Have you ever given someone, an adult, a gift, and they actually told you they didn't like it?

Wow, screw that.

No, I’ve only ever gotten gracious remarks of thanks for the gifts that I give.

I’m sorry for her that she was no ungracious. I’m not surprised you gave up buying gifts for her. I did too with a close relative I still love and with whom I keep in touch.

No, I’ve never had that happen. But I’m with you…I’d make sure she never got anything from me again.

im about to tell my mom to stop giving me socks and cooking utensils….

Yes. My lady and I had that kind of honesty in our relationship. There were never any hard feelings about it. I realized that I have no sense of fashion and always let her select her own gifts in that sort of thing. It was just part of the learning curve.

Oh yes. My father in law has told us many times he doesn’t like what we get him. So, this is the last year we’re getting him anything. Sometimes enough is enough.

@stranger_in_a_strange_land I think it’s a different situation. This was a friend, and I’d buy her things at random that I thought she’d like…..guess I was wrong!

@Val123 Very true. Our gift giving was within a relationship where we both wanted total honesty from the other as part of the process of growing together. +GA

@stranger_in_a_strange_land Right….and you know, Christmas, Birthdays, you’re “required” to give a gift! And that can put you between a rock and a hard spot. :( That’s really cool that you guys have that honesty in your relationship. I’m jealous!

Yes, recently. My sister came for a visit in October and I gave her a copy of my favorite book. Two weeks later she mailed it back to me with a note that said she just couldn’t get into it. I was fine with it and not sad to get my book back, but realized I wouldn’t have done that. Different strokes for different folks.

@Dracool Seriously not nice.

I much prefer that friends are completely honest with me, after all, when buying a gift for somebody, my primary objective is to give them something they will enjoy. I normally give people permission to tell me e.g. this year I decided to buy each of the 5 women who work at my home Freeset bags for Christmas. Each bag was different and I told the women that if they did not like the particular bag I had chosen for them I could arrange an exchange with the NZ supplier I had purchased them from, Jumping Tangents, but so far that has not proved necessary :)

My wife is infamous for that. $200 dollars worth of different, scented, Yankee candles and the first thing she mentions is how she doesn’t like some of the scents.. I’d like to say she has gotten better but… that was today… lol…

I’m not offended by it because I know she just can’t help but be honest… I just wish that she was totally happy with her gift one time.. that would be great.. XD

No. so far, Iv’e been lucky to surprise people with the accuracy of matching gift with person. They don’t think I , being a guy, give things thought.

I usually never have any really complaints for my gifts. However, when I give a gift that the person really doesn’t like or has no use for I appreciate when they tell me in a sincere way. I always keep the receipt and would much rather them have exactly what they want.

Geez, I would’ve given up, too. This hasn’t happened to me, but my retarded brother-in-law did this today to another family member. He complained about getting a book that he didn’t ask for. The kicker is that he is 30 and has no job (and isn’t looking for one, and collects welfare and lives at home). Like, dude, what else are you going to do? Read the damned book and keep your mouth shut.

There is absolutely no reason to tell someone you don’t like their gift except boorishness. If you don’t want to wear, read, display or otherwise personally use a gift, you can make it part of your annual charitable contribution. Drop it off at Goodwill.

@galileogirl GA! Spot on.
Today my gift was from my Dad’s wife. She purchased a sleeveless, black vest made from a warm type of material. It’s very nice and I’m sure very expensive…but I don’t wear black! And it just wasn’t my style. Actually, when I saw it I thought….That’s my daughter’s! That’s the kind of stuff she wears. Well, said daughter was here, and after I thanked my Dad’s wife on the phone very much for her thoughtfulness, I asked my daughter, “Um. Is this me?”
She said, “No! It’s me!”
I said, “Yep!” and gave it to her! She was tickled pink. (Ot would that be tickled black?:)
What possible, earthly good would it have done to tell my Dad’s wife that…it just wasn’t my style? I mean, should I send it back to Flordia with a note that says “Get me something that’s in my style this time!!” Hail no! I was grateful for the thought and time she put into shopping for it, picking it out, and mailing it out. So my thanks were sincere, and it’s now in the hands of someone who REALLY appreciates it.

It could depend on the context too. If you have an S/O who is constantly buying birthday and Christmas gifts that are….inappropriate for you, maybe it’s time for a talk! After all, it IS both of your money. Both of your monies. Money of both of you…ish! I can’t figure out a good way to say that! But a gift from a friend or a relative…? Nah. Just keep your mouth shut!

I received several things this year I plan on returning. I didn’t tell my mother I was planning to return them-it seriously hurts her feelings. She spends lots of time trying to pick out gifts she thinks people will really like. When you don’t like it, it bothers her. I will just return the couple items for store credit and get something else. She never has to know.

My husband bought me a gold necklace with a butterfly pendant on it. He knows full well I don’t wear yellow gold. When I opened it I asked if he saved the receipt. He said he knew I wasn’t going to like it. My thought was “then why did you buy it??” I know he didn’t put a lot of thought or time into picking it out, so I didn’t mind asking for the receipt.

No,I never had anyone tell they didn’t like a gift but I have always wondered since I had a few people give me hideous gifts ,of course I acted gracefully and thank’em,I have wondered how many people I have given gifts to and they thought it was crap but acted as if they loved it !

From as far back as I can remember, my grandmother has hardly ever liked any gifts given her but I’m used to it and don’t take it too hard. She has this insanity about looking for hidden meanings behind all gestures, it’s almost entertainment to wait and see what she comes up with. Example: we’ve given her really nice sets of bath towels along with bathrobe, slippers, dressing gown and lotions (years ago) and her reaction was to accuse us of thinking she had bad taste so we wanted to replace the things she chose for herself. Same thing happened when we gifted her exotic fruits of the month for a year, she had a coniption fit that we thought she needed more fiber in her diet. She’s crazy, we love her. From a distance.

@hungryhungryhortence LOL! Sorry..sounds like my Mom! One year, the kids and I had gone somewhere, and I spied a really cool table top water fountain display at a specialty store. Didn’t buy it because we were poor then. Well, my little son (about 10) kept that in his mind and when my birthday came around, he went to Walmart with his little money he had saved and managed to find a table top water fountain that was discounted because it was supposedly broken (it wasn’t, though. The hose had come disconnected.) He was SP pleased with the “deal” he had gotten! Anyway, the fountain had cherubs on it! Aye Aye Aye!! Well, he “hid” at my Mom’s. She commented on it, saying, “Well, he got that for you and it’s OK…...if you like that sort of thing.” Total put down to my son. Total.
I said, “Mom…it was a gift of love, a gift from his heart, and that means more to me than anything.”
She totally didn’t seem to get what I was saying, even though she knew that fountain wasn’t in my taste. I still have it (15 years later) in my bathroom.
She used to hurt people like that a lot…then deny ever having said whatever it was that hurt them.

I spend a lot of time thinking about gifts and everyone who knows me knows that.

I back far away from people who are close to me who do what you describe, often resulting in lots of apologies and excuses. Unfortunately, once someone does that I am unlikely to give them more than a gift card ever again.

Even if I do not like what someone gets me, I would never say such a thing. To me the thought really does count.