Ask the Readers: Do you Return Gifts? (Chance to Win $10!)
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JimmieHomeschoolMom We've all experienced a gift of a sweater that was too small (or worse yet, itchy.) There are even tales of fine art presents that missed the mark of good taste and ended up hanging in the garage. Then there are cases of getting two of something, where returning one would only make sense. What are you gift return policies?
Are you one of those giftees who keep a gift — no matter what — often subjecting it to a life of solitude in the back of a closet or a box in the attic? Or do you gladly exchange for something you'll love? Do you save something that's "not your thing" for a future White Elephant gift exchange or the drop-off location at your local Goodwill store? We want to know what you think is acceptable in the world of gifting.
Share your thoughts here in our comment thread or on Twitter, and you'll be entered to win one of two $10 Amazon giveaways. It's just enough to pay for the return postage on a gift returned to Amazon. Dozens of readers have already won. You could be next!
Win a $10 Amazon Gift Certificate
We're doing two giveaways — one for random comments, and another one for a random tweets.
How to Enter:
- Post your answer in the comments below, or
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At the end of the drawing, we'll update this post to include (and link to) all of your helpful responses.
Giveaway Rules:
- Contest ends Friday, December 18th at 11:59 am CST. Winners will be announced after December 18th on the original post and via Twitter. Winners will also be contacted via email and Twitter Direct Message.
- You can enter both drawings — once by leaving a comment and once by tweeting.
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Good luck!
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I will return something that doesn't fit if a gift receipt was provided.
A poorly matched gift is either sold online or donated to the local thrift shop.
If I don't think the person who gave the gift would find out (or if they did, they wouldn't be offended), I would return it. There are exceptions to this: if it is more hassle to return the gift than it's worth or if I know someone who could get use out of the gift.
I will return a gift, yes.
If you need help buying something for me, I will gladly give you options. The worst is when people give me gifts they -think- I should like. Nothing good comes of that.
I will return a gift if it's possible. My family - both immediate and extended - has almost always enacted a "This is a *representative* gift" policy. That is, we buy something in a vein that we think someone will like - a book, clothes, videos, games. If it doesn't quite hit the spot, that's fine. It's the thought that counts, but obviously we want our money to not go to waste! So returning a gift is fine. In fact, I just gave my boyfriend a scarf for our anniversary and he's returning it because he doesn't like the fabric (it's a bit on the itchy side). That's fine with me! I'd rather him get something he wants, whether it's a different scarf or something altogether different that I didn't think of.
Obviously some things you can't return, especially gift baskets and things shipped long-distance, or if the store isn't in your area. But I think it's silly to keep something out of "principle." That doesn't do anyone any good - and you can use those experiences to teach the person who gave you the gift what you REALLY like and that way it might work better next year.
Cheers,
Allison
I would return a gift but without the person who gave the gift finding out. I would not want to hurt their feelings.
I would have no problem in returning a gift if it didn't fit or if I already had the exact same thing. However, the reality of it is that it is usually too much of a hassle so I just hold onto it and either re-gift it to someone else or donate it to the church boutique
I live in a small apartment. If someone gives me something I don't want, its presence is felt much more than if I lived in a big house with lots of closets for hiding things. If I don't like something, I make it go away. If I can't figure out what store they bought it at, I'll donate or regift.
I haven't returned gifts yet. Most of the time I don't receive gifts with the receipt still attached - mostly the gifts I receive are fairly inexpensive so it doesn't matter too much if I don't like them. When people have bought me more expensive gifts they've always talked with me about what I want.
If possible, yes. If not possible, re-gift or Goodwill.
My family is relatively... sensitive about such topics. We return things, but don't directly ask for the receipt, we ask other people to ask for them for us. lol.
No I never return gifts, I may regift but never return
Yes, if it is something I can return, and I don't like it or just don't want it, it will be returned. Anything that can't be returned will either be re-gifted or donated.
I can be very sentimental so I rarely return gifts unless it is a clothing item that doesn't fit any of us.
