Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

To be annoyed at rubbish birthday present??

66 replies

tara277 · 27/05/2012 20:45

AIBU?

It's my birthday today and my parents sent me a pair of trousers that my mum bought for herself a year and a half ago (I was with her but I don't think she remembers! They're not even the right size for me though still have labels on). Also an Elemis gift set with half of the stuff taken out. This one here at end ArchiveSwearsBy It's not even available to buy any more on QVC - she got me the same one for Christmas with the same things missing and I only realised when I saw the mumsnet swearsby email that it should have more products in it!

Neither was wrapped!! Am I being spoilt and unreasonable to feel a bit hurt or is this fair enough?

OP posts:

StrawbRhi · 27/05/2012 21:19

YADNBU! Sent it all back to her for Christmas, giftwrapped beautifully :D

Thoughtless presents are the bane of my fiances birthdays. His parents couldnt care less about what he wants. For 3 years in a row he recieved the same pen set from Aldis. 2 years ago he got a citronella candle and a pair of BBQ tongs even though he hates barbequeing (Its me that does it), last year was a sat nav that came free with FIL's car insurance even though his car has an onboard computer thingy.

This year I specificly told MIL not to buy him clothes because he hates getting clothes as gifts. She suggested money but was aghast when I suggested a HMV voucher (hes a movie buff) as 'its not personal enough, no thought has gone into it', and all of his hobbies are 'a waste of time'. I told her the only other thing he was after is an IPad and not to buy it cos its too expensive.

PIL are currently at thier villa in Spain and its his birthday tomorrow. They left us with a parcel and hinted very stongly that it was an IPad and hes been getting all excited for 10 days.... it was actually a pack of 7 Tesco's socks, a pack of 3 Tesco boxers in size XXXXL (because they think hes a fat bastard and dont consider losing 2 and a half stone as anything significant. He's actually an XL), Tescos slip on shoes and a VAIR expensive designer watch that is not to his taste at all.

Hes off work with CFS and depression and this big show of 'we're not interested in getting to know what you like' has really set him back. All he really wanted was a £10 voucher to buy a movie he had his eye on :( Its not that theyre bad at buying gifts, I always get lovely gifts! except for the clothes that are blatently bought on a market stall because thats obviously the only place a chubster like me can buy clothing

GnomeDePlume · 27/05/2012 21:20

YANBU

It isnt the price of the gift it is the zero effort which has gone into it. DD had it this year from DGM who had quite obviously gone to her 'just in case' present drawer and regifted something to DD which had obviously already been opened and picked over. Fine as a raffle prize, a bit crap for a 12 year old.

travailtotravel · 27/05/2012 21:21

It would be easier if we didn't bother, to be honest!

Noqontrol · 27/05/2012 21:22

My mum always does this. I often buy her a bottle of champagne for Christmas and I always get it back for my birthday. I suspected she had been doing this for a few years so I started marking the bottles before giving to her. And my suspicions were correct when the bottle was duly given back to me. I don't mind really, but then again it is champagne. I probably would be a bit more miffed if I'd been given a pair of trousers that were too small and a gift set with half the gifts missing. I'd save them and give them back to her for her birthday for sure. I hope you've had a lovely day aside from that anyway.

ChasingSquirrels · 27/05/2012 21:24

It's my birthday too, any more of us??

Glad that your DH and kids got you nice things.

Original poster

tara277 · 27/05/2012 21:27

Hey ChasingSquirrels, Happy Birthday!

OP posts:

VirginiaPosh · 27/05/2012 21:34

Yes! It's my birthday too, the big 4-0 :(

yellowraincoat · 27/05/2012 21:37

Oh YANBU that's really thoughtless of her.

My aunt regularly gives me the free no7 gift bag that you get in boots if you buy 2 items.

It makes me feel sad that she gives me something she hasn't even chosen. I know she's skint, but I'd rather just have a Wispa Gold, I love them and if she knew me at all she'd know that.

