AIBU to present you with a mystery box and not open it?

[QueenMortifauxcado]

Today I recieved a parcel from a nc relative who doesn't seem to have quite got the message. Every year I get a passive aggressive christmas card which I duly ignore. Now I have a box. I've been informed by another relative it's a birthday gift. Do I open it? Send it back?

[StarryIllusion]

Open it, satisfy curiosity, get a black marker and write CUNT across whatever it is and then reseal and send it back with them paying the postage on the other end. The ultimate fuck you. They know it was rejected, have to pay to get it back only to find that they can't use it or regift or even return for a refund as it has been defaced. You have not resumed civil contact, interfering rellie will know only what you tell them and MN and the feline overlord are both happy. Win, win.

[Fluffyears]

Why taunt us?

[HaloOnFire]

Sigh.
Potentially satisfying thread is unsatisfying.
Meh

[InterchangeableEmma]

I think a lot of people didn't read the thread title

[TitaniasCloset]

Send it to me let me open it.

[QueenMortifauxcado]

I opened the stupid box. It had an ott family pic card and some individually wrapped gifts

[TitaniasCloset]

Hooray!!! But oh well. Now you feel annoyed with us all.

[Anniegetyourgun]

I can't imagine that whatever it is is all that interesting. It looks a bit like a duvet set. Were I to receive a parcel from someone I really didn't want a present from (XH springs to mind, I don't have any really horrible relatives) I'd have no difficulty at all handing it over to the flying monkey intermediary relative and ask them to be kind enough to pass it back to NCR at their earliest convenience. Bottom line is that it doesn't matter what it is, it's something you're not going to want. Not caring enough even to want to know what's inside is the best "fuck you" there is.

[Anniegetyourgun]

Ach, x post. Told you it wouldn't be interesting.

[PelvicFloorClenchReminder]

Were any of them 'x's from Barnsley?

[Foxysoxy01]

But what's in each of the individually wrapped gifts

[TheCatsMother99]

What are the individually wrapped gifts?

At least the present isn't worth anything so you can just chuck in the bin if you want to.

[QueenMortifauxcado]

Opened the gifts. Collectable from my birth year and an item reminiscent of a memory I don't really have. I think it's an attempt at thoughtful but it's not really about me, is it?

[Pettywoman]

Well at least they were shit gifts and you can ignore the whole thing now and not let it play on your mind. It would have been harder had it been an heirloom with sentimental value.

[ThatsWotSheSaid]

Please don't engage with them with any kind of 'thank you'. If any mutual people ask just be vague then change the subject.

[PovertyPain]

Sorry, Queen. They're playing mind games. Get rid of the stuff of or it will sit there taunting you and connecting you to them. You got away from them once, you can do it again. 🌹

[QueenCarpetJewels]

Whatever you do OP if you are NC, then keep it NC. That means no sending it back, no thank you card, no acknowledgement whatsoever. No contact means no contact. If your intermediary asks about it, you can just say with a shrug that you didn't even open it, it went in the bin. That's what will get back to the EA relative and that's what's for the best if you are serious about NC.

[Dogivemeabreak]

Burn the card and take out your frustration of them forcing contact, by smashing the gifts with a nice big hammer.

[Miserylovescompany2]

I wouldn't acknowledge the gift or mention it again. If you thanked the sender then you are opening up the channels of communication. You are not shoving it back in their faces. You are choosing to do nothing. You'd made your wishes known in the first instance. They made a choice to override them.

Do nothing.

[kaitlinktm]

YY to doing nothing. Don't open communication - doesn't matter if they think you're rude - you're NC.

[mereswinesaliva]

I was just coming on here to say DO NOT OPEN THE BOX AND DO NOT SEND IT BACK.

I see I'm too late!

@QueenCarpetJewels Agree 100% with this approach.

[QueenMortifauxcado]

Thank you all for your posts, this thread did cheer me up on what could have been a really shitty day so thanks for that too

I was okay about the gifts until I realised there may have been an element of slighting someone else in there too, I have no idea if it was intentional but definitely plausible.

Don't think there's any chance of reinstating contact. I'm still undecided whether to send back a clear message for no more cards, gifts, contact etc. I'm thinking a 6ft glittery nude photo of Donald Trump might do the trick.

[QueenCarpetJewels]

Seriously, OP, if you don't want to reinstate contact, then don't be sending back any sort of message. Sending back a message is completely the opposite of 'not reinstating contact'.
Sending back a message reopens the lines of contact whether you want it to or not, and permits them to keep sending you stuff you don't want to receive because they think they will hear back from you again. If they hear from intermediary that you didn't open it and threw it in the bin, they are much less likely to keep sending you things.
Please trust those of us who have been there.

[MiscellaneousAssortment]

Bah, rubbish gifts with an emotional kicker included = most rubbish parcel ever!

How annoying for you and they got your mind-time by sending it too. Ah well, put aside and don't let them know it perturbed you at all.

[yaela123]

Definitely to the gerbils