I am all about returning gifts, whether the problem is that the sweater is too small, too ugly or just plain something I would never use. I used to keep everything to a fault! I felt guilty that the person spent money on something they thought I'd like. But now I realize... Keeping things that are not going to be used is just a waste of storage space! And it's an insult to the gift giver. I'm convinced that a person who gives me a gift would rather me exchange it for something I need than keep their gift stored on a closet shelf just for the sake of keeping it. I think this because I know I'm the same way. Of course, if I could help it at all, I wouldn't tell the person.
But sometimes you can't help them finding out! I have the perfect example. D gave me a 100 inch strand of pearls as an early Christmas present. But I knew I would be unlikely to wear them because I'm all about convenient jewelry. So I came right out and asked, "Would you be offended if we exchanged these for a single strand?" At first, he seemed hurt, but seeing me try on pearls that I actually wear and love made him very happy. :) Knowing that you appreciated the thought behind a gift means more than the gift itself, I think!
I will do returns after the crowds have diminished and only if it is necessary. Such as fit is wrong, duplicate gift, broken or defective, etc. I have been very lucky over the years and only had three returns among the whole family so far. Hope I didn't jinx myself now. I don't do the after Christmas sales or the Black Friday sales due to the crowds are just too much for me, but I will do them online if affordable. Well Merry Christmas to all of you at Wisebread!! I hope you all have a wonderful Holiday Season!
I try to return gifts that I know I'm not gonna use much, if at all. Sometimes though it's more trouble than it's worth, in which case, they linger in a closet or drawer waiting to be regifted (carefully!)
I return gifts that I don't like all the time, but never regift. If I'm unable to return/exchange I instead give it to a friend that has weekly yard sales. If the gift is from a kid then I always keep it, no matter how much I dislike it.
I buy most of the things that I would want anyways. This means I usually return or re-gift. This saves me money, but mostly saves me the headache of having so much junk in the house!
I have returned a gift once. It was a high end coffeemaker (they had it and loved it) and we already had a perfectly working one, and were living in an apartment with minimal space. So I told the person who gave it to me that I was going to exchange it for another kitchen appliance that we could use, and I ended up getting a stand mixer. They may have been slightly disappointed but were not offended.
I would absolutely return a gift--it's much better to get something you'll actually use than just have extra stuff laying around
Absolutly!! I see no good reason not to return something that is of no use. I was given this darling sheepskin jacket from my inlaws a few years ago, with a HUGE embroidery on the back. The embroidery is very specific to a particular group (which I am not a part of)there is little to no way to re-sell this item and I know she paid a few hundred dollars for it. I am stuck with what I would consider an unwearable item, and it's not returnable, nor is it a gift I ever would have wanted. Had I been able to return this particular item I would have, now it just takes up space in the closet.
I sometimes keep gifts that I don't want, if I think they would be good gifts for someone else. Other times, I do return the items to receive a gift card, to buy something else.
I have returned, exchanged, donated, and re-gifted things that were not quite "me". I don't think it makes sense (or cents) to leave things tucked in closets and drawers when they could be doing good in the community or brining someone else joy.
My favorite "re-gift" was for an autism auction - I "shopped" my basement for new and unused gifts that the organization was able to use in their auction gift baskets. Those gifts not only did good in the community - they now bring someone else joy!!
I'll regift something before I would return it (provided I have space to store it) ... unless a gift receipt is included and I can physically get to the store.
I only return things that don't "work" for one reason or another, and that's usually more of a trade for one that does (eg a shirt is too small or sheets that are the wrong size). Otherwise, I tend to re-gift or plain just give it away.
Last year I returned a gift basket that still had the price tag attached on the way home from the Christmas exchange. It was something that I didn't like and I had no one else that I knew that would have liked it. So back it went!
I got married, and people started buying me all kinds of stuff that wasn't on my registry. If it was something we didn't register for and it clearly came from one of our registry stores, I returned it for store credit so we could buy something else off the registry.
Anything else I don't want gets thrown into the Goodwill pile. Our house is too small to accommodate stuff we don't truly love.
