When the Gift Is Just Not Right

You received a gift that doesn't exactly send you to the moon. Is it OK to turn around and give that gift to someone else for his birthday? If you return it, must you tell the giver? Would it be tacky to sell it on eBay?

There is no single, clear-cut solution to this gift situation; however it is interesting that in a U.S. News & World Report survey, 70 percent of those polled said they think it's OK to return a gift, regift it or even sell it online.

And there is a right way to do each of those options:

1. If you opt to regift, match the gift and recipient carefully. Peggy Post of the Emily Post Institute says you must be absolutely certain that person will enjoy the gift, or it will be seen as an easy way for you to get rid of a castoff.

2. Regift into a different social circle. You want to avoid anyone recognizing your gift as a regift. When storing a gift to regift at a later date, attach a sticky note to the gift with the name of the giver and the occasion when you received it. Do not leave this information to chance. One slip-up could have you giving the gift back to the sister of the person who gave it to you. Not good.

3. A regift must be new, including the packaging. If you do not have the original packaging or something is missing, damaged or soiled, forget regifting and try to sell it on eBay.

4. When returning a gift, try to get the gift receipt from the giver. Now you will be sure to get the full value that was paid for this item, not the lowest price it was offered on sale. If you do not have a receipt, don't expect a refund. Your next best hope is store credit. And if that doesn't work, an exchange is likely your best option. Just remember that some retailers have firm "no refunds, no return" policies. Unless you can lean on the kindness of a store employee who has discretion in overriding that policy, your next best hope is to sell it on eBay.

5. Gift card not to your liking? You can swap it at Web sites such as www.Swapagift.com or www.PlasticJungle.com. You'll pay a fee either to swap for a card you want or to get a portion of the value in cash -- but that might be better than what you have now.

6. Share your story. Have a really funny experience with regifting? Go to www.Regiftable.com, where regifters share their stories. While the site is mostly for entertainment, who knows? You might learn a trick or two (about what not to do)!

Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com and author of 17 books, including "Debt-Proof The Holidays." You can e-mail her at [e-mail] or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. To find out more about Mary Hunt and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
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