ESC on P7100 rec'd as gift?

Has anyone had experience with Nikon ESC on items they've received as gifts? I've sent them in on stuff I've bought before, but never on something I got as a gift. A few specific questions:
I am not the "original purchaser," so do I need to register in the gift-giver's name (in this case, my dad)?

Should I put the date I received it as a gift (Christmas) or the date it was purchased?

In the past, Nikon has told me that the "send within 10 days" is not strict, but I want to see if others have heard this as well.

Given the known issues with the P7x00 line—"There are two types of P7x00 owners: those with a stick lens cover and those waiting for it to happen"—I want to be sure to get the ESC right, or go with SquareTrade instead.