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What's the worst gift you've ever been given?

(176 Posts)
HelenLake Tue 19-Mar-24 10:40:11

Let's be honest, we've all received a gift and had to pretend we like it.

Mines probably a henry hoover for Christmas... that sucked 😅 It was a bit of a jokey gift, as my husband told me he won it in a work raffle. He did buy me a really nice necklace that year so he clawed back some brownie points đŸ€Ł

Maple123 Thu 21-Mar-24 16:10:33

My dear mother in law gave me perfume on my wedding day. It was Tramp! Bless her, she didn’t mean it. đŸ€Ł

Flakesdayout Thu 21-Mar-24 16:07:16

I received a pink small intimate massager from a friend one Christmas. It was supposed to be a joke but I didnt see the funny side so it went in the bin. A work colleague gave me an address/birthday book which when opened had a birthday reminder already in it. She later realised and asked if I had seen it as she suddenly remembered. This gift had been given to her and that person had since died and so I got it. That also went in the bin. She was so embarrassed. The following year my best friend and I got out of date chocolates from the same woman.

crazyH Thu 21-Mar-24 16:00:32

My rich but ‘tight’ sis-in-law got me a glass salt&pepper set from a charity shop - I knew it was from a charity shop, because I went with her 😂

JdotJ Thu 21-Mar-24 15:59:47

An ironing board cover from DH which had a perfectly good cover on it anyway !

Mistyfluff8 Thu 21-Mar-24 15:59:19

Myhusband bought me a electric carving knife useful but so I thoughtful My late mother in law gave me Tweed perfume never with it as it smells awful in me probably my husband as he doesn’t listen to hints

SquirrelSue Thu 21-Mar-24 15:59:01

I purchased an expensive necklace and matching earrings set, in a velvet box for my sister in law. The following year she gave me the earrings for my 30th birthday. On another occasion, my sister gave me a present comprising of a dish cloth, washing up mop and sponge. She was in a well paid job. I always used to buy her favourite perfume that cost over ÂŁ50. For her next birthday I bought her air freshener!

HiPpyChick57 Thu 21-Mar-24 15:57:18

A pack of four double A batteries from my db’s mil. I kid you not.
I had a hunch she didn’t like me and that proved it lol. 😂

misty12 Thu 21-Mar-24 15:56:25

Some people like makeup for themselves

NannaFirework Thu 21-Mar-24 15:51:51

Spuddy
“When I was 15 I was given a makeup set and was told ''so you can look pretty for your future husband''.
No wonder you don’t like make up!
Look how you want for you, always!
Beauty is inside, plus whoever said that to
You well just awful 
,

gran5up Thu 21-Mar-24 15:47:26

The gift of the gab wink

Tanjamaltija Thu 21-Mar-24 15:47:08

I never expect anything, so whatever I get is a bonus - for me, for someone else who will use it, or the charity shop.

Lizzie44 Thu 21-Mar-24 15:37:43

When we were first married (in the 1960s) DH's grandmother gave us a pair of silver grape scissors. We never used them and made sure never to have grapes when she came to visit us. She was a very grand lady and would have be shocked to discover that we were so uncouth as to pull our grapes apart by the stalks.

MiniMoon Thu 21-Mar-24 15:37:09

My younger sister had been going on about a Driving Test game she wanted Santa's Clasu to bring. Imaging my dismay, when I opened my gift from Santa and found said game. I tried to look pleased, my mother would have been mortified if she knew how disappointed I was.
I had been hoping for a transistor radio.
My DH bought me an electronic, sonic toothbrush for Christmas one year. I didn't think my teeth looked that bad.

Blackcat3 Thu 21-Mar-24 15:34:12

A Letts office diary 
by my now EX husband
it was given out free at his work! Also a pair of sock shoe liners by his sister
they came free with a Damart order!

Candelle Thu 21-Mar-24 15:28:07

Gramaretto I think our husbands are related.

I received an ironing board for a birthday present but as we were newly married, I was actually quite pleased.

Mr C lost every Brownie point he ever gained by giving me a bag of pearl barley (beautifully wrapped) for our thirtieth wedding anniversary - traditionally a 'pearl wedding'.

I was not amused.....

cc Thu 21-Mar-24 15:24:20

My MiL once sent me two pairs of M&S printed nylon full briefs. I was in my 20's and didn't appreciate them!
My DH once gave me a deep fat fryer which he had to take back to the shop on Boxing Day.
My mother used to trawl the charity shops looking for presents for everybody and most of them were actually pretty good, bought with care and love. My BiL actually threw his in the bin one year whilst she was still in his house.

SueEH Thu 21-Mar-24 15:23:00

A bottle of expensive gin but no tonic.

Aldom Thu 21-Mar-24 15:03:01

When asked by a friend what we would like as a wedding gift (1960's)
I asked for a water jug and glasses. In my mind I saw a set of plain glass, jug and glasses. We were presented with set of heavily guided glass ware. Exactly the opposite of anything we would have chosen. I smiled and thanked the giver, but we never used the set.

Dogmum2 Thu 21-Mar-24 14:55:05

Beechnut

What did you use the glasses for Dogmum? đŸ€Ł

They stayed in a cupboard until they, sadly, got broken in a move wink grin

Grammaretto Thu 21-Mar-24 12:35:34

These are brilliant 👏 thank-you!

My most disappointing was aged 8.
I was told that my godmother was extremely rich and a birthday present arrived for me in the post.
It was in a small long box and I imagined jewels of some kind.
It turned out to be a 1/6d biro.
DM , equally disappointed, told me that's why she was rich.

DH bought me a very revealing see through nightie at least 2 sizes too small when I was breastfeeding.

Another time he wrapped up tiny gifts in beautiful paper, placed them in a basket like a hamper.
I wish I hadn't unwrapped them as one by one they were revealed to be oven cleaner, brillo pads, silver polish etc..... seriously!

Beechnut Thu 21-Mar-24 12:06:30

What did you use the glasses for Dogmum? đŸ€Ł

Dogmum2 Thu 21-Mar-24 11:55:15

As a just married couple, living in a military house (quarter) with military furniture and very little else, my delightful (not) mother in law gave us a set of punch bowl glasses/coupes for christmas - the sort with a rounded bottom, so couldn't even be used as glasses. 'We haven't got a punch bowl' blurted out my other half, baffled. 'they're for when you get one' she snapped in reply.

We never did get a punch bowl!

Auntieflo Thu 21-Mar-24 09:32:26

Perhaps not a present as such; but when I was about 8/9, and in bed with bad tonsillitis, my lovely aunt gave me a jar of Calves Foot Jelly đŸ˜±.
Mum took it and it disappeared, as I never saw it again.

Sallywally1 Thu 21-Mar-24 09:10:44

My late MIL bought me a striped butchers apron for three Christmas’s in a row. She said “I didn’t know what else to get you!”. Insulting or what!

nandad Wed 20-Mar-24 23:14:15

Not a present I received, but one I gave, a rather expensive salt and pepper mill set to friends for their silver wedding anniversary. I was informed they had one and so they had donated it to the local charity shop!