How to deal with unwanted presents

Over the years we have all received unwanted Christmas gifts and 2025 was no exception. But what can you do with them? This little consumer expert is going to provide you with details of your rights, along with some innovative ideas for what to do with those surplus gifts.

• Return to retailer

If you have a gift receipt, you should be able to take the item back to the store and get a full refund. Some retailers will not refund to a card unless the original card holder is present but may still exchange.

If the item was bought online, it will probably need the purchaser to make the return. However, if they marked the item as a gift, sending direct to you for example, then you may able to return or exchange it.

Without a gift receipt or any proof of purchase it is unlikely that you will be able to return the item. Some stores may, at the manager’s discretion, take an item back for an exchange, credit note or refund. But that will be at the current price, so if it’s now in the sale, that’s the refund you will receive.

• Regift with a difference

Keep it, with a note of who gave it to you and regift. Or use it to start a conversation about reducing present giving. Keep a “gift cupboard” so you don’t have to buy presents for birthdays, anniversaries, or other celebrations.

Plan a regifting party with friends or colleagues. Re-wrap all the gifts you don’t want and everyone puts them in the middle of the table. You all get raffle tickets and when your ticket is pulled out you can pick a gift, or steal a gift from someone else if you think it looks good! Continue until all of the gifts are gone from the table. At the end everyone unwraps their packages at the same time. You can, of course, swap with others afterwards. Or, instead of raffle tickets, use a bingo card and instructions such as ‘Swap a gift with someone wearing red. Someone older than you’, etc. The first person to get a line / full house wins a prize.

• Sell

You can sell unwanted gifts at car boot sales and on auction sites and marketplaces but you might want to wait until after January, as marketplaces are busier at these times and you may want to sell more seasonal items, such as T-shirts, nearer to the Summer.

Use re-selling Apps such as Vinted, Depop, Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace, where listing is free and quick. Challenge yourself to turn clutter into a “Christmas fund pot” for next year’s budget.

Challenge yourself to sell the gifts online for the highest possible amount or donate them to the most worthy cause and compete with friends or colleagues to make it more fun and testing.

If you / your family get a LOT of unwanted gifts, package them up into mystery bags and then sell them. Mystery bags can do REALLY well on socials / car boots, etc.

• Recycle, upcycle and repurpose

Get creative with clothing and accessories. If clothes are too big you could take them to your local tailor or seamstress for alteration. They can tweak the overall style too. Or make them into cushions or bags or dye them. Remodel jewellery by reshaping and refashioning.

Give the toiletries or food contents from hampers and boxes to charity shops or foodbanks and keep the container to use again as a gift for something else or as a desk tidy or bin! You might be able to use mugs or plant pot in this way, too.

Break down gifts into components (candles, frames, fabric, packaging) and repurpose them for craft projects, homemade decorations, DIY gifts or decorations for next year.

Some high street chains accept unwanted gifts/clothes in exchange for vouchers (£5 – £10 rewards).  For example, M&S, H&M, River Island and John Lewis all offer £5 vouchers when you give them unwanted clothes or textiles.

If you or the family have received a number of unwanted gits, collect a few and make them into hampers or gift boxes. You can add some cheap filler items (chocolates, tea, candles) and create a present to give next Christmas. Just make sure you make a note of who gave you anything in it!

• Give away

You can give unwanted items to charity shops, school PTAs for fundraisers, foodbanks, community projects or outside your house, inviting people to take what they like. Consider a Random Act of Kindness. Leave the item with an anonymous note on a park bench or colleague’s desk.

Create a regifting auction. Bring all unwanted gifts to work. Ask a colleague to guesstimate how much the gifts are worth (a quick Internet search will help) and add a guide price. Pick a date and everyone in the office can bid for items they want. Make it more fun by electing an auctioneer! All proceeds can go to a charity chosen by your workmates.

• Play games

Try a variation of “pass the parcel” at work. Everyone brings their unwanted gifts, which are all wrapped up into layers of a large package. Play music and when it stops, that person opens their gift. You can add wearing oven gloves for added fun/annoyance!

Run a tournament where everyone brings in gifts to “battle” in humorous, head-to-head competitions based on theme (e.g., “most unusual,” “funniest,” or “most unwanted”). Winners advance through rounds to a grand prize. Donate the unwanted gifts to charity, or offer them to those who attend.

Set yourself a 30-day challenge to pass the unwanted gift along. It can be tempting to convince yourself that you’ll take those unwanted gifts to the charity shop but they end up staying in your cupboard for 6 months. Give yourself 30 days to regift, sell, donate or pass on each unwanted gift. Reward yourself with a little treat if you achieve the challenge.

• Go Swishing

Swishing works like a giant clothes swap where you bring items you no longer wear and exchange them for something that’s new-to-you! You can organise a Swish party yourself or search online to find a local one. Then take good condition clothes, accessories and jewellery and get swapping.

Multi-Coloured Swap Shop is back for adults!

• Avoid unwanted presents in future!

Have discussions with friends, family and colleagues about reducing the cost and quantity of presents. For example, limit the expenditure on each present, the number of presents, only buying for children and/or donate to charity instead.

Christmas shouldn’t be a refund lottery! Make sure you know your rights and protect yourself and your recipient!

@thecomplainingcow

What to do with unwanted Christmas presents? What are your rights on unwanted gifts? #christmasgifts #returns #consumerrights #consumerlaw #moneytipsandtricks

♬ original sound – Helen Dewdney

 

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