Me and my siblings have been doing a Secret Santa for each other the past few years - each sibling gets one decent present and a stocking of things costing less than a fiver. Which mostly works except 2 are abroad at the mo and seemed to buy decently for all this year.
This year though, the aunts and uncles got involved and it was a bit of a disaster. Rules galore! And confusion to match. Followed by some getting nice things for lots, while others feeling left out. Each of the aunts and uncles and spouses got one other to buy for, those who were godparents to me and my sibs bought for that godchild (all adults and each of us covered except me as Grandad RIP but Grandmother was covering me), and something small for the children (my and my sis's kids, and the kids of one uncle who are still all kids).
Great in theory, except that my grandmother can't do it herself anymore, and the aunt who did got me 2 bottles of wine (nice, but soooo impersonal and in fact, I'd swear it was a regift), while she ALSO got a lovely handbag for my sister who is that aunt's godchild from Grandmother (who was only supposed to give one gift) - and at the same time bought same DSis a present from herself as Godmother.
I know, green eyed monster and I am not proud and haven't said it to anyone in the family. But it did make me hacked off. (Even more so when the same rules were that us sibs were only to buy for our Godparent, and I had spent hours in the kitchen making 4 different types of sweets that Grandmother would love, and a few other foodie bits that the wider family would share, but also spent weeks making a cross-stitch ornament - and the box was only opened and abandoned over a week later, not even packets inside opened when the whole family would have been there to share and some would now be spoiled). I just felt so underwhelmed and un-appreciated.
Generally though, it has worked well between the siblings. We only have 3 kids between 6 of us (2 families), so kids only doesn't yet work. But the interim measure does.
Next year, if the wider changes are happening again, they need to be more clearly understood and agreed earlier!