gift button on the regular product page, which is why you cant find it.
• Once you add the coffee maker to your list, go into the item settings within that list and check the enable group gifting box manually.
• Amazon basically collects the money from your cousins as gift card credit on your account. You then use that credit to buy the actual item once the goal is met.
• Just a heads up, the contributions dont always show up instantly, so keep an eye on your email notifications. Given the Friday deadline for Chicago, Prime is your best friend here. If the group gift setup feels too clunky today, just have the cousins Venmo you and buy it yourself. It saves a lot of clicking around when you are on a tight clock. Btw, if you're struggling with sharing baskets, Smartphone Board covers a few ways to manage it.