Now that you’ve got that Christmas gift that you didn’t really want, what are you going to do with it?
If you’re like many Canadians, you'll hang on to it for at least five years.
According to a survey by online classifieds site Kijiji.ca, nearly half of Canadians hold on to unwanted holiday gifts for up to five years out of guilt and shame—even though 55 percent think re-gifting is acceptable.
One-third feel guilty about not keeping an unwanted gift, while slightly less (two-in-ten) would be ashamed to admit to the gift-giver that they gave away or sold their present.
In all, Canadians may hold on to as many as five million unwanted gifts this year, the online survey found.
“We’re too concerned about the gift-giver’s feelings,” says Allyson Smith, a comedian and Kijiji spokeswoman.
“Our research shows many of us will go to extreme lengths to pretend we like a gift by displaying it every time the gift-giver is present, sending a photo of the gift being used to the gift-giver, and even buying a similar item for the gift-giver to show our appreciation.”
However, respondents admitted that if the gift-giver never found out, they would exchange the item, re-gift or re-sell it, or give it to charity. Only eight percent would store the item but never use it.
The most common characteristics of a bad holiday gift are based on the recipient’s personal taste and include items such as clothing, like a sweater in the wrong size, and home accessories, including a toaster and a vase.
More than 60 percent of respondents indicated that they could use some extra cash after the holidays to pay off their debts. Nearly six-in-ten said selling the unwanted gift also means the gift-giver’s money doesn’t go to waste.
“It’s a fact that the overwhelming majority of Canadians have never been caught giving away an unwanted holiday gift,” added Smith. “At the end of the day, not using the unwanted gift is simply worse than giving it away or selling it.”
When it comes to immediate family, in-laws tend to be the worst gift-givers, the survey found.
The majority (56 percent) said unwanted gifts become a burden after the holidays are over, while nearly two-in-ten have considered giving an unwanted gift back to the gift-giver.
