My partner once gave me winter pyjamas as a birthday gift, and I hated the gift because I wanted a marriage proposal and not pyjamas. Although I was disappointed at his gift, I still said thanks. Those PJs became my most favourite comfortable PJs during winter though it is an item I would never have bought for myself.
Have you ever received a gift that you didn’t like and how was your reaction? My parents have taught me to always say thank you, whether I like the gift or not. So I thought that this was a principle that was applied by everyone, but I was shocked to find out that it was not.
When your gift is not appreciated
For three consecutive years, I would buy my partner birthday gifts, and in all those years, I got the same reaction. He would say that it was not nice and went to the store to check if he can’t exchange it for something else. He did not like my taste in all the items that I chose for him. I felt hurt and offended because I had spent my effort and money on being a thoughtful girlfriend and wife.
After the last incident where I had gone out of my way to do something really nice for him, and it was still not appreciated, I decided to safeguard my heart from being hurt again. I made a decision that I will no longer buy him birthday gifts, the most I will do is to transfer cash or buy a gift voucher.
So what should you do if you receive a gift you don’t like?
My parents once gave me a box of romantic dreams biscuits on my birthday. I was very disappointed with the gift but I still said thank you. Little did I know that inside the box of biscuits they have wrapped my very first phone. Imagine if I had rejected the package just because I did not like that they gave me biscuits as a birthday gift?
What you do when you receive a gift will determine if you will receive more gifts in future. Some people wonder why they no longer receive gifts from their loved ones, but it is because of their reaction when they received gifts they did not like. When you get a gift, do these things and you will see that you will receive more and bigger gifts from your partner.
1. Say thank you when the gift is presented
The moment when someone presents you with a gift, even before unwrapping it, it is important to say thank you. Don’t first check the contents to assess if the gift is worthy of your gratitude or not.
2. Say thank you again when you have opened the contents
After opening the gift and realizing that you don’t like it, say thank you again. Try not to show the giver that you don’t like their gift. Rather say, “thank you, this is interesting or nice or lovely”.
You know the saying “it is the thought that counts”? This is exactly where it comes in. Someone spent his or her time and money online to choose a perfect gift for you or went into the shops to select that specific gift for you, so the least you can do is to appreciate the thought, cost, and effort.
The same also applies to cash gifts. Still say thank you even if the amount does not meet your expectations.
What not to do when you receive a gift
1. Don’t show dissatisfaction
If you don’t like the gift, don’t show the giver that you are not happy with his or her choice. In this case, honesty is not the best policy. It is important to still show gratitude even if your expectations have not been met. Showing dissatisfaction will offend the giver and they might stop buying you gifts in future.
2. Don’t ask for the receipt so that you can exchange
When you receive a gift that you do not like, please never ask for the receipt so that you can go and exchange. If the person thought that the gift was not good enough he or she would have opted to give you a gift voucher or cash.
3. Don’t ask if it was the last item or range or only colour
There is no need to ask if there weren’t any other colours or designs, just accept the gift. A gift does not have to meet your requirements, you will buy what meets your requirements with your own money.
4. Never say that a gift was a waste of money
If you happen to see the price of an item, never say it was too expensive, you wasted money or you could have bought more items from a cheaper store, just gladly accept, it is a gift after all.
5. No need to mention that it is not your style or taste
People don’t have the same taste and beauty is in the eye of the beholder. There is no need to tell the giver that you do not like the item. The item might not be your taste but who says that your taste is nice? Depending on how close you are to the person, you can admit at a later stage that you were not sure if the item would be nice since it was not your style but to your surprise it was beautiful.
6. Don’t give it away
If the person who gave you the gift sees you on a regular basis, you must not pass on their gift or throw it away. If they find out that you did not keep it, they will be offended.
7. Don’t mention that it is a duplicate
In certain circumstances, if you get gifts that are duplicates it is worth mentioning, but in certain instances, it is not. The one that is a duplicate you can give it away and the owner won’t know or you can use it once the other one is worn off.
8. Don’t ask them to get a refund
Don’t ask the giver to go and get a refund so that you can buy something else that you like. Just gladly accept the gift.
9. Don’t keep quiet
When you receive a gift, the giver expects to hear you say “Thank you”. Don’t receive a gift or money and don’t say anything. If the gift was delivered or money was transferred don’t wait for the giver to contact you to find out if you received the gift. After receiving a gift contact the person immediately and thank them.
What to do if you receive a gift from someone you hate?
Hate is a very strong word, but there might be good reasons why you cannot accept gifts from a particular person. Maybe it is a crush or an ex or someone that you are not in good terms with. If you receive a gift from such a person, then an exception to the above rule applies. You have the right to politely decline the gift.
This is something New !
🙂 Thanks for reading