In 2004 I upgraded a PLAT friend and his companion. The upgrades cleared at the gate. AA tried to contact me. However, I was flying to somewhere at the time. Gate agent told the PLAT friend that they couldn't get ahold of me (even though I had already gifted the eVIP to the friend). I understand PLAT friend pitched a major fit at the gate. AA went ahead and upgraded both passengers. Apparantly it was comp, as neither of my gifted eVIPs were used for that flight.

Later in the year I gifted that same pair of eVIPs to someone else. The upgrades cleared at time of booking. That "someone else" is now my fiancee, so I suppose I owe it all to the AA gate agent who couldn't get ahold of me and therefore left me with two remaining eVIPs to give to someone else.