I'll return something if there's a receipt. Otherwise, it goes to eBay or to my closet, depending on my productivity levels that day, possibly to be regifted again. They usually go to the back of my closet, especially because some people in my family are terrible gifters and buy things that few people would want.
Yes, I would and do return gifts if they don't fit with my self image, I wouldn't use it and/or it doesn't make me happy. I would much rather have something beautiful and useful and I don't mind if the receivers of the gifts I give do the same.
Thanks.
Our son usually doesn't ask for anything (except eggnog)..so our relatives ask what he's into. If he gets duplicates (like TAG books) we'll return it if there is a receipt. Also, we'll do this if the item is too small. If there is no receipt we pass it on to charity.
Now I did once receive a festive Christmas shirt from my MIL. On the front Santa was drinking a margarita in a hammock on the beach. The sleeves had little embroidered margaritas going down the sleeves with beads sewn on here and there for pop. I took a picture of it before we placed it in the donation bin.
Most of the time, returns have to do with functionality. Your family member would not want to you keep a sweater that did not fit. Nor would they want you to have two items that were identical. It is OK to return things.
I have never returned a gift. Unless you already own the item gifted then I think it's rude. I don't mind people donating items or using them for a swap or something. I just think returning them for money (or credit) crosses the line. If a person wanted to give a gift card then they would.
I am really easy to please, so I love whatever I get. I am the end of the regifting line...lol
I will return a gift if it doesn't fit or if I get duplicates that I can't use. If it's something I really don't like or can't/won't use I'll try to find someone who CAN use it before returning it. I never mind if someone returns a gift I gave them either if it truly doesn't work for them. I'm a big believer in gift receipts!
I return it if I can or re-gift it if I can't. No sense keeping something that is of no value/use to me.
My sis-in-law sometimes gives me really cheapie clothing items made badly and of very unnatural fibers. If I know where the gift came from, I absolutely will return it. We don't live close enough for her to ever see me wearing anything anyway, so she won't know.
I will return a gift especially if it is something I wouldn't use or want. There is no point in cluttering your life and your hope with useless artifacts just because they were gifted to you. I have no qualms about exchanging gifts for cash.
I will return a gift if I cannot use it. There is no sense in keeping something that just takes up space.
I'd much rather return or regift something than let it sit around unused!
Like Amber @ 13:05, I have a small apartment. I can't afford the space for things that are not useful or wanted. But that said, I don't think anyone needs to justify returning or regifting a gift. Whether the person was being truly thoughtful, or they just needed to get you something, anything, I think most people would like the gift to be liked and used. If I can't regift thoughtfully or return something I don't need or like, I give it away to a charity shop.
I will exchange for a like item if it doesn't fit, or I already have it (like a book), but I don't return gifts. At least not often.
That depends on who it was from and what it is. One relative of mine want to see their gift item on (if it is clothes) or proudly displayed and will ask YEARS later if I am still getting use out of it. But, for the most part I will return gifts that are a poor match.
Smtimes I hv returned things to my sister-in-law on the spot, as they did not fit & I don't go into those stores. I have also re-gifted & donated to thrift shps.
If a gift receipt is provided, I'd return a gift if it didn't fit properly of if I'd already owned the item. If there's no receipt, and I couldn't use it, I'd donate it.
i actually do not get gifts from too many people. Those that I do (family), know that i would rather be with them than receive a gift. For my family I do throw out a list, albeit modest.
When they do get me something that I will never use, I politely say that, and exchange it. Better to get something I need than something that will just sit. I hate clutter, and feel this is more honest.
I've returned many gifts. You have to be sensitive so as not to hurt the person's feelings, but as someone wanting a streamlined life, I don't feel obligated to keep something indefinitely just because it was a gift.
Re-gift....yes :)
I usually donate unwanted / unsuitable gifts to local charities.
I certainly have wanted to. Only I was never given gift receipts or had any way to return gifts.
