Used gift from MIL

[Winenotindeed]

AIBU?! Just been made to look a right fool..!
In-laws came for a special family meal and bought a gift. Was a room spray from White Company. She's bought this fragrance before and don't use it as non of us like it.
So I went to the shop to ask for an exchange as it's too expensive not to use and they have done lovely scents. Only to be told at the checkout that they can't exchange because it's been used!! There was much less in it when she held it next to the full bottle.
So made up look like a t*$t in the shop AND she couldn't be bothered to buy me something new. (She can definitely afford a room spray, don't expect gifts etc)

Shit gift. Next time, send her your Amazon gift list.

@Silvercatowner and @Laiste thanks - agree with your thoughts! Some responses perplex me

Is MIL the type to be stingey? Do you really think she’d give you a room spray that had been used quite a bit? Could, like someone suggested earlier, she have picked it up in the shop and bought one that had been used by customers?

You’d have to be pretty hard faced to give someone a used bottle of spray.

@NoSauce it's a generous thought, but the testers have a label on them, so unless it had fallen off, it's unlikely this mistake was made.

That’s why I asked if she like you OP

How did you know which shop to go to?

How did you know which shop to go to?

If you read the thread then you'll find out

OP just give it back to her. Tell her you tried to exchange it for a scent you did like rather than hurt her feelings but the shop don't accept half empty bottles so she may as well use it herself.

No drama but point made. Or better still ask your bloke to give her it back with a stern word in her ear.

A room spray is a bit of a shit gift anyway.

Well quite. But a used one that doesn't smell nice is even worse

I don't blame OP for trying to mitagate at least some of the shitness!

A room spray from WC is £16 amd some of them are nice. So not such a shit gift.
If she'd had said 'I've used a bit, but thought you might like to try', so not a gift gift as such, it's not so bad. Was she making out that she bought it specifically for you?

Maybe she bought it from a charity shop and seen as you thought it looked full and new maybe she made the same mistake?

Sell it on eBay and use the money for something you want.

About cheeky and random giving someone a used room spray for a gift

Abit*

I give presents from charity shops as I’m skint but always make sure the cellophane etc is intact
Bit cheeky if you to ask for exchange without it being a sealed box
I would have given it to charity and shrugged it off to be honest

She didn't make you look like a twat, you were returning a gift that she expected you to keep. I'd either have donated to charity shop, given it to a friend that liked it or asked her if she had the receipt.

Either do what a pp suggested and give it to her for her birthday, or, next time you go to her house, take it with you to the bathroom and then just leave it there, without saying anything. Deny any knowledge if she asks.

@jellyfish70 I was exchanging what I thought was a generous gift so that I could use it rather than sitting in a cupboard which is a waste.

@Nofunkingworriesmate I have no issue with buying gifts from charity shops. This spray didn't come originally in cellophane, I asked for an exchange in the form that it is bought and the assistant was only too happy to help until she saw it was used.

Of course I will take it to a charity shop or see if a friend wants it, it wasn't what I expected a MIL to gift for a special occasion that's all

@Barbarafromblackpool - she gave it to me in a WC bag! So yes she was trying to make it look like a gift and it was given as such.

I think you're being a bit dramatic to be honest. You hardly look like a fool. And it's not unusual for family members to gift each other items they've used a little bit of if they don't like it but know it's expensive and think you will? Especially if there's so much left that you didn't even notice it was used at the time.

The thing it it obviously looked full or you would have noticed. You don't know that your mil didn't buy it like that some people use things in shops , maybe she got it as a gift sprayed it a few times didn't like it and decided to regift , maybe she bought off eBay at a charity shop ECT. O think it's unlikely she deliberately gave you a used gift if you usually get on well