Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

I really hate it when you give people a gift for Christmas and they rudely hand it right back to you - has this happend to anyone?

109 replies

JacksFirstChristmasMama · 29/11/2008 21:39

Right. My stepdad has done this on several occasions. Last year I spent quite a bit of time picking out a gift for him - a buckwheat-filled pillow because he's always complaining of neck pain from sleeping - and he opened it, looked at it, said "I don't like this" and handed it back to me. I was gobsmacked. Literally speechless. In the ensuing silence (because everyone else was as stunned as I was) he said, "you can get me a book instead".
WTF?????

Has this happened to anyone else???? What did you do??

Several days later I had a chance to talk to my mum about it alone, and even just talking to her completely lost the plot at his ignorant fuckwittery. All she could say was that she knew how I felt, that he's done it before, and no, she did not blame me in the least for not being arsed to worry about buying him a present next year.
It is now "next year".
I'm tempted to give him the proverbial lump of coal.

OP posts:
JacksFirstChristmasMama · 29/11/2008 22:00

PMSL GentleOtter Heated are you serious? She gave you a present back???? How TACKY is that?????

OP posts:
WinkyWinkola · 29/11/2008 22:01

Buckwheat-filled pillow is a very thoughtful gift, taking into account his complaints. Rude man. I take it his presents to you are always well considered? Let's hope so.

Give him a card this year. Have you really got time to think about what he wants? I'm sure you're far too busy.

JacksFirstChristmasMama · 29/11/2008 22:08

Come see my White Elephant gift exchange thread!!

OP posts:
NCbirdy · 29/11/2008 22:09

Jack - actually I am just a bloomin softy

pinkspottywellies · 29/11/2008 22:13

Never mind a fiver or a book token. Tape a £1 coin in a card!

differentID · 29/11/2008 22:13

Jack, seriously I wouldn't give anything.
I only suggested the fiver because you sound like you want him to have something.
In our families, it is only acceptable to hand back a gift if it has been duplicated, but it's always doen with a "really sorry, but my mum/sis/dh bought it for me as well. great minds eh?" comment. It's never hurtful and often results in giggles.

JacksFirstChristmasMama · 29/11/2008 22:15

I like your family DID...

OP posts:
piscesmoon · 29/11/2008 22:17

I wouldn't give him anything.

Tas1 · 29/11/2008 22:17

Id give him the pillow again this year and every year until he learns some manners!!!

differentID · 29/11/2008 22:18

lol tas- I thought I was harsh!

FriendNeedsHelp · 29/11/2008 22:20

Yes! Give him the pillow every Christmas from here to eternity!

SO rude. Nobody has ever done that to me, or anyone I know.

bettythebuilder · 29/11/2008 22:20

I'd buy him a book, How To Win Friends And Influence People.

How very rude he is! I don't really think he deserves anything at all.

NCbirdy · 29/11/2008 22:20

Tas, that is a great idea! Oooh, I wonder if the op has the brass neck to do that?

Op, if you do can you video his reaction so we can all see

JacksFirstChristmasMama · 30/11/2008 02:20

Hmmm, I am tempted!!!

OP posts:
nbee84 · 30/11/2008 10:43

Slightly different but, one year I gave a good friend a lovely photograph frame. The next year I got from her a lovely photograph frame! How rude I thought - if you don't like your presents and want to recycle them at least make sure you don't give it to the sender.

Later in the year I went round to her house and on the mantlepiece was the frame with a picture in She'd obviously not recycled my present but had bought another!!! Thank goodness I am not the sort of person to say anything

NCbirdy · 30/11/2008 12:17

Oh do Jack (If nothing else the thought of doing it should put a smile on your face on christmas morning - if he is being unbearable again!

Nbee84 - that is really good! She obviously liked your taste!

TooFoggy · 30/11/2008 17:05

I wouldnt consider any thing else for him except a purple and yellow tartan buckwheat pillow, every year...

MoChan · 30/11/2008 17:19

I'd never give him anything ever again.

And I'd be really thrilled with a buckwheat pillow/

Minniethemoocher · 30/11/2008 17:33

I would by him a book on etiquette. Can't believe any one could be so rude!

I would like a nice warm buckwheat pillow, it beats some of the truly awful presents that I have received, please see the other thread for some real stinkers!

BTW Heated, I rather like Radley, maybe you could sell it on Ebay?

shivermetimbers · 30/11/2008 17:35

I think he is lucky not to be fishing buckwheat out of his arsehole.

CatchaStar · 30/11/2008 17:45

I actually thought your pillow idea was lovely, at least you thought about what might be a good present for someone instead of just buying any old crap.

I'd put a £10.00 Waterstones/Border Books gift voucher in a card for him and he can have his book and choose it.

Was terribly rude of him to do that to you, I'd have been quite upset.

CatchaStar · 30/11/2008 17:47

PMSL at 'I think he is lucky not to be fishing buckwheat out of his arsehole.'

Ha ha ha......

Colditz · 30/11/2008 17:54

Get him a lump of coal. I am actually being serious. He does not deserve a present.

hecate · 30/11/2008 18:05

why the HELL are you even considering getting him a present this (or any future) year? I am simply amazed you didn't ram last years gift up his ARSE.

So fucking ignorant.

hecate · 30/11/2008 18:06

oh, and to answer your question - no. nobody has ever handed a gift back to me.

I would have hit them with it if they had.