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Original poster

Have you ever received a present so shity saying thank you made you cringe?

408 replies

BlueMoonAndRedNose · 09/08/2019 07:40

I turn 50 at the beg of Sept. A friend asked to meet me for coffee yesterday and gave me a gift, she asked me not to open it there and then, but she didn't mean to wait for my birthday either.
This friend of mine turned 50 2 years ago and I gave her a stunning Becksondergaard scarf which she has worn a lot, I see her in photos wearing it all the time.
Got home, opened the present, it is a plain little milk jug. No tag on it, no label, looks unused but old, has a small chip on the handle.
I am not usually materialistic but I think that this is a thoughtless present and nothing, or a £5. bottle of wine would have been more appropriate.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
Ragwort · 09/08/2019 08:52

Lizzie what’s wrong with microwaving fish? Confused. I do that.

SmellbowSpaceBowl · 09/08/2019 08:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

xoxoluna · 09/08/2019 08:53

I got a pack of toilet rolls as housewarming present from a cousin (early 30s). Very useful. Maybe your friend thinks you are in desperate need of a milk jug to go with your coffee/tea.

I don't mind weird/funny gifts, but some times it's obvious when there's no thought or care given into picking the gift.

ShippingNews · 09/08/2019 08:55

The last time my sister sent me something for my birthday, I had no idea what it was, and I still don't know. All I could say was " thanks for the thoughtful gift, it'll come in really handy !"

Buddyelf · 09/08/2019 08:57

I was at a job a few years ago, I had to move to a different team just before Christmas. A few days later they started their secret Santa, I hadn’t been there to pick a name so felt a little left out.
The team leader then came over to me and said ‘we knew you weren’t here so one of the team went and got you a little something to open’. It was such a lovely gesture and beautifully wrapped.
I opened it and it was a sewing kit. I was 27 at the time. I remember thinking ‘don’t be ungrateful they did something nice’ but at the same time I was thinking ‘a sewing kit, really’.
What then made it worse was I said a gracious thank you and the team leader who had no idea what it was before giving it to me starts saying ‘is that a sewing kit?? Oh who picked that? That’s rubbish’ oh the embarrassment

Gherkinbee · 09/08/2019 08:58

All that means is it's now GAME ON!! Time to start sourcing her a lovely gift for her birthday.

Sicktobloodydeath · 09/08/2019 09:00

The thoughtlessness pisses me off!
At Christmas I spent ages thinking of thoughtful gifts for my best friend, I got her a beautiful scarf along with 4/5 other nice gifts I knew she’d love. She got me a £3 candle and an air freshener.

My aunt once gave me a regifted shampoo and conditioner in a box that looked like it had fallen off the back of a lorry.

Artnan · 09/08/2019 09:00

I spent months creating a photo book for my sister’s big birthday. She was absolutely thrilled with it and told me she had shown it to everyone and even taken it to work and how much everyone had admired it. A couple of years later when I reached the same age, she gave me a huge plastic tub of cheap sweets. Over the years she has also given me a diet book, a diet plate (with sections for the right amount of food) and a tube of moisturiser that she knew brought me out in a rash!

Herocomplex · 09/08/2019 09:01

I got a photo album of loads of pictures of myself as a present for a big birthday. They’d spent a lot of time on it, and were really well-intentioned.
I hate seeing myself in photos and just about every one of them was awful.
Present buying is often about the person giving the present. I know I buy presents for people as it makes me feel happy. I’d rather have flowers than almost anything else I think.

Dandelion1993 · 09/08/2019 09:03

My Mil gave everyone these fab gifts at Christmas. Bags, jewellery, toys for the kids. Get to my turn and I had a magazine.

A £3.50 magazine from the local supermarket.

Herocomplex · 09/08/2019 09:03

Ha! I’m not Artnans sister!!! 🙂

FrameyMcFrame · 09/08/2019 09:03

BuzzShitbag, maybe the present giver thinks you're a diva!

Could be a subtle hint, stop being a diva and do some cleaning?! Shock

jamoncrumpet · 09/08/2019 09:03

MiL bought me a men's shower gel for Christmas. Of course I wouldn't have turned into a man if I'd used it but it smelled like the boys' changing rooms at school.

daisypond · 09/08/2019 09:06

Who the heck, microwaves fish?! We do all the time. It’s the only way we cook fish. But it certainly doesn’t need a special dish to do it in.

MammaMia19 · 09/08/2019 09:06

Once I was given a ceramic mixing bowl and rolling pin for my birthday, like the huge old fashioned bowls with the crinkley edge. It was odd and went to the bootsale.
Stbxh bought me a tiny cactus one Valentine’s Day which became a bit of a joke and then he got upset when I didn’t look after it 😂

MarianaMoatedGrange · 09/08/2019 09:07

@gingersausage I'm totally with you on present swapping for adults - just WHY? Confused

People pretend they're delighted with the unecessary trash they've been 'gifted' and so it continues. A firm "no more gifts thank you, I'm cutting down on 'stuff'/ going minimalist" is surely all that is needed to halt the trash tide?

EcocabbyRickShaw · 09/08/2019 09:10

My MIL gave me a pack of tea towels once.

I thought that was bad until my friend told me her Mum got her a packet of Ryvitas for Christmas one year, while giving her other daughter some really nice jewellery, apparently Hmm

katseyes7 · 09/08/2019 09:11

My mother used to give me pound coins in a Steradent tube for Christmas. This went on for several years. Don't get me wrong, l appreciated the money, but there was no thought whatsoever. l'd rather have had a £3 box of sweets wrapped in Christmas paper so l had something to open on Christmas day.

What hurt me even more was the fact that she'd show me things she'd bought for my cousin which had obviously taken time to choose. "l've bought this for XXX because l know she likes them."

EinsteinsArousedSausagesHCB · 09/08/2019 09:13

An unwrapped dusty old furby, from my MIL.

MrsCasares · 09/08/2019 09:14

I got champagne glass in a box from some relatives. The box was labelled mum (mother’s day gift)which had been scribbled out.

Bit of an obvious regift.

SparkyBlue · 09/08/2019 09:14

I totally understand OP. I have had my third baby and while I am very grateful to anyone who takes the time to think of me and give me a gift I have gotten some awful end of season sale stuff that will all go unused by me and straight to the charity shop. One friend buys stuff in sales and always gives several items as gifts which always looks super generous but the stuff she give me never going to be used. All odd sizing and clothes that won't fit during the appropriate season.

username336896 · 09/08/2019 09:14

My SIL gave me a gift once. It was the free gift you get when you spend over a certain amount. I knew because I worked in that shop at the time Hmm. I wouldn't have minded but it wasn't necessary to give me any gift at the time (wasn't a celebration). She just apparently wanted to treat me Shock

iknowimcoming · 09/08/2019 09:15

My ils are the worst at presents - the whole family dread getting gifts from them. They are all raffle prizes, dubious sale purchases or charity shop/jumble sale donations - never, ever bought for anyone specific, all a generic heap of shite randomly distributed at birthdays or Christmas. Dh got a (very obviously secondhand) corkscrew and some QVC oven gloves last week for his birthday. Oh and they are totally minted so not a financial thing - we've tried many things over the years to stop it, but to no avail! On the plus side our local charity shop likes us Wink

eddielizzard · 09/08/2019 09:15

I got a tiny box of plasticine from my IL's once

Mrsjayy · 09/08/2019 09:19

Op are you not bothered if your friend reads this ? A chipped jug isn't exactly a usual present is it ?