DP got me the wrong present.

[PresentBlunder]

I really wanted the brand new Dyson air wrap for my birthday, it’s almost £600 - I know, ridiculous.

I’ve been squirrelling money away for a couple of months. DP asked me what I’d like for my birthday and I said the air wrap, but it’s a lot of money, so perhaps a contribution towards it. He said he’d buy it for me as it’s a big birthday and he’s getting his bonus from work soon.

My DP is very good at shopping around, getting a discount, we often buy second hand from Facebook and eBay. However, I explained to him that because it’s brand new out (1 month), he likely won’t find it as a bargain anywhere and he’s best off buying it direct from Dyson with our daughters student discount. He agreed and I sent the link.

Come today, I’ve opened my present from him and it’s the Dyson air wrap from quite a few years ago. A much older model without the latest tech or attachments. He was ridiculously pleased with himself and told me he’d got it for much cheaper than the advertised price.

Would you just be honest with him? I don’t want to crush him, he was grinning like a Cheshire Cat, but it’s not what I wanted and I’d rather return it and put the money towards the one I actually wanted. I also don’t want to see ungrateful as it was a lovely gesture.

Or I could just return it and buy the one I want and he’ll likely never know?

Ordinarily I'd be like, it's a gift just be grateful... but you pretty much handed this to him on a plate.. so I'd say something.

Tell him, but he already knows. Make him return it.

He said he would get the model you wanted then he cheaped out and got you an old one thinking, what, you wouldn't notice?

🙄

I'd use it. Surely it must be useable

Return it and get the one you want by adding the extra cost to the purchase. He's not done anything very special here since he got the wrong thing. You presumably would have been happy with a contribution towards the expensive one so do that and you can both be happy.

Of course it's usable but it's not what she wants.

Just tell him.

My family do this to me. Ask me what I want and then buy me the cheaper version.

He knows and I bet he was deliberately putting on that grin because he thinks you won't want to hurt his feelings, tell him and get the present you literally hand fed him.

But it's not the version she wanted with whatever the special bits are. He could have got her a £30 drier from Boots and it would be useable. That's not the point.

It depends where he got it from as if second hand it might not be able to go back?

It's a shame but I would gently say thank you so much but unfortunately it's not the model I was after. Then ask for the return info. If it's not possible to return I guess you have to sell it?

You clearly did say it was brand new. But if he's not really seen the before maybe he thinks they look the same? Or he could just be massively tight.

Hairdressers never use Dyson products. You may get much better value by getting a professional grade one from a different less trendy brand. Your hairdresser might be able to get you one on discount from the wholesaler?

@Woompund sorry you don't like my answer.

You're going to have to be honest because otherwise how are you going to get the receipt and proof of purchase. As an aside are they really worth £600?

Wow. Have you never made a mistake in your life? Never bought the wrong thing because you don’t know anything about the thing that the person wanted? My husband is really into art. I know nothing about art. I’ve bought the wrong type of paint brushes for him before. I thought I had listened. Thought I knew which ones he wanted. But paint brushes are just paint brushes to me. Likewise a hair dryer is probably just a hair dryer to the OP’s husband.

but this is MN where it’s ALWAYS the man’s fault.

A thing is worth whatever someone is prepared to pay for it.

It’s false economy not to have the one you want.

I’ve no idea if it’s brand new, refurbished or second hand to be honest. I haven’t talked to him yet. It came in the presentation box with all the bits etc.

I mean, she did tell him to buy it from the Dyson website using their daughter's student discount and sent him a link to it. It's difficult to give clearer instructions than that.

Tell him. It’s not him who should be pleased with your gift. And you’re definitely not pleased. He needs to sort it out

This is the sort of shit that my dad has done throughout my parents’ marriage and he continues to do it to this day. He asks what you want, you tell him and he always finds a cheaper, worse alternative. My mum asked for perfume one year and he bought her the deodorant version of it. That sort of thing. Nip it in the bud now OP! Be kind but firm. You deserve the version you want.

Off to Google dyson aur wrap now as not a clue what it is

She told him where and how to buy it and sent a fucking link. He has all the information he needed so what are you on about not knowing anything about what she wanted? She literally spelt it out to him and he just chose not to listen and did what he thought instead. Nothing to do with him being a man so clam down with that nonsense. It’s because he ignored her step by step instructions. This would apply if he were female too. It’s arrogance, not his sex that lead to this.

If he doesn’t know a lot about hair I would take a kindness perspective on this and just tell him you’ve checked and it’s not the one that’s suitable for your hair type so could he let you have the receipt so you can exchange it. If he does this kind of thing repeatedly or is generally thoughtless then I would tell him the truth.

Tell him that youre sorry this is awkward, but hes got the wrong model. You specifically wanted the newest one, and the reason he got it cheap was because it doesnt do what you wanted it for. That you were planning on getting it for yourself until he said he wanted to buy it, so no offence, but can he get a refund please and if he wants to go bargain hunting for your gift, then thats fine, but this time its a false economy as youd rather spend more on something youll actually use.

Yes he might be a bit deflated about it, but actually youre feeling deflated yourself and its your birthday

This. Tell him he bought the wrong one and that he needs to send it back and get the right one.

My MIL used to do this this. I think she thought I was unreasonable and ungrateful. But I was ungrateful because I didn't want it .
Tell him to return it . If he had asked you for the latest model of phone , golf club , power tool etc. how would he feel about getting an older version ?