Were these gifts shoplifted? Or just really old?

[PamFritters]

I have posted before about my SIL and her over gifting at Xmas and birthdays. It’s often clothes, very rarely anything I would wear. I usually take to a charity shop but this year I decided to be a bit more frugal and return them for credit. All had price tags on, various shops but today I took the Next and M&S ones in as I was near.

All of it scanned and came up. But all of it came up as ‘not sold/no sales record’. Oh and all the Next ones were coming up as £3. The lady in Next said she had worked there for 4 years and didn’t recognise any of the items. Basically they are either a) nicked or b) older than the system.

I think this might finally be the push I need to tell her to stop giving me clothes I don’t want, because she’s either stolen them or had hanging around with tags on in her wardrobe for five years. I’ve spent the last 20 years being subtle and it clearly doesn’t work.

I’m not being unreasonable to think these are weird gifts, right?

At the risk of being completely outing, our husbands are ID twins and she gives DH clothes that are HUGE. He wears size S and she gives him t shirts in XXL for example. It’s all so weird. Why does she do it? Any guesses welcome.

Could she have got them from a charity shop?

Next outlet store or bought them off vinted , old stock that won’t show up as being bought recently

I’d guess charity shop purchases

If they’re not recognised in store it seems unlikely that they’ve been shoplifted. Could be charity shop or eBay/Vinted sales perhaps.

She probably bought them from a charity shop. They often have new with tags on, donated by High Street Stores. Often older stock.

Regifting

Charity shop probably.

Why would you think shoplifted? As if that was the case then they would be current stock surely?

Surely if shoplifted the barcode would still work ? My bet is old stock or as others have said , charity shop finds.
You could call her out by saying the last couple of times you have received clothes from her that they haven't been quite right so can she include the receipt next time.

Ah I didn’t think charity shops would have tags?

Shoplifting was kind of a joke but she does always give me the oddest stuff and we’ve often wondered if she shoplifts random stuff and gives it away.

It’s always such odd clothes as well. I wear jeans and gym wear. This is frilly shirts and glittery jumpers with unicorns on.

NEXT would know if it was stolen when they scanned the barcode.

From an outlet store or Choice?

The barcodes work, that was the point.

Next and M&S use the magic fancy system of individual bar codes. So the items came up on screen with a big red ‘not marked as sold’ or similar. I can’t remember what exactly. But not registered as an item that has been paid for.

Could be from charity shops, I’ve occasionally donated clothes with the tags still on.

Maybe she’s just one of those people who puts no thought into gifts and grabs the first thing she sees that’s remotely suitable. My SIL’s a bit like that. We’ve have some really weird presents from her in the past.

They could still be seconds/end of line stuff that's been sold via a discount outlet, perhaps.

It doesn't really matter because the simple fact is that you don't ever want any of these odd clothing items. It's time to say very clearly - do not gift either of us any clothing ever, thank you.

My mother has form for buying me wacky stuff she got in charity shops. Kaftans and sequinned vests and the like. FWIW I dress like a funeral director.

She was raised poor so I think she can’t resist the fact they’re brand new and ‘should have been £X.’ They often do have original tags, I think that’s what attracts her!

As others have said, they are probably just old stock she's either had herself for years or bought on vinted/ebay. My auntie bought a little outfit for my son when he was born, that was very similar to a few that he already had (brown dungarees) when I took them to Asda they came up with similar 'no record' type message, they offered me £1 or something for them.
I definitely dont think she stole them! She had grandsons who were about 5, so I think it was just an unworn outfit they'd had left over.
Next have that clever barcode system now, where each individual item has a unique barcode, so they can see when and where that item was sold (and by who if they have your email) So it could just be that your things predate the new system, hence the no sales record.

Next have done it for ages and marks are in the last 4 years. I bought something during covid online. Took back to Marks and luckily had invoice as their system said it hadn't been sold! Annoying

Maybe she picks up bits when she sees them and has gifting cupboard/drawer. I do that, so yeh things might have been bought a few months before giving them to you. It's like in the January sales I start buying things and then put them in my cupboard, to they do birthdays etc throughout the year and beyond. I always try to give people things they like or would/could actually wear though

Ask her for the receipts as you need to switch sizes and see what she says. How odd! And sort of insulting.

I work in a shop . Every single January 27th people pour in to buy things for the next Christmas. Also on that day lots of people try to return things that have been bought for them in the previous years sale and we have to explain they're just not on our system anymore so therefore worthless.

Having been given some very peculiar gifts this year, I think some people like to turn up with lots of wrapped packages and that for them it is more about the exciting wrapped presents than what is actually in them. Kind of childish. There are people who just don’t get how to do presents.
This is the only thing I can think of in my situation because the presents are truly bizarre and have probably been doing the rounds in the charity shops since the 70s

She could have got them from a charity shop Ebay or some other online place. Bargains to be had Christmas soon adds up. If I had gifted someone something and they assumed I had shoplifted I would be really hurt.

Thankfully we don't do gifts for adults in our family!

It is not mandatory for a gift to be returnable/current shop stock. Regifting, buying in last years sales, buying from outlets or BNWT resellers is perfectly acceptable.

If you don't want it give it to charity.

Off topic but if you put your glittery unicorn top on vinted I'll buy it :-)

Not true 😂