I have no regrets about regifting

Most of us have received at least one Christmas gift that missed the mark; A sweater that doesn’t fit, an ugly ornament or a perfume you don’t like.

Not every gift is welcomed; So instead of throwing them in the back of a cupboard, how can you get rid of them without offending them?

For Dawn-Maria France from North Yorkshire, the solution to unwanted gifts is simple: give them to someone else. He says right after Christmas is the perfect time.

She never feels guilty for doing this and believes it is a more sustainable way to celebrate the festive season. “One year I was given some garden seeds that were of no use,” he says.

Instead of letting them go to waste, Dawn-Maria re-gifted them to a green-fingered friend. “It’s a budget-friendly way to manage expenses, especially during the cost of living crisis, and it’s helped me get my house together,” she adds.

This habit can also help tackle a much bigger problem. An estimated one each year Unwanted gifts worth £42 million It is thrown away in the UK, with some ending up in landfills.

Dawn-Maria repackaged the garden seeds and added a personalized note, implying it was a regift. “This was given to me but I knew you would love it,” she wrote.

“It promotes sustainability,” he says. “I don’t regret giving a gift again.”

So how can you regift without causing crime?

“Don’t get caught,” warns Louise Minchin, who hosts the BBC’s Rip Off Britain, and advises registrants to remove any tags or notes that may have been sent to someone else.

Before repackaging, she recommends carefully inspecting the gift to make sure no seals have been broken or show signs of wear.

If it has been opened or is part of an incomplete set, this is a clear indication that the item is not new.

“I got caught,” admits BBC Radio 2’s Reverend Kate Bottley, who forgot to check whether the gift she was passing on contained a card. “They opened it and I said, ‘Oh no, I’m so sorry,'” she recalls.

This is enough to anger both parties. BBC’s Morning Live regular Dr Oscar remembers being given a box of chocolates with the words “Dear Miss Smith, Thank you for being my teacher this year”. But that didn’t stop her from giving gifts again, “I took the tag off for the next gift,” she says.

Etiquette expert Antoinette Akanji has another golden rule: regifting outside your social circle.

“If your aunt gave you a sweater you don’t like, don’t gift it to your cousin again,” he says. “You might see your cousin wearing it and it might cause an awkward conversation.”

“You have to make sure that the original donor and the new recipient don’t cross paths.”

Kirsty Quinn, 36, from Oxfordshire, says she earns around £500 a month by reselling items from car boot sales and charity shops on eBay and Vinted.

“I think if you get a gift that you won’t use or like and it’s probably going to sit in a drawer or even end up in the landfill, then I don’t see any harm in re-gifting it or selling it online,” she says.

“Selling unwanted gifts can help someone else get something they want for less, which feels especially meaningful given how tough the economy is right now,” he adds.

“This also means that the seller can invest that money into something they really need, something that will improve their life, or something they will actually use. To me, this feels more practical and sustainable than letting the items go to waste.”

Vinted says that the first Sunday of each year sees a spike in listings of unwanted gifts, averaging three times the normal daily rate.

According to the platform, last year’s most listed products were women’s toiletries and perfumes, jewelry, nightgowns and make-up products.

Vinted says fashion dominates the top items bought after Christmas, followed by entertainment and electronics.

Vinted’s tips for reselling gifts without offending the person who buys them include using a username that isn’t easily identifiable and keeping the background of photos neutral.

“However, many members will explicitly choose to re-gift and include wording such as ‘unwanted gift’ in their product descriptions,” a Vinted spokesperson said. “This often helps buyers better understand the condition of the item.”

If regifting doesn’t feel right, Louise says there are plenty of other ways to convey the joy.

Donating to charity is an obvious option and can make a real difference. Charity shops are looking forward to the post-Christmas sale when unwanted gifts become someone else’s treasure.

This is also backed by Allison Swaine-Hughes, retail manager at the British Heart Foundation.

“If you have decorations that don’t quite fit your theme, a board game you’ve been gifted twice or a Christmas jumper that’s no longer your colour, why not let them brighten up someone else’s home or wardrobe by donating them to us?”

And it’s not just about donating; Shopping in charity shops at Christmas can also make a difference.

“Our stores are full of unexpected treasures—quality items waiting to find loving new homes,” she says.

If you’re worried that a relative might stumble across the item they bought you while bargain hunting, you can always donate to a charity shop outside your local area.

If you are the one giving the gift, you can make life easier for the person receiving the gift by adding a receipt to the gift.

“If you’re giving someone a gift and you include the gift receipt, it gives them so much more choice,” Louise explains, especially if the item is high value.

A gift receipt usually allows the recipient to exchange the item in store or obtain a credit note.

In some cases a refund may be offered but this depends on the individual retailer’s policy.

Without receipts, things can quickly become uncomfortable; so Louise suggests the honesty policy first: “‘I’m really sorry but I’d like to replace it with something else, do you have your original invoice?” Don’t be afraid to say it.”