Only in the past couple years have I felt the freedom to exchange gifts - but let me tell you, that freedom is amazing! One of the best presents we got last year was an electric kettle that I bought with store credit earned from returning a pile of clothes.
It's not worth the effort to stand in the return lines usually. Also most of the gifts I receive don't have gift receipts.
I will return if I'm provided with a gift receipt. If the giver has taken that step they mean for you to do what you need to do. Otherwise it usually gets re-gifted.
As the recipient of approximately 500 baby blankets and a million newborn sized onesies, yes I return gifts. I also return anything that I can't use. We have a small townhouse and can't fit too much decorative stuff--nor do I want to dust said stuff. I'm trying to get less sentimental and be willing to part with things I do not need, hopefully finding them good homes with people who would appreciate them.
I normally do not return items. However, when I do get something that is not useful or wanted I will sell it on eBay. Somebody else can normally use it.
I'll return gifts unless it comes from someone very special to me who I don't get to see often.
I always try to exchange a gift if it doesn't fit or if I know it comes in another color... Food I'll regift to someone else... i'm sorry!!!
I tend to keep all my gifts unless it is something that I absolutely don't want or can't use then I will return the gift.
I have returned if I think they won't know or care. Otherwise, I suck it up and keep it for a while.
...to return presents or even re-gift them.
I have returned gifts that don't work out for whatever reason. Have had a couple of items just not work so they needed to go back, other things that don't fit, etc. I know the gift giver would want the item to be used and not just stored away.
I get few enough presents that I'll just keep them. Usually.
Of course I return gifts if I can't use them! I usually use the money or gift cards refunded to me to put toward the gift fund and get other people birthday presents throughout the year. If I don't love it, I don't keep it. I would NOT be offended if someone returned a gift from me they didn't like.
I don't like to return gifts, but there are lots of times where I will exchange a gift. Whether it be a sweater that is the wrong size, or or a ps3 controller that my mom thought would do just fine on my xbox...there are some things that I have no use for. I feel like the thought is there so much, and if I am to trade in a small for a medium, or a controller for a controller it's no big deal, everyone is happy.
I have returned gifts before, usually to exchange for something that was the correct size or that would be more useful. I am tryin to really downsize/declutter, so if is not something that I can use or is practical, I won't keep it around (goodwill, regift, etc).
If I don't like it, and I am able to return it, I will. That simple.
I haven't had to (or even wanted to) return a gift yet, but if I got two of something or something truly useless, I wouldn't hesitate.
My husband's brother (who makes about 20x more per year than my husband and I) has given us quite a few things they they no longer need. He believes that if a gift is given to you, and you stop using it, it should be returned. o_0
My husband made the mistake of telling his brother that we considered ridding of a hand-me-down headboard he gave as a birthday gift years ago because our space that we live in now is too small for it. His brother actually said, "Well make sure to give me the money after you sell it." He wasn't kidding.
We decided not to sell it.
I've never returned a gift.
Christine
dazed1821@aol.com
I would classify myself as someone who is definitely hard to buy a gift for, as all of my basic material needs are taken care of, and my hobbies, such as building computers or painting models, are things people don't feel they have enough knowledge of to buy the "right thing". Therefore I get a lot of obscure stuff from the more distant members of my family when we do exchange.
Last year I got a quesadilla maker, which I was able to return for $25 store credit to Kohls. It was a nice gesture but I already make great quesadillas using my frying pan. The gift giver knew this, so they figured it was something I might use, but I looked at it as "if it's not broke, don't fix it!" I didn't see the point in having another kitchen gadget around that I was doing find without. I appreciate the thought of the gift but I'd rather put the money toward household needs.
My wife is very opposed to returning any gifts. She interprets a return as a slap in the face to the gift giver, so we keep all of the gifts she receives, regardless of their usefulness.
Even if it doesn't fit exactly right I'll rarely return a gift, it's just rude in my opinion.
Absolutely. If the gift doesn't line up with my needs (for example, I already have it, or it doesn't fit), I will try and return it. If I can't return it, I will look into selling it on Amazon, or giving it to someone else who would like it.
