Toilet roll and wrinkle cream are among the most disappointing gifts

A recent survey details some of the most disappointing gifts of last year, including a bag of onions, toilet roll, anti-wrinkle cream and a fly zapper.

Those items are among the worst gifts that people say they have ever received, with one in four saying they had an unwanted Christmas present last year.

The findings come from a survey by consumer group Which? and was commissioned to cover more than 2,000 people who received Christmas gifts in 2022.

It found that 24%, or around a quarter had received gifts that were unwanted or unsuitable.

When asked what they did with the unwanted gift, three in 10, or 27% said they had either given it away or were planning to, one in seven, 14% said they sold it or planned to sell it on an online marketplace and 8% had either returned the gift or were planning to.

Other, less popular ways of getting rid of an unsuitable fifth included throwing it away, which 5% of people did, or giving it back to the person who gifted it - which 3% of people said they did. That's according to the research carried out by Opinium across the UK in January this year.

People also revealed what they thought was the worst present they had ever received, with toilet roll and a fly zapper among them. Other items include a broken a toy, a bag of onions and a woman who received anti-wrinkle cream from her husband.

One person said they had received chocolate from their dad despite being intolerant to milk.

Another person, who is vegan, said they received a dead chicken from a friend who is a butcher,

It would also appear that gift receipts are rare, as eight in 10, that's 78% of people surveyed said that none of the Christmas presents had included a gift receipt, meaning they would not be able to exchange any unwanted items for something more suitable.

During the festive period, many retailers extend their returns policy, but Which? cautioned that customers should carefully consider whether to accept vouchers, as they could become worthless if the retailer goes bust.

A Which? consumer expert, Harry Kind says:

"Whether it's a fly zapper or a broken toy, our research shows a quarter of us have been left wondering what to do with a disappointing Christmas gift.

"It's always worth getting a gift receipt so your loved one has the option to return their gift if needed.

"Often only the buyer can request a refund or exchange. But if the item was marked as a gift when ordered, the retailer's returns policy may enable a recipient to return or exchange it."

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