Were these gifts shoplifted? Or just really old?

Just donate unwanted clothing to a shelter, people often arrive with nothing but what they are wearing.

To be honest, OP, if you don't like the gifts, then re-gift them and say thank you nicely. Honestly, you'd think the world had come to an end because you do not like Christmas gifts. Worse things happen at sea!

What is wrong in purchasing gifts from charity shops or in sales, or vintage items? I almost always source gifts from those places because I am likely to find items that are a little out of the way.

I buy gifts in charity shops, vintage sales, antique stalls etc. I choose with care. I am not poor (probably richer than you) but economy, careful choosing of gifts, and the buying of gifts over the year are wise and sensible things. I give with love and affection, as I receive. And the thought I give to my charity, vintage and antique purchases is maybe greater than much new gifting of expensive gifts which have no feeling attached. Better a dinner of herbs and love therein, than the stalled ox and hatred, is a true saying. Accept what you are given with a good grace. If you do not like it or it does not suit you, re-gift with thoughtful care, or put it in a cupboard only to be brought out when the giver is around.

@ClimbingHydrangea in theory yes but shoplifters never go to that bother . They just take it !

I only work there part time to get me out the house so I don't control the rules or shoplifters but they do all sorts of weird shit .

It's the same in any shop that someone could do that though isn't it

@greenacrylicpaint - why is selling on a second hand platform any different to trying to return to a shop? Either way you are getting money for a gift and returning to a shop is much less hassle. If you don’t want people to return your gifts to the shop, remove the tags.

either gifts come with a gift receipt and you can return them (if shop policy allows)
or we give them to a charity shop or sell on a second hand platform.

For the people on here who think OP is weird/rude to take back unsuitable gifts and should just be grateful.

Do you just keep unwanted gifts cluttering up your houses, or do you give to the charity shop? If to charity why is that better than trying to get something they do like out of a gift?

It’s always such odd clothes as well. I wear jeans and gym wear. This is frilly shirts and glittery jumpers with unicorns on.

Definitely she has got them cheap somewhere! Sometimes unsold stock goes to clearance shops or market stalls.

The security tag would probably be a give away.

But why would she repeatedly give XXL clothes to a thin man who always wears an S, and who is apparently the exact same size as her own husband, who is his twin?

I would tackle this by doing a no presents for adults thing in future.

I had an item from NEXT that I needed to swap for a different size a few weeks ago. It was a Christmas gift and the giver had included a gift receipt.

when the assistant scanned the barcode it came up as item not sold but you could see on the gift receipt that it matched what I was returning. She was a bit stumped and called a manager over who glanced at the receipt and authorised the return and swap for another size.

so although they do have the ability to check an individual item, it clearly doesn’t always actually work.

@Pololo how does it encourage shoplifting?

(I do not plan on doing this, I'm just surprised that it seems this system seems to encourage shoplifting, rather than deter it)

So someone can walk into a Next, take something off the shelf, say they are returning it to the cashier, it scans and says "no record of sale" and you have to give it back to them?

yabu
it's odd to take gifts to shops for a refund without receipt.

But say nothing 😂

But add a random thing and every year regift and add something! Try and find the most hideous thing to add. 😂

In your case OP I would just regift them back to her at Xmas. 😂

My great aunt used to love taking stuff back she was given, it was a day out and a hobby for her. She used to get annoyed if it was in the right size so as a family we would buy M&S in wrong sizes for her deliberately as she loved to go in and chin wag with the ladies on the returns. They were literally her friends and even came to her funeral when she passed.

I often have people try and return stuff and if it comes up with that I'll say but this is Aw 18 or whatever so where did you get it from as I obviously can't give you any money if it's that old .. they often say oh I was having a clear out etc.. trying their luck 🙄.. it happens all the time , at least every time I'm there . Not an unusual occurrence

To be honest most of the time it's just old stock someone has got from somewhere as there are codes on the barcode to be able to tell if it's Spring summer or autumn winter and which year etc.

@Pololo it doesn't do that .. it simply says no record of sale and that can mean either it's stolen or it's old and been charitied or from vinted ..

We cannot take items from them in case they have been on they have bought it legit from a second hand seller .