I'll return it if I can, no sense in it sitting around not being used.
One sister is almost always right on in her purchases. Those I keep. The other is clueless. Like buying me 2x sweaters in colors she looks good in saying, "you said you gained weight...." Those go to the thrift store, no regrets. (She doesn't include receipts.) A few are hopeful replacements for items I use often and may break or wear out. Stash those on the sunroom shelf. And those that are not right for me, but perfect for another are regifted.
To return a gift, I would have to tell the person who gave it to me that I need a receipt for the return. No matter how you phrase it, no matter how close you are, you will take away some of their joy in giving. And for me the giving has always been more rewarding that the gift.
And there are great charities out there that can use the gift.
Answer tweeted.
I think you have an obligation to reurn a gift you don't want/need. Whatever the reason. If the person cares about you enough to buy you a gift, he/she should care enough to want you to have something you want/need.
If they don't, and you know that, you might be stuck with the gift. I think its a case-by-case basis type thing.
If it is from my wife, never. I did once return one from my children, but felt guilty for a while till I realized they bought my gift for themselves (a game for the Wii I did not like but they wanted). What matters is that you be sensitive to the giver, and if you are a sensitive giver you will offer the opportunity to exchange by giving a generic receipt with the gift. This should be a time of grace in giving.
Hah, great question! if it from my parents, I will return - they don't want things going to waste. They tend to buy me work clothes. Gifts from my MIL get stuffed in the closet - she buys lots of junk. LOTS of it. Hubby feels bad about tossing/returning/regifting it. So this year when she asked what we want, we said something consumable - gift certificate or something. We have all the junk we ever need (in a tiny 2BR condo!), but are a bit squeezed on our budget.
I definitely return gifts. One Christmas, my sister sent a whole box of brand new books from B&N.com. While I very much appreciated the gesture, they were not books we were even remotely interested in reading, so I took them all to the brick and mortar B&N near us, returned them for store credit, and we got books we really wanted. While I think it probably defeated any underlyin messages my sis might have been trying to give us within the books she chose for us, it still ended up providing us with more reading that we truly enjoyed.
I never hesitate to return a gift or re-gift.
I'll return something if I get duplicates and don't have any other way to use it (re-gift, donate, etc). If I can't return it, or its not worth enough to return, I try to donate it.
Returning a gift leaves a bad taste in my mouth. No matter how sincere you are to the gifter, they still feel some “sting” knowing that the gift they chose for you was not right. Then again, I have not had the experience of, say, receiving clothing or shoes that did not fit, a situation in which exchanging the item would make sense.
Oh yes, I will return a gift or two this year....I don't have enough space to keep a well-stocked regifting closet, and when I receive impersonal items (fleece blankets, scented candles, picture frames) I'm happy to return them or exchange them whenever possible.
I will return an ill-suited/poorly fitting/unwanted gift, if possible. When that's not possible, I will regift, resell or donate something. I've even been known to trade gifts with my sister on Christmas afternoon (nothing major but if Mom forgets that I got the green silly putty last year, I'll swap my sister for the red silly putty...we always get silly putty and chap stick in our stockings). I hate to keep unneeded and unwanted things just on the principal that someone gave it to me.
If a gift is something that will sit in a closet and bring guilt every time it is seen, I know the gift giver would be upset if I didn't say anything. (And there have been a few gifts like that!) One gift in particular didn't even leave with me as I knew I would NEVER use it and it was very large and what I considered ugly. Thankfully, the person giving the gift returned it and there wasn't a problem, but I still felt a little bad since the giver liked it so much. This is a problem since this trend continues at times, gifts being given because the giver likes them, but it also makes me much more sensitive to the fact that when I'm getting a gift for another person, I need to make sure it is something that THEY would enjoy, not just me!
I would return a gift if I knew that person wouldn't mind. Otherwise I would probably hold onto it for someone who I thought may like it or a white elephant gift exchange. :)
It depends. If the gift has great sentimental value, I would keep it.
