Regifting issue...

VintageBelle

Right, so yesterday, my work colleague (who has told me on many occasions if she doesn't want her gift she'll give it to someone else as a gift) gave me a Christmas present.


As soon as she handed it to me I knew exactly what it was.... part of the present I had given to her in October for her birthday!!!!


I mean seriously! I'm not a person who expects gifts or to have money spent on me, but if someone is going to regift something then they at least need to have the brain cells in place to know who gave them what gift in the first place!!!


Surely nobody would be so audacious to give back a gift knowing full well it was off that person!


I'm not going to be rude to her but I will mention it (she doesn't know I opened it as I won't normally open anything until Christmas day).


I've got an idea of how to approach it...I'll probably do it in a jokey way as I'm not spiteful, but now I don't want to give her the present I was going to give her as I don't think she'll want it and I might get it back for my birthday. I also don't want to go and buy something else for her as a) I can't afford to b) I already bought the gift she gave back to me hahaha and c) I shouldn't have to!


What would you do?

cuggie

re-wrap it and put it in a gift bag sealed closed so its not obvious straight away its the same shape etc and give back to her to 'open at xmas' ...

If she mentions you'd gave her the same thing for her birthday just say 'oh I'd forgotten that ... well you can always regift it ..' and return the item you've purchased and keep the change.
Going forward I'd get her something personalised (even just a mug/wine glass / photo gift) so she couldn't do it again.:rotfl:

Diamandis

I think I would just have a conversation with her about how you're clearly not good at buying gifts for her and suggest not buying presents for each other next year.

rach_k

I think I'd make a joke of it. Do as suggested above - disguise the shape a bit and give it back to her. You can either keep quiet about it or mention it on the tag or hand it to her with a cheeky grin.

Or is it possible that she bought the same for you? I often find people give me gifts they'd like for themselves so if I'm stuck on what to buy them, I look at what they've given me in the past.

VintageBelle

She definitely didn't go out and buy it as she's really not like that. Last year I got a box of milk tray that someone else had given her! She doesn't have to be thoughtful because she never really has anyone else to think about. I don't mean that to sound horrible but it's true.

I like the personalised idea thing hahaha!

She doesn't know I have even opened it yet.

Pollycat

VintageBelle wrote: »

Right, so yesterday, my work colleague (who has told me on many occasions if she doesn't want her gift she'll give it to someone else as a gift) gave me a Christmas present.


As soon as she handed it to me I knew exactly what it was.... part of the present I had given to her in October for her birthday!!!!


I mean seriously! I'm not a person who expects gifts or to have money spent on me, but if someone is going to regift something then they at least need to have the brain cells in place to know who gave them what gift in the first place!!!


Surely nobody would be so audacious to give back a gift knowing full well it was off that person!


I'm not going to be rude to her but I will mention it (she doesn't know I opened it as I won't normally open anything until Christmas day).


I've got an idea of how to approach it...I'll probably do it in a jokey way as I'm not spiteful, but now I don't want to give her the present I was going to give her as I don't think she'll want it and I might get it back for my birthday. I also don't want to go and buy something else for her as a) I can't afford to b) I already bought the gift she gave back to me hahaha and c) I shouldn't have to!


What would you do?

I'd put a stop to the whole gift-buying thing with her.

As for this:

now I don't want to give her the present I was going to give her as I don't think she'll want it and I might get it back for my birthday.

why have you bought something that you don't think she'll like?

StokieBecks

Sounds like you don't know her well enough to be buying her a gift. I'd take it on the chin (especially as you have known she has regifted if she doesn't like something) and not buy her presents again. If she was a good friend you should know her well enough to get something she likes and see no sense in buying for a colleague if you aren't that close. Give her a gift this time as seems like it's a bit late not to but i wouldn't mention she has regifted back to the original buyer and would at some point next year say you would rather her gift to charity than swap presents or just that you simply aren't doing presents with work colleagues unless secret santa

robpw2

maybe its me but you perhaps its time to start donating to a charity in leiu of gift giving as clealry you dont know what she wants and she gives her presents away to all and sundry .

Fen1

She's made it very clear that she doesn't want gifts had has clearly stated that she will pass them on. So why are you still giving her gifts that she doesn't want?
As the previous poster has suggested, donate to charity. There are plenty of charities out there where you can donate in her name: adopt an animal, polio vaccines, build a clean-water well.....

I think that her giving your gift back to you might have been a hint!

CurlyTop

Hi

I worked with a friend once who always put a date on the label somewhere discreet on your present. Could never understand why, unless it was to stop regifting.

I have had the conversation with quite a few close friends that I'm at the stage in my life where I like experiences more and so can we stop buying presents but remember to send each other a nice birthday card and then we go out for a birthday lunch together.

Works for us.

Just a thought for you.

7roland8

I always tell people if they don't like something to pass it on - but I would be rather hurt if someone re-gifted just after I have it to them - and gave it back to me!


Think here I would re-gift it back - and see if she says anything!