To think 'experiences' are a bad gift to give someone?

[Ved]

Bought sometimes for around £30 to £40, but often end up costing the recipient much more to use them. (With travel expenses, and sometimes accommodation, as some of them take 3-4 hours or more to get to in a car, and even longer on a train or a bus?!)

AIBU to think no-one should be buying an 'experience' as a gift for someone, unless they know they want it?

Depends on a number of factors. A spa day would be a waste on me but afternoon tea local to where I live would be appreciated. We were gifted an experience in London, we live in the north so once we had factored in travel and hotel, it was an expensive trip for us and for something I was not fussed about.

I think they’re a great idea if you know the person well enough to know what will work for them and what they’ll enjoy x x

No, as long as it's well-chosen, it can be a great gift. It's not difficult for the giver to look into the travel, 2 minutes on Google maps will tell them if it's feasible. I think you need to know the person well enough to choose an experience they'll like, but again if you know them well enough to spend that kind of money on a gift, you should know whether they would prefer Extreme Bungee Jumping or a Fine Dining experience 😆

I received an 'experience' gift a couple of years ago, for two people to include my DH and we had a great time, still reminisce over it.

I love them.

A day out making memories and no clutter in the house/obligation to keep something that's not quite what you would have chosen yourself.

I think it depends on who it’s for and what the voucher is for! I’ve bought a perfume making afternoon for my dd so she and a friend can create their own scents ;which I know they’ll love) plus concert tickets and gin making for my oh which we’ve enjoyed together! I’ve also been bought a hot air balloon trip which was fabulous! Horses for courses I guess! I always check locations and make sure they’re for two though!

I buy my DGC zoo or animal park passes and my DD requests them as they don't have so much space for too many toys.

I think that just like "stuff" gifts, whether an experience is a good or bad gift depends on the thought that has gone into it. I'd much rather have qan experience gift in something that I like than a selection of shitty bath stuff, but then I'm also rather have a massive box of chocolates than a escape room type experience. It's all down to how well the gifter knows the giftee.

It completely depends on what it is and who it’s for!

I don’t think it’s intrinsically any more of a waste than buying smellies or plastic tat or clothes or booze.

If it’s thoughtfully chosen and it’s something the recipient wants it could be much more fun than a pointless gift.

But obviously it needs to be right for them. If someone got me a spa experience or a trip to a gallery or an afternoon tea I would be thrilled. If they got me something to do with any kind of sport I would be pissed off!

I think people get really impractical with them, but good experience gifts are wonderful ie for kids to the local indoor play centre or local zoo.

My husband has twice given me ones for a spa service without choosing a day for me to do it. One expired, the other I might be able to go before Valentine’s if we have a free weekend

They're next given to someone you know would like it.

I gave DH an gift voucher experience as part of his gift for Christmas, so he can choose the specific activity.

There was an experience I thought he'd like, but it was only available in 2 towns, which are at least 90 minutes away, so I didn't go for it.

I like being gifted spa gift vouchers and those buying know that I like spas.

A gift experience is really like any present - you have to know your audience.

giving chocolates is a sweet gift usually - unless you give them to someone with a diary allergy.,

gibing a hang gliding experience to someone like me would not go down well as not my thing - but I’m sure many would love it! but a theatre trip or afternoon tea or museum or exhibition or night in a hotel would be a brilliant gift.

I think you can get ‘gift experience’ vouchers that are in tiers so ‘tier a’you can chose from smaller things such as afternoon tea in local place and ‘tier c’ is far more expensive and you can use it to whizz around racing tracks in fast cars etc…

i think most people give these experiences with love (they are not cheap) but I guess like all presents you do need to know the recipients likes and interests and limitations (location / transport)

Done thoughtfully eg is it easy/free for the recipient to do then they can be great.

Better than giving a £10 voucher for a shop where the minimum spend is £20!

I was given one for a leaving gift a few years ago, but because of where I live, there was nothing available in my area. I was obviously grateful for the gift but I sadly had no use for it in the end.

I think they're great. Obviously the gift should include ALL costs so for me it would be my bf taking me somewhere and the distance would be reasonable.

