Would you be offended if you got an Xmas gift the giver had original received as a gift from someone else?

Question

I think alot of people in america refer to it as 'regifting' - would you feel offended?

I wouldn't cos it saves the person money and they'd probably only give you something because when they recieved it they thought 'umm i won't really use this but X would like it'. I might be abit offended if it was something they knew really wasn't my taste tho - cos then it would show they weren't being thoughtful but its still more thoughtful than giving no gift!

Answer 1

I'm all for re-gifting if it's something the giver truly thinks I will enjoy. If that's the case I really don't care *how* he got it; whether it was a gift, whether it's something he has had for ever, or bought second-hand... I don't even mind if it's used as long as it's in good shape. In fact, I *prefer* second-hand on almost everything (obvious things like food, underwear etc excluded). After all we only have one planet and no one is going to give us a new one when we run out of resources. Not even a re-gifted one.

Only sometimes people will pass on a really horrible gift to someone else just to get rid of it, without any regard as to whether the recipient will like it or not. Now that is tacky and offensive!

Answer 2

Not so much offended but hurt and it happens to me with a friend all the time. I am not talking about things like chocs, wine etc as there are be so many reasons for not wanting to indulge in these but usually if a gift is unacceptable to you then it's not what your close friends would want. However, som unknown person might and there are lots of good causes this could be 'regifted' (hadn't heard that expression) to and make them some money. The friend in question is really thick skinned and no matter how many hints I drop and even suggested we discontinue present giving she just keeps going. Obviously I am a coward or would tell her outright. She either regifts or gets the really dross at the end of the Jan sales. Amongst the things she has given me Lol is a plastic photo frame out of a cracker, a sort of toilet bag from Next which my daughter informed me should have came complete with toiletries as she had one, a make-up bag, marked with lipstick inside, obviously used, a thingy that you put at the end of the light pull cord in the bathroom and much, much more. Worse of all is what she has got in the Sales she keeps the original price on. A number of years ago as cami tops were going out of fashion she gave me one in a size 20 (I was a size 12) from Debenhams with the price of £9.99 on it. I knew she wouldn't have paid that for it but as I was purchasing from the lingery dept I thought I may as well return it and it would credit to what I was getting. I intended telling her what I had done since it was not my size. The assistant returned and said " Sorry this can't be returned as it's from Season say 5 and we don't have a price". When I asked her what that meant she said, "Well we reduce the price and then sometimes it goes to half the price, then quarter but when it goes to rock bottom it's more or less out of our stock and we have no record". Hope this has given you a bit of a laugh but I swear it's the truth. Wonder if anyone out there can beat this? PS This friend I am referring to isn't in any way poor as I could also see why some people would do this and often it's depriving themselves of a gift and they give it away rather than be embarrassed they can't afford to give something. However, with this friend it is a different senario all together as she constantly buys for herself and only the best.

Answer 3

I guess it depends. Sometimes I receive a gift that someone for some reason felt obligated to give me, that I just didn't like very well.
People get kind of caught up in feeling obligated to give a gift - any gift! When really, it just isn't necessary. A former boss once gave me a book by an author I can't stand in a genre I can't stand (one of those clean romance novels). I saw the books at the dollar store later. I mean, it's fine. But what was really written all over that gift (besides bad writing) was "I feel obligated to give you a gift, but not obligated to really think about the kind of person you are and what your interests are, so I'll just get any old thing"
Now, I met a person later who really enjoyed that author, and I gave the book to them (not wrapped as a gift, though).
If someone was in a similar situation, had received something they simply didn't like, it would be fine with me if they knew it was something I would like. Partly because that requires actual thought. I really don't care how they got it.
I guess I think the real problem is all this 'obligatory gift giving' we do. We *have* to buy a gift for our co-workers? Our bosses? Our acquaintences? Why? That is just how people end up with gifts they aren't even interested in keeping. And that is how people get into trouble with regifting. I feel obligated to give this person a gift (when they probably don't care), so I'll just find any old thing (how about this gift I received I don't like - then I'm killing two birds with one stone! Getting rid of clutter, and covering this perceived obligation!)

I guess I think a gift should always be a blessing to the recipient. If it isn't, it's not a gift.

Answer 4

It really just depends on the situation. I think it is agood idea to keep thinngs you won't use to regift. However you must be dilligent in remembering who gave it to you so that you don't give it to anyone close to them and you should also check to make sure that there is no way they can tell it's a regift. Now if I knew I got a regift from a close friend, i would not be happy. I think that requires more thought and personalization than say a gift I am going to give to someone not as close to me. Good judgement is what it comes down to.

Answer 5

For me, it would depend upon the gift and the giver.

If it is from a close friend and she knows what I like and happens to have that item, fine.

I know it's the "thought that counts." But, sometimes, not much thought goes into it. Anyway, if it is a nice, quality gift, I probably wouldn't even know it is "re-gifted."

My reply is wishy-washy..... I guess I would want the giver to put some thought into the act of giving.

Answer 6

Actually it's not a bad idea. (X gives gift to Y who gives gift to Z-me)
If x gave the gift and y gave it away, then x must not know that person well enough. a x-mas gift must be something the person likes or the gift isn't all that thoughtful at all. If "y" gives "x"s gift away to me then it's not wrong or offensive unless "Y" was just giving the gift away only b/c "y" did'nt like it. now thats offenseive. "y" should hand with "x" more then "x" would know what "Y" would want. But truly it depends on the motive of "y" if it is offensive or not.

Answer 7

No, for various reasons.

One, I've done it myself and if I'm going to regift, I should accept one.

Two, I know my reasons behind doing it (getting rid of something I'll never use, something I already have, at a loss for what to get that person, can't afford something else) and so it's easy for me to assume they are doing it for the same reasons.

Three, how do you know unless they tell you?

Plus, it's simply the thought that counts. It may not amount to that person spending a day at the mall looking for something specifically for you, but at least they care enough to gift you.

Answer 8

I agree with you and many others: It's the thought that counts. Why keep something you'll never use when you know somebody else would love it? And it's not like you're being cheap. It equals out to be the same thing if she had kept the gift and bought another.

Besides, not everyone can afford to give gifts, and if they would rather give gifts they receive than keep it themselves, then it truley shows they are about giving and not receiving: and isn't that what it's all about anyways?

Answer 9

I wouldn't mind if it's something I wanted or I would use but if they just gave me something that really wasn't my taste I would think they are just trying to save money not thinking about what I want - in that situation it would be better just to give a nice card.

Answer 10

I wouldn't be offended as long as it was something that made sense as a gift for me.
It saves people money and if they get and are like "Gee, this isn't really me, but I know (blank) would love it." then that is a good thing.