How to Deal With Receiving Bad Gifts

We’ve all been there. We’ve unwrapped a birthday or holiday gift from crazy Great Aunt Mildred that could win the prize for being the ugliest thing in creation. And, of course, she’s sitting right there staring at you with a big smile on her face saying those dreaded words; “Don’t you just love it?? I saw it and immediately knew that I had to get it for you!” Not wanting to hurt her feelings with the preferred reaction of “What the hell is this??” you have to come up with something else positive to say.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Before opening a gift from anyone, be it from crazy Great Aunt Mildred or your best friend of 15 years, tell yourself that it might not be good. That way, if it truly is a great gift, you’ll be twice as excited about receiving it. If it does turn out to be something less than desirable, you haven’t psyched yourself up and the extreme disappointment is a bit less likely to show on your face.
2. Immediately after opening the gift, say “Thank you!” No matter what you think of the gift itself, thank the gift-giver for giving it to you.
3. Should the gift-giver launch into a story about how they saw the undesirable item and knew it would be perfect for you, try to pick out at least one element of the item that you like, even if it’s just the color, while they are still talking. When they have finished, agree with them by saying something along the lines of “Yes, the sweater is green, which is my favorite color!” You could also say “I don’t have any other green sweaters like this one!” because odds are that much is true; you don’t already own such an undesirable item!
4. Be sure to watch the tone in your voice during the thanking process. If you sound sarcastic or disappointed they will pick up on it from the inflection on your voice, even if your actual words are attempting to be thankful and appreciative.
5. If it is a home décor item that you know the gift-giver will be looking to be on display at your home the next time they visit, make sure you remember to take it out and display it when they are coming over. Hide it in a closet, basement, attic or in a place you will be able to easily locate it should they pop over for a visit. If it is a clothing item you know they will be looking for you to wear sometime in the near future that you don’t want to be caught dead in public with, tell them “Oh I just wore it out last week and it’s not clean yet!” should they ask you about it.
6. If you know what store the undesirable item was purchased from and you can get away with returning it without the gift-giver ever knowing, do so! Some stores will let you return items with no receipt, especially around the holidays. If you have no idea where the item was purchased and don’t see any chance of figuring it out for a quick and easy return, hold onto the item and see if you can find some way to re-gift it. Consider holding it for a holiday grab bag or gift drive, where it can be put in anonymously and become someone else’s headache without being traced back to you.
7. Remember the age-old saying “It’s the thought that counts” because in the end, it really is true. The gift-giver went out of their way to pick out something for you, for a special event in your life. Whether they picked out the best or the worst thing in the store, they still bothered to get you something to show they care.