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AIBU?

Mother selling gifts bought for child - AIBU?

139 replies

FantomPhairy · 21/03/2017 21:24

Genuinely not sure if Aibu.

We bought gifts for toddler dn for combination birthday/xmas in December. All of which have been put up for sale on local social media site by dn's mum all unopened in packaging.

Gifts were toys and age appropriate. Dn loves playing with similar items when visiting us so know they would have been enjoyed.

Now I appreciate with both bday and cmas in December, there may have been surplus gifts but we had put thought into selecting them for dn and if we had have known they were going to be sold, would have gladly donated them instead.

AIBU to be really annoyed that all of these items we had got as gifts for dn have been sold and should I say anything to dn's mum?

OP posts:
Coldilox · 21/03/2017 21:28

We've sold on stuff if we've been given duplicates.

ThePiglet59 · 21/03/2017 21:29

I would be annoyed too, but what rotten sod buys a combination Xmas/birthday gift?

FantomPhairy · 21/03/2017 21:29

Sorry there was four gifts in total, two birthday, two xmas

OP posts:
sonyaya · 21/03/2017 21:30

YANBU. How rude to do it publicly too

MrsGsnow18 · 21/03/2017 21:32

I can see why you are annoyed as you put thought and effort into the gifts. It's prob like you said though with a birthday and Xmas so close there were prob a lot of duplicate gifts or too many gifts to play with. With my niece who has a similar birthday/Xmas together I usually give her money for one as that way later on in year she can spend it.
Try not to take it personally as hopefully they are not doing it to offend you. You could always ask next time what they would like gift wise.

WhipMaWhop · 21/03/2017 21:35

There was a woman on a local fb selling group that was selling one of her kid's presents on Christmas Day!
Someone asked her if it had been a gift and she just said yes and it wasn't needed!

Notso · 21/03/2017 22:00

Unless there is a massive back story and she is doing it out of spite I would just assume there is a genuine reason for her selling them and that any money from the sale will go to DN.
We got 3 or 4 versions of Guess Who in December and we already had two versions from older DC. I sold or regifted the surplus and gave DC the money.

TheresABluebirdOnMyShoulder · 21/03/2017 22:05

I don't think there's anything wrong with what she's doing, although it's a little rude to sell them on FB where you can clearly see.

She may have received duplicate gifts and is selling them with a view to putting the money in DN's piggy bank. It's not necessarily that she doesn't appreciate your gift, but children don't need multiple identical toys and if she sells them then she can buy DN something else instead.

Mehfruittea · 21/03/2017 22:13

Perhaps give gift receipts with any other presents? Or offer to take DN to toy shop as a trip out to choose her own presents? DS is 5 and this year is first year we took him to a toy shop with birthday money to buy toys. He was very good in understanding there was a limit and got really excited just by the experience!

TheRealPooTroll · 21/03/2017 22:16

Bad form of her advertise them for sale where the giver can see imo. But maybe next time ask if there's anything sn would like/need then you know it will be appreciated.

ny20005 · 21/03/2017 22:19

I have sold pil presents in the past. Mil never asked what kids had or wanted & sometimes bought really inappropriate gifts. I learned to say thank you & hide them. Then sell & but something child did want

I didn't do it publicly where pil would see unlike my sil, who donated all the clothes bought to charity shop near my pil's 🙄

AtSea1979 · 21/03/2017 22:19

I second including gift receipts or getting gift voucher next time

Only1scoop · 21/03/2017 22:28

YANBU
I have been known to re gift a duplicate but selling on SM seems somewhat brazen

BestZebbie · 21/03/2017 22:41

Were they gifts that could easily fit into a home, or something like a trampoline or rocking animal that takes up lots of space?

Porpoiselife · 21/03/2017 22:46

YANBU it's rude and ungrateful

lalalalyra · 21/03/2017 23:19

I sold several Christmas presents my kids were given. They were either duplicate items or ones the kids wouldn't play with. So they were sold and the kids chose new toys that they do play with with the money.

What's the issue with that? There's no point in my DS having 3 junior scrabble games. Or my DD having 2 of the same bing blender.

FantomPhairy · 22/03/2017 00:47

Sorry to dripfeed and thank you for the replies so far.

With regards to duplicate gifts, I can absolutely understand there would be no point in keeping in this case and wouldn't have an issue with the recipient exchanging or selling. None of the gifts were duplicates or awkward items. Think along the lines of happy land figures and bath toys.

I actually did ask if there was anything we could get dn prior to getting anything and was told there was nothing in particular.

I guess I'm just pissed off that dn wasn't given an opportunity to enjoy our gifts even though they would have loved them and the openly selling them right where all can see. Just seems really ungrateful tbh!

OP posts:
mummyto2monkeys · 22/03/2017 00:48

There were really duplicates of all four presents? That seems very unlikely, yes perhaps one of the gifts but all four is very strange. Do you get on with your sil/ sister? Do they have limited space for toys? Do they seem short of cash? If it was my sister I would be upfront and ask, if my sil I would get my husband to ask/ ask my brother what was wrong with thegifts. Were the toys particularly noisy? My husband used to joke that all the noisy toys had to stay at grandparents house 😂.

Whatever their reason its best to ask now, rather than let resentment grow and wondering if they will sell all of the future gifts you buy your dn.

SugarLoveHeart · 22/03/2017 00:55

I think selling gifts is awful. Donating to charity is much better. Don't buy your nephew anymore gifts.

FreeNiki · 22/03/2017 00:56

The next time give a gift certificate and if anything is said say well you sold the last presents i bought her so i thought it best you choose.

highinthesky · 22/03/2017 00:58

YANBU. I think monetising it in this way is the height of rudeness.

If you don't want the gift, don't accept it. Let someone else benefit instead.

anothermalteserplease · 22/03/2017 02:34

Ouch. That hurts. But tbh sometimes kids can just get too many toys. It becomes overwhelming. I wouldn't sell brand new toys especially on social media. But sometimes I do despair of the excess amount of stuff my children are given. You gave 4 gifts. What if everyone gave 4 gifts? That's quickly adding up to unmanageable levels there.

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Joinourclub · 22/03/2017 03:20

I put a fair few of my children's Christmas presents straight into the charity box. They weren't exact duplicates but we have enough (too many already!) bath toys, Lamaze, cuddly toys, card games etc so it seemed silly to use them and then throw them or others away in a declutter later on. Better to give away new stuff for someone else to benefit from. I did feel a bit mean / ungrateful but I have limited space abd I find the ever increasing mass of toys overwhelming. I wish family would stick to one present only! ( I have said this repeatedly and I always give ideas) I personally wouldn't sell stuff, I always donate, but there isn't much difference really as far as the original giver is concerned and it's probably fairer on the child to sell and then give them the money.

MissGoggins · 22/03/2017 03:26

If she keeps the money YANBU if she is selling on behalf of daughter savings YABU.

NightWanderer · 22/03/2017 03:52

I think you should ask them about it. Tell them you were upset. It was ungrateful of them to do it.

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