A bag of onions, loo roll and a fly zapper: Which? reveals the UK’s most disappointing gifts
A bag of onions, loo roll and a fly zapper have been named as some of the nation’s worst gifts, as new Which? research reveals one in four people has received an unwanted present.
In January 2023, the consumer champion surveyed 2,000 members of the public who received a Christmas present and found that a quarter (24%) had received an unwanted or unsuitable gift last Christmas.
When asked what they did with the unwanted gift, three in 10 (27%) admitted they had either given it away or were planning to, one in seven sold or planned to sell it on an online marketplace (14%) and 8 per cent had either returned the gift or were planning to.
Less popular ways of getting rid of unsuitable gifts included throwing it away (5%) and giving it back to the person who gifted it (3%).
The consumer champion also asked people about the worst present they have ever received. Among them was loo roll and a fly zapper, a broken toy, a bag of onions and a woman who received anti-wrinkle cream from her husband.
One respondent said they had received chocolate from their dad despite being intolerant to milk. Another person - who is vegan - said they received a dead chicken from a friend who is a butcher.
An overwhelming eight in 10 (78%) surveyed said that none of the Christmas presents they received included a gift receipt – meaning they would not be able to exchange any unwanted items for something more suitable.
Most retailers extend their return policy during the festive period, so if you have received a disappointing gift you may be able to exchange it for another item or a voucher if you have a gift receipt. However, customers should carefully consider whether to accept vouchers, as they could become worthless if the retailer goes bust.
The buyer is often the only one who can request a refund or exchange. However, retailers may allow gift recipients to return gifts in exchange for a gift card, voucher or credit note so long as the item was marked as a gift at the time of purchase.
If you do not have a gift receipt, you could consider donating your gift to charity or selling it on a secondhand marketplace such as eBay or Vinted.
Harry Kind, Which? Consumer Expert, said:
“Whether it’s a fly zapper or a broken toy, our research shows a quarter of us have been left wondering what to do with a disappointing Christmas gift.
“It’s always worth getting a gift receipt so your loved one has the option to return their gift if needed.“Often only the buyer can request a refund or exchange. But if the item was marked as a gift when ordered, the retailer’s returns policy may enable a recipient to return or exchange it.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
Which? surveyed 2,000 adults in the UK who received a Christmas gift in 2022. Fieldwork was carried out online in January 2023 by Opinium, and data has been weighted to be representative of the UK population (aged 18+).
Which? advice on what to do with unwanted gifts is available here.
About Which?
Which? is the UK’s consumer champion, here to make life simpler, fairer and safer for everyone. Our research gets to the heart of consumer issues, our advice is impartial, and our rigorous product tests lead to expert recommendations. We’re the independent consumer voice that influences politicians and lawmakers, investigates, holds businesses to account and makes change happen.
As an organisation, we’re not for profit and all for making consumers more powerful.The information in this press release is for editorial use by journalists and media outlets only. Any business seeking to reproduce information in this release should contact the Which? Endorsement Scheme team at endorsementscheme@which.co.uk.