NoWayNoHow · 27/05/2012 21:37

Wow, who knew May 27th was such a busy birthday day?!

Happy birthday to chasing and virginia too!

startail · 27/05/2012 21:42

YANBU
I have an aunt famous for awful presents, her gifts are opened on arrival to avoid spoiling Christmas.

ChasingSquirrels · 27/05/2012 21:43

my 40th too - happy birthday to all of us.

I have spent all week being vaguely down about approaching 40, and was fairly vile to DP yesterday...and I have just had such a lovely day today.
I am feeling very happy and lucky.

ChasingSquirrels · 27/05/2012 21:45

"gifts opened on arrival to avoid spoiling christmas" has just made me chuckle out loud :)

TartyMcFarty · 27/05/2012 22:10

YANBU at all. I have an aunt who buys any old shit just because it's a bargain. After a couple of months getting in my way, it goes in the bin. What the fuck's the point? It's not thoughtful, it's annoying.

TartyMcFarty · 27/05/2012 22:12

Noquontrol, why do you give your mum Champagne if you know she doesn't want it? That's the same thing, isn't it?

Lexiesgirl · 27/05/2012 22:14

I came on here to say straight away that YABU because I get really wound up about people being ungrateful about presents but - crikey, YADNU! That really is pretty shit

Happy birthday though!

missnevermind · 27/05/2012 22:39

Hehe. You could phone your Mum and say you think your Birthday present may have gone to the charity shop as you have the bag that was obviously meant to have gone in its place.

TheSmallClanger · 27/05/2012 22:41

I have an aunt who gives me things she got free as presents. Normally with big logos on the side. I'd rather she didn't bother.

If your mum can't be arsed with presents, she should just give vouchers, or homemade cake, or something like that. The half-used Elemis set is the height of crap.

BoysBoysBoysAndMe · 27/05/2012 22:57

I shit you not op..........

It was my 30th in December.

I got thirty presents off my dad. Amazing -you would think.......

One of those thirty was a tub of asda own brand rollmops!!!!!!!!!

Fucking picked fish !!!!!!!!!!- and I don't care if that makes me sound spoilt!!!!!!

TheSmallClanger · 27/05/2012 22:58

Was it a joke, Boys?
My brother often sends me things like that because he thinks it is funny.

BoysBoysBoysAndMe · 27/05/2012 23:01

No idea. I didn't find it funny.

I like fish- but not rollmops.

His girlfriend doesn't like me, she bought some of the presents and that must have been one if them. My dad wouldn't have bought it. And I didn't mention it as I don't want to rock the boat - as it were.

lunamoon · 27/05/2012 23:09

Happy birthday to all!

YANBU about the gifts, your op is very funny though.

Brandnewbrighttomorrow · 27/05/2012 23:26

My brother once bought me an Australian man's rugby shirt (size L) for my birthday. I don't like rugby and I'm not a bloke

Not quite as bizarre as the year he bought both me and our mum each a fleece camouflage scarf from the bargain bucket at tie rack I think I'd describe our expressions on opening them as incredulous...

Brandnewbrighttomorrow · 27/05/2012 23:26

Happy birthday though, hope you've had a lovely day despite the weird gifts!

Noqontrol · 27/05/2012 23:30

Lol, good point tarty. But actually, she loves champagne, she really does, so I don't know why she keeps giving it back. But whatever I get her gets recycled back to me. I bought her some Clinique stuff one year, she hung on to it for a year or so and passed it back too. My brother bought her some really nice hand cream one year, she didn't give that to him, she passed it on to me for my birthday. I don't know, maybe I'm doing something wrong but I don't know what it is.

Noqontrol · 27/05/2012 23:35

Although, I've got to say, my mother is the queen of recycling. For all my life presents have been eyed up and examined for their recycle worth. I think my mums just a bit thrifty really.

Flip

1 2 3

Swipe left for the next trending thread