FESTIVE FLOGGING
How to make money from the Christmas presents you don’t want
There are plenty of places you can flog your festive failures and turn them into a tidy profit
NO matter how carefully you write your letter to Father Christmas each year there will be presents that you would rather leave under the tree.
But if your pressies include a naff woolly scarf you'll never wear or a gift card from a shop you don't like - there's no need to let it go to waste.
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There are plenty of places you can flog your festive failures whether it’s clothing, DVDs, books or gadgets.
You can make a tidy profit out of reselling them or you can give them as gifts to other people as well as returning or exchanging them.
Here are our tips to help you on your quest to get rid of those unwanted presents.
Can I take it back and get a refund, exchange or credit note?
That depends. Surprisingly, shops are not legally obliged to accept returns unless the items were faulty when they were bought.
This means that you'll have no automatic right to return your present if you just don't like it.
That said, many shops have their own returns policy, particularly when it comes to Christmas gifts, so you may find the retailer is willing to accept your unwanted item anyway.
What you need to return a gift
DEPENDING on the shop's policy some will only exchange or give you a credit note, while others will give you a refund. But according to consumer group Which? they usually have a few rules in common.
- A receipt - Most shops will ask you for a receipt. If you’re buying a gift for a friend or a family member, ask for a gift receipt so they can exchange it if they want to. Be prepared to confront your loved-one and tell them that their gift isn't quite right for you.
- The card you paid with - If you paid for a product on a debit or credit card, take it with you when you return the item. This is especially important if you want a refund as it's often credited to the card you paid with.
- The original packaging - It's always worth bringing the items' original packaging with you. When it comes to tech gadgets many retailers might refuse returns if the seal or packaging has been broken.
Now, assuming the store your gift came from allows returns, you'll usually need proof of purchase to get a refund, credit or to exchange it.
For most retailers, the best proof is a gift receipt.
This means that if you weren’t given one, you’ll need to be brave and ask for the receipt from the person who bought your gift.
The retailer’s returns policy - usually found on the back of the receipt or on the store’s website - should tell you how long you have to return the item.
You can also ring the shop's customer services phone line to find out details of their policy.
Typically, this can go up to 28 days, but many shops extend this period in the weeks after Christmas.
If you can’t get hold of the receipt and you’re taking an item back simply because you don’t like it, the retailer is under no legal obligation to give you a refund – but it might offer you a credit note or exchange it.
Tips for a painless gift return experience
HERE are seven tips to make your return a painless experience from Hannah Maundrell, editor in chief of money.co.uk
- Know your rights: If the goods were bought online the person who purchased it will generally have 14 days to return it and get a full refund for most items.
- Try your luck: Around Christmas many retailers will let you exchange unwanted items as long as they come in their original packaging, even without a gift receipt.
- Re-gift: If you can’t take the gift back, think about who you know who would actually like the present and give it to them on their birthday
- Quick cash: Use Facebook to see if any of your friends want to buy the item or use Facebook’s selling function to promote the gift to people in your area (make sure the person who gave you the present can’t see you do this to avoid an awkward conversation!).
- Charity: If you aren’t strapped for cash, donate your unwanted gift to charity.
What if the gift was bought online?
If your gift was bought online, the person who got it has additional return rights under the Consumer Contracts Regulations.
Essentially, they'll have 14 days after they receive their order to notify the seller that they intend to return the item and get a full refund.
Again, many online retailers extend their returns period during the holiday season.
Bare in mind that you’ll need be brave enough to tell your friend or your loved one that their gift missed the mark and ask them to return it for you.
If the present was dispatched directly to you, you can often use the dispatch note as proof of purchase and you can get a refund on this basis, depending on the retailer's terms and conditions.
All the latest news on where to bag the best Christmas bargains
What if I have been given something that doesn't work?
If your present is faulty, not fit for purpose or not as described on the box, you are within your rights to take it back and ask for a full refund.
This includes items that are broken or do not work after being taken out of the box and ones that fail after one or two days of use.
Shoppers have 30 days to reject goods and demand a full refund.
After that time you'll have fewer rights, for example. you will be able to get some credit back but not a full refund.
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If I can't get a refund, exchange or credit note - can I sell it?
Yes. Without meaning to sound too ungrateful, there could be opportunities to make a tidy sum from that sweater you got from your nan.
The Sun Online – combined with research from – found that Brits could make up to £470 from selling last year’s Christmas “must-have” gifts like Hatchimals, Fitbits and Nerf guns.
And there are plenty of places you can flog your festive failures, whether it’s clothing, DVDs, books or gadgets.
Hannah Maundrell, editor in chief of said: "If you can't get your money back from the store and there’s nothing you’d want to exchange it for, try selling your unwanted gift on sites like eBay or Facebook.
"Alternatively save any unwanted presents in a drawer and recycle them as birthday presents for friends or family you know the item would suit better."
Here are a few options of where you can sell it on the internet:
eBay
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Online auction site is often the first port of call for those wanting to sell new or second-hand goods.
The website has an average of more than 14 million auctions going on at any one time.
So if you want to reach a load of potential buyers, it's well worth a go.
COST?
You can list up to 20 items for free each month – after which you pay 35p per additional listing.
It's worth noting that eBay takes 10 per cent of the final transaction value, capped at £250, and PayPal (which you'll need to download to sell on eBay) takes 3.4 per cent, plus 20p per transaction.
So, if you sell an unwanted gift for £50, you’ll take home £43.10. You can work out how much you’ll earn on the items you’re selling by using .
Gumtree
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Another option you might want to consider is Gumtree.
It’s the UK’s biggest classified ads site with listings generally in the categories of cars, furniture and appliances.
You can also sell smaller unwanted Christmas goods like clothing and DVDs.
Cost?
Gumtree is mostly free to use, but it depends on which category you’re posting in and the location you’re posting from.
There are some exceptions where it costs to place an ad, but generally private sellers won’t have to pay.
Transactions tend to be face-to-face, meaning there are no processing fees, but you will need to meet with the buyer and perform the exchange in person.
When you meet the buyer, make sure they have checked the item you’re selling and are happy with it. If the buyer pays in cash, check the bank notes to make sure they’re real.
Etsy
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The website mainly sells handmade items, with sellers offering unusual and quirky artwork, jewellery, clothing and furniture.
While Etsy is predominantly used by entrepreneurs and online shops to regularly sell their goods, it is possible to use the site to sell one-off items.
And it might just be the perfect place to sell that hand-knitted jumper from your nan.
Cost?
Fees to sell are relatively high, at 16p per listing, with Etsy taking a 3.5 per cent transaction fee and a 4 per cent plus 20p payment processing fee.
Just like with eBay, PayPal will deduct its own fees from the final value amount.
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