A burial plot and a toilet seat top the list of the nation’s all-time worst Christmas gifts, according to research that suggests one in five Britons receive an unwanted present in their annual haul. More than 2,000 members of the public were polled by Which? about what they were given at Christmas last year, with 21% saying they had received an unwanted or unsuitable gift. The consumer champion also asked people to tell them about the “worst present they had ever received”.
Among the other duds were the secondhand tumble dryer a 19-year-old received from her boyfriend, roast beef given to a vegetarian and regifted shower gel from the year before. When asked what people did with unwanted gifts, three in 10 (31%) admitted to getting rid of them: one in eight (12%) took them to a charity shop, one in 10 (10%) gave it to a friend or family member and 5% sold it on an online marketplace such as eBay or Vinted. Lisa Webb, a consumer law expert at Which?, said it was hard to think of less appropriate gifts than a gravesite or toilet seat but charitably suggested that “anyone can struggle to get it right when buying for friends and family”.
The good news is that many retailers extend their return policy during the festive period, so it may be possible to or exchange the gift for another item or a voucher. You will usually need to provide proof of purchase, such as a receipt, Which? said. Some retailers do not allow refunds to credit or debit cards unless the original card h.
