Are You a Re-Gifter?

Today my team member Laura and I organized a guest room closet with a lot of gift wrap and gifts in it, some of them being "re-gifts." According to an Oprah.com poll, 44 percent of respondents think it's morally acceptable to regift.  That seems really low to me!  So what that means is that 56% of people think that it's "immoral?"

What do you think?  I would love to hear comments about re-gifting. I would like to know what is "immoral" about this. 

Here is a scenario:  My sons received 3 of the same books for Christmas a couple of years ago.  They enjoyed reading one, and the other two went onto the gift shelf.  We gave one book to a school auction and the other one went to a friend for a birthday present.  I saved time by not having to return these to the store, and everyone was happy.  Right?

The alternatives are: 

• Ask the giver for a receipt and possibly hurt their feelings.
• Keep something I am not using for some kind of reason I don't understand. (creating clutter)
• Try to return something without a receipt to a store, possibly not the one that sold it.

Am I missing something? 

Comments

[Marion Ryan]

I agree with you, I can't see anything immoral about someone else getting to use an unwanted gift.

So often, we push unwanted or unsuitable presents to the back of a cupboard and some of us, then hold onto them for years, taking them with us every time we move house but never actually using them! Crazy.

Personally, I don't have a problem with a person wishing to change a gift I've bought them. Sometimes, if it's an item of clothing or a book I'll even include the receipt with the gift. The sizing or colour could be wrong or they might already own the book; it's easy for them to see how much the item cost so it doesn't worry me at all to include the receipt and let them exchange it for something they really want.

Great blog by the way!

[Az]

I don't have a problem with re-gifting and I do it all the time! When friends and relatives buy gifts for you that you don't want, can't use, don't have room for, or just don't like for some reason...recycle it!!

[eepah]

Regifting is only a sin if you get caught.

As someone who would be offended it it happened to me (re: if I were the one who got "regifted"), I would do it in certain situations in which I were sure I wouldn't get caught. I've never actually done it (or have I?)

Overall, I like the donation idea.