I agree. The only 'experience' I like is massage voucher (not a spa day). Someone once told me they had almost got me a specific animal experience and thank god they didn't - I much preferred the book tokens they opted for in the end. I wouldn't have done the animal thing.

I think you have to know someone well enough and know that they would actually want it, enjoy it, and be able to get to it.

I'd be very happy with a voucher for a meal in a restaurant or for a cinema or theatre or an Art Fund sub that would allow us to go to museums and galleries with good exhbitions we'd otherwise have had to pay for. A subscription to a magazine or journal, if very carefully chosen, might be a good gift. A one-year subscription to the National Trust or similar would get used. Most other things would be a waste of time for us. The idea of going to a spa fills me with horror. Most of the 'experiences' I hear about sound absolutely horrific. Flowers, houseplants, wine, beer, gin, decent chocolate and other good quality food gifts hit the spot with me every time. There is no need to be original.

It depends on how much thought you put into imo, like any gift if there's no thought it can be crap. I buy my niece and nephew a voucher to the cinema as part of Xmas gift 15 minute walk from their home and make sure it's, enough to more than cover both parents and kids to any show. A local theatre voucher is perfect for me as I live a 20 minute walk away and love theatre but buying me an actual ticket for a performance may not depending on the show and date,l. A lot of national tours don't come to us and I wouldn't want a ticket that involves a 5 hour round trip by train, but I did get DD 2 tickets for Hamilton for her 16th because I knew she d love it and I'd factored in the cost travel and food for her friend when deciding it

Crap gift.

My partner bought me and my daughter a spa day with afternoon tea for Xmas. We can’t wait! We’ve also got a treasure trail book for our nearest city which will be fun. But the best one was when he got me an owl experience day. I loved that. He knows me well though.

I like them. Obviously try and choose them carefully for the recipient taking into account locations etc.
many of them allow the recipient to change the experience user online as well so it need not be wasted.

My leaving gift from my last job was a very specific experience. It seemed perfect and very in line with my hobby. When I looked into booking it the only place it could be used was a 7 hour drive away and only valid mid-week! So three days off work, and two nights in a hotel to pay for. It didn’t happen. I was really sad because it was very kindly meant but such a waste of money.
I think if you are going to buy someone an experience you should consider all the logistics and cover the incidentals as well; otherwise it’s not a present, it’s a liability.

People should just give up gifting. People are never happy with other people's choices for them - that's no big surprise...so why do we keep trying and disappointing people? Waste of time and resources.

i think most people give these experiences with love (they are not cheap)

Really? I would surmise that like most gifts some are given with love and thought, and some are given because they're fairly easy to arrange, they come within budget, and they can be sorted out at the last minute without waiting for delivery or the need to gift wrap and deliver. A more expensive version of picking up three toiletry gift sets on a 3 for 2 offer, with just as much thought put into it.

We gave up on buying presents in our family a long time ago. It's a large part of the reason why we all genuinely enjoy Christmas. There are so many ways in which an exchange of gifts can cause bad feeling and disappointment, not to mention the expense and the utter waste of money in many cases, plus the environmental damage.

They are fine for someone who actually wants it or has an interest in the experience. I.e car days for someone really into cars or has really wanted to drive a supercar. Spa days great for someone who really enjoys spas. I find they are more suited to child free couples and people who live near big cities (where many of the experiences tend to be).

The hot air balloon ones are a nightmare - you need to be there at the crack of dawn in the middle of a field and are always subject to weather and often cancelled. They also usually have a time limit on them for use.

I hate the terms and conditions on them, limits like Wed-Fri daytime only or can only be used Jan-March . The fact they expire and you have to pay to extend. For us and many others, getting the childcare + time of work + expenses of getting there I've had to pay more than the gift was worth.

I particularly hate the photo ones, your gifter pays for essentially the time in the studio and 1 6x4 photo. You are then guilted/ pressured to buy the pack from the photographer at ££. Awful gift.

I prefer experiences. I wouldn't buy someone an experience that would mean they had to fork out for accommodation or a lot of travel.