Let's face it, everybody loves to receive gifts. They're fun, exciting, and change your outlook on your day. Why then would you discourage gifts?
To twist a phrase: "Beware of vendors bearing gifts." Even if everyone involved has the best of intentions, Buyers could still get into trouble.
All Purchasing Departments should have specific written policies on whether Buyers can accept gifts and what their dollar limit should be. It should be stated in unequivocal terms that no gift of any kind should be accepted during an RFP phase.
Gifts can range from a simple promotional desktop trinket to meals to sporting event tickets. Some Buyers I know have barely paid for their own lunches since they took their jobs. An occasional vendor lunch is fun and a change of pace, but vendor lunches should not be a Buyers ticket to free food on a daily basis.
My concern is that receiving gifts can really set Buyers on a slippery slope, especially as the stakes and dollar values increase. The most expensive vendor gift that I have personally every received was worth 25 dollars, but I have also personally heard vendors offer Super Bowl tickets. Gee, you think that might violate a corporate policy or two?
What do you think the limit should be? Where's the line? Should there be one? Should gifts be the perks that make the job worth it?
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