Otherwise, if a gift receipt was given, I would return it; without a gift receipt, I would donate it or discreetly gift it to another friend (from a different social circle).
I play it by the relationship with the gift giver, for example, if my mother gave me the gift there is absolutely no way I would return it because I know that it would really hurt her feelings. In general, I can't remember the last time I returned a gift, even as a teenager no matter who it was from.
When my husband and I do regift something we make sure that the original gifter and the regiftee have absolutely zero ties!
~Heather
I don't return gifts, usually.
If the item doesn't fit, I will usually return it. Otherwise, I am a notorious regifter (although not in a scary hoarder way).
If it is something I do not care for and know where to return it I will do so. However if I don't know where to return it, it eventually always makes its way to the Goodwill pile. I refuse to be held hostage by gifts and I hate people who guilt friends and family into feeling like they can't move on from a gift.
I'm not opposed to returning gifts, but in practice it's usually too much work. I might keep the gift for awhile, but in the end if I don't like it and I don't return it, I'll usually give it away.
What's the point of having something lying around that you'll never uses. If you can return or exchange a gift for something you will want and use then you should do it!
I also include gift receipts with all the gifts I give people and I most definitely would not be offended if they'd rather go get something else.
I always return gifts I don't like. Even if the store has a restocking fee or some other sort of hideous return policy, then at least I get something for the gift whereas otherwise it will probably sit in its box unused for eternity.
I operate under the principle that I like to be told when a gift I give doesn't work---too small, duplicate or "I stopped collecting pig themed items 10 years ago." So, I extend the same courtesy by thinking people profusely but letting them know if I plan to exchange it.
However, this seldom happens to me since I have told everyone I know that I like consumables as gifts---especially toilet paper.
I'd certainly return and/or exchange clothes that don't fit, and I have. And I'd like to think that I'd return something that I really don't like or wouldn't have a use for...
But I can't think of a time I ever have. So I really don't know.
My husband and I have been very lucky when it comes to gifts in recent years. Our friends seem to know well enough what we like or don't like, so returning something isn't so much an issue. Our families will more often than not send us money, since they've learned over time that every gift attempt generally ends in the very definition of fail.
The one thing we haven't figured out is how to get people to look at wish lists. That would have solved a whole lot of problems in our gift-receiving past.
Gifts should not be burdens, and honesty should be part of any gift-giver/receiver relationship. If I don't like/want/need a gift, I'll find some way to say so that is polite, since it avoids future gift awkwardness, and supports honesty. If I can return it for something else or for store credit, or trade/barter/donate/re-gift it, I will.
I'll take gifts back if they're worth over $20. If less than that, I'll regift them.
If I don't love it or need it, I will totally return or exchange a gift. Otherwise I feel it's a waste of money.
I am so involved when I GIVE a gift (finding out about the person what I need to know if I dont know it already and then searching for (what I deem to be) a PERFECT GIFT that:
1. If the person who gives me a gift cared enough to "know" about me and come to an informed decision about a gift I will keep it---knowing the time and effort it took to pick it out for me!
BUT
2. If the person who gives me a gift gives me something so off of
my personal radar---then I have no qualms about re-gifting or trying to return it! And I also, in this case, would even tell the person what I am doing. If they get angry or hurt--I will try and explain. If they are still upset--so be it! Then there wont be another useless (to me) gift I have to bother and exchange or return!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In my family, if something is purchased, we always include a gift receipt since the advent of these handy little items. We usually exchange 'gift suggestion' lists around the time of gifting holidays and that also helps. Family members who live far away are usually given a gift card at a store near their home! I've exchanged a sweater or two that my mother has given me, because, bless her heart, she thinks I am skinnier than I really am:) I have never re-gifted. I love every gift, because I know it was given with love and not obligation.
On our wedding in 1980, we received a set of bowls that I thought I didn't care for- yellow pyrex nesting glass bowls. I didn't know how to cook and thought they would only decorate my cabinets. 29 years later, I use them daily and have had jealous comments from friends about my 'awesome vintage bowls'. And yes, I have learned to be quite a good cook!