Unwanted Christmas gifts - Which? investigates

How would you feel if you received an out of date gift voucher, a pineapple cutting machine or a hand-knitted willy warmer on Christmas Day?

Watch our video for a glimpse into shoppers’ experiences of gifts gone wrong.

Which? surveyed more than 2,000 people about their shopping and gifting habits at Christmas.

Of the 93% who told us they had received one or more Christmas presents in December 2017, a quarter of them had received an unwanted gift.

What to do with unwanted Christmas gifts

Using it, exchanging for an alternative gift in store and putting it in a church raffle are some of the things gift recipients told us they did with unloved presents last year.

Other people put the present away to re-gift for next Christmas, some said they planned to sell it on an online marketplace website like eBay and some kept it, saying ‘it’s the thought that counts’.

Your unwanted gift returns rights

If you’ve received something you don't like, you’re best off asking whoever bought it to return it for you. This is because the contract of sale is between them and the retailer.

If you’ve got a gift receipt, returning it should be relatively easy. Gift receipts usually allow you to exchange for a different item of the same value.

Without a gift receipt or original payment card, it’s a bit trickier to return unwanted goods - you’re reliant on knowing where the person purchased the gift as well as the goodwill of the retailer to let you return it.

If you know where it’s from, try asking politely in store, or if it’s an online retailer, contact their customer service.

It’s not guaranteed you’ll be able to get an exchange, but it’s worth a go - you might be able to get store credit.

For more information on returning unwanted Christmas gifts, visit https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-righ...

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