by Rainier Wong

Created on: December 02, 2010

One of the most popular activities on Christmas is the unwrapping of gifts from friends, relatives, and loved ones. How wonderful it is to get exactly what you want. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Of course, you will not be so rude to tell the person who gave you the gift that he or she has given you the wrong things and to take it back.  It might not have been easy for the person to decide what to buy for you since you didn't tell him or her what you wanted. Here is how you can deal with unwanted gifts.

1) Ask the person whether it is possible to exchange for something you like.

Thank the person for the gift and then tell him or her that it is rather unfortunate that you will not be able to enjoy it as much as you want. For example, if you cannot consume sweets, you may say "Thanks for sweets. They look yummy but it is rather unfortunate for me that I cannot enjoy them." and then ask him or her whether she could take it back to shop to exchange for something that is more of your liking. However, be reasonable by making sure it is not too expensive for him or her.  Do not ask for the receipt as the person who gives you the gift may not like you to know the actual amount he or she has paid for it.

2) Exchange the gift with someone who likes the gift.

You may have heard of the famous saying "One man's trash is another man's treasure". If you have received the gift at a gathering where no particular person is mentioned as a recipient, you may tell the people that the gift is not suitable for you and ask whether there are any of the guests who would like to exchange gifts with you. Do not say that the gift is no good or you hate it.

3) Sell the gift on EBay.

You can sell your unwanted gift at eBay but do not do it immediately or within a short period of time. What till at least a year later before you list the item. If you do it too soon, the person who gives you the gift who can see your listing may be given the impression that you do not like the gift and this may hurt his or her feelings. This can happen especially when you have thank him or her for the gift or tell him or her how much you appreciate it. If you cannot see how an immediate listing can be a problem, imaging yourself looking at the listing of your gift by the person to whom you have given the gift to only yesterday. To be on the safe side, always assume that the person who gave you the gift knows your nickname on Ebay or any other auction sites. 

4) Give the gift someone you know that you know will appreciate the gift.

If you know of someone who will appreciate the gift, you can give it to him or her. For example, if you have receive a gift for someone who likes cooking and you do not like to cook, you may give the gift to someone who cooks.

5) Give the gift to charity.

You may give the unwanted gift to charity where the organization who is in-charge can distribute it to the person or family who can benefit from it. The charitable organization may also use the gift to assist in its day to day operation.

The best thing to do to avoid any of your present being rejected is to give gift vouchers where your recipients can use to convert into gifts that they want. Another way to increase your chances of giving the "perfect" gift is to observed what your recipients like to eat, wear, and watch. You may ask your recipients what are their favorite food, music, and way of dressing up. For example, if you know that your friend hates classical music, you will definitely not by a CD with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.  

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