As Christmas is now over, and the post-Christmas depression sets in, along with the anticipation for the new year, and Twitter consisting of the overused, unfunny tweet “I can’t believe people have their holiday lights up already”, it is a time to reflect on the gifts you may have received.
While some may be ecstatic over what was wrapped up under the tree, others may be feeling not so happy. In no means does this make them ungrateful, but they are allowed to not be a fan of a gift they received. Maybe it was from a very distant relative who doesn’t know them well, or a friend of the family who has only been around a few times. Either way, bad gifts do happen, but have no fear, there is a way to remedy it.
Here is a step by step guide in how to handle a subpar gift.
Say Thanks.
The number one thing to do first and foremost is to thank the gift giver even if you dislike the gift. Feign excitement, smile, do whatever you have to not make the gift giver feel bad or embarrassed. They took time and money out of their own life to gift you something, a thank you is definitely required. This can be a thank you right then and there, a phone call later, or a hand written thank you card. This is the most important part.
Check for a gift receipt.
After saying thank you, later check for a gift receipt, or check online to see if the store will take exchanges without a receipt, but the tags still on. The gift giver will not have to know that you have returned their gift, and this way you can pick something out for yourself that you will love.
See if you can resell it online.
If you can’t return to the store, the next best option is to check online to see if you can resell the item. Check places like eBay for electronics, books, games, etc., or Poshmark or Swap.com for clothing. You can see if there is a market for the item, and if it is even worth trying to sell online. You can even resell gift cards online for a slightly lesser amount.
Re-Gift at a later time.
If you can’t return it or sell it online, save it to re-gift at a later time. This can be for someone else’s birthday or next holiday season. Just be sure that you keep the tags or wrapping on, and that you don’t accidentally re-gift it to the person who initially received it from.
Last resort ideas.
If everything above fails, your last resort can either be donation at places like Goodwill, or leaving it on the curb in front of your house for someone to drive by and pick up. This is a very last resort idea, and most of the time you will find success in one of the ideas above. But if not, you know what they say, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
Happy Holidays and don’t let the bad gifts get you down!
