Useless/unwanted gifts?

Plans_all_plans

I normally receive very good presents from friends and relations these days, however during my teenage years my parents bought us REALLY cr*p presents and one Christmas I thought I'd never forgive them. My sister and I were each given a cheap pair of stretchable gloves from Poundland and some handcream out of Lidl, that was it. We were 15 and 13. I'm ashamed to say I hit the roof and ruined Christmas for everyone, but to be honest I'd have preferred to get nothing and be told in advance, or at least if they said "we're going to buy you some cr*p" I'd not have been surprised.

It's not even like they didn't have money available, I mean Christmas doesn't exactly come out of the blue!

meritaten

mothers day gift from oldest son who was about 18 at the time (12 years ago) was a Tom Jones CD! For a start I am a dyed in the wool hard rock/heavy metal fan - for another thing, I had met Tom a few times in my youth and my personal opinion of him cannot be published! (for fear of a defamation of character suit) and this was well known to my kids!
I think son must have gone shopping while blitzed! and with his best friend! who is a male version of a ditzy blonde! I went back and exchanged it for the latest Iron Maiden CD to which the Sales Assistant said - you have no idea how many of those we had back - to exchange for Tom Jones - which had me laughing all the way home!

garfield33

A couple of years ago my nan bought me a pen with my name on and the explanation of what it means ("good listener" apparently!) so far so good.
My sister then opened her pen and got "they didn't have one with your name on" which caused me to have a fit of the giggles and I had to leave the room before my nan asked what was going on

Nan also likes to buy us frilly knickers, which is a bit weird, and not helped that they are in a granny-stylee i.e. hi-leg and reach up to the belly button.

Brecon_Beacons

I had such an attack of the giggles at the thought of the 83 year using the juggling clubs!!:T

I've had my fair share of c**p gifts (like: a net of spring bulbs, given at Christmas, months after their planting date, and with the 'Half Price' sticker still attached to them:eek:)

But I try to be sanguine about them. I can be quite erratic in my own gift giving, and sometimes wonder if I've got the right thing, or if I've been generous enough. Let's face it, one person's idea of a great gift, is another person's piece of c**p!

I suppose the point is, at least I am trying to be thoughtful. The thing that really gets to me is when someone who knows you well, really can't be a**ed and gives you something cheap/unsuitable/offensive.

This year, a friend of many year's standing gave me a neck chain with charms on it that I swear has come out of a Christmas cracker. It appears to be gold sprayed plastic. One of the 'charms' is a plastic-coated disc portraying a fuzzy shot of flowers - and it has a big dint in it. This charming item was wrapped in a pre-used (and ripped) piece of tissue paper, and thrust into a 20p gift bag, along with 2 chocolate miniatures from an obviously opened, consumed, and 'oh-I'll-give-you-the-flavours-I-don't-like' packet of Green & Black Organic.

I felt really insulted by this. The person concerned is very comfortably off and often boasts about this - and I know that present giving isn't about comparing financial value, but I tried hard with my gifts in return.

I'm afraid I wasn't above sending a Thank You card that said "I can see you put a lot of throught into choosing my gift". Ouch!:mad:

kitschkitty

The worst gift I got was a bow. Not for your hair, not for putting on a present, sadly not even the sort for playing music with or shooting arrows.

It looked like a scrap of material tied in the middle. After my mum, dad, little sister and me trying to work out for a few moments, if it had any possible purpose at all and where it came from (you couldn't have bought such a scrappy thing) we threw it on the fire - that was the most entertainment value it could have provided!

vikki_louise

There's a post in another section suggesting people send any gifts that aren't to their taste or if you have duplicates to a seriously ill child, their siblings or parents to make them feel cared about

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2167553

renegade

ada1988 wrote: »

I always get something that i don't want.
this birthday My boyfriend bought me a doll,it is really amazing,i'm 23 already.
in my opinion,that's a little waste of money.

perhaps he is trying to tell you something?

realised

Another gift I remember was a distant family member gave my OHs cousin some hair gel... He is completely bald and has been for many many years :rotfl:

Bluemeanie_2

YORKSHIRELASS wrote: »

My hubbys 85 year old gran got him some saucy socks with things like "my sex bomb" written on them. To be fair her eye sight isnt too good and we had a good giggle over it.

I dont mind cheap presents but I hate it when people obviously havent thought about what they are buying. Some of the stories on here are terrible. Why bother if you arent prepared to make an effort?

Couldn't agree more. We have a £5 secret santa at work, rule are no choc/food etc or smellies. And can be a jokey pressie which is why we keep the spend so low. It's voluntary to take part.

I go to a real effort looking for something nice that the person will like. I was shopping at lunch with the girl who I pulled out the hat and she saw some slippers in Primarni (Primark lol) she liked. But didn't have her size. I nipped back when they got a delivery and got them for her.

My boss got the crappest cheapest whiskey flavoured chocolates, it is well known she is allergic to choc and it is banned anyway. Crap effort. Then an asian chap we work with who makes no secret of the fact he doesn't drink was given a bottle of peach lambrini, again banned and comppletely thoughtless.

Why bother. I spend ages every christmas panicking and buying nice stuff for everyone. Going to real effort, asking and making sure the person can exchange or take it back. I don't know why the two people who bought uch tat agreed to take part.

*newstart*

spirit wrote: »

:rotfl:at this thread!

This year I received from 2 people who really know me very well, a box of whiskey liqueurs. Some people might quite like these but I have never drank whiskey nor am likely to. To get 1 box of these is odd enough but 2 people to get them ((shrugs))

Was a store selling them off really cheaply or something?

I don't know of anyone else who might like them so gawd knows what I'm going to do with them.

Were they a rectangular box? I've forgotten the brand of whisky but they has these in the 99p store. I got them to go with my grandad's bottle of whiskey