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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 🤣

Marydoll Tue 19-Mar-24 19:31:40

A Christmas secret Santa at work, where the cost was set at £5.
I received two children's hair clasps, which I saw later in a discount store at 50p.
This person used to ask if anyone wanted to pay for a share of 1/3 pt of milk carton, because she wouldn't use all of it.
She was the meanest person I have ever come across.

CornflowerBlue Tue 19-Mar-24 19:29:57

My ex once bought me a carbon monoxide detector for my birthday, because, he said, he wanted one!! Nuff said! And that was probably one of the best presents me gave me, though one year he gave me absolutely nothing because the kids and I were away without him (his choice) for a few days so he said that meant he needn't bother ...... and that was actually preferable really!!!!!

Charleygirl5 Tue 19-Mar-24 19:12:10

My sister in law gave me placemats not for one Christmas but 3 on the trot. I live on my own and no longer possess a table.

My ex mother in law used to give me some cheap kitchen utensils which usually went to the charity shop. I needed zilch, I had lived on my own as had my ex and my parents had died so I acquired all of their kitchen utensils.

Iam64 Tue 19-Mar-24 18:59:00

I honestly can’t remember. If I really trawl, as I just did having written my first sentence - it’s a stainless steel tray from my ex husband . Otherwise I feel gratitude to my friends and family for trying to get it right. He wasn’t trying 🤣

HillyN Tue 19-Mar-24 18:54:02

When I was 13 I had an operation and was in hospital. My Gran brought me a box of Newberry fruits. I dislike jelly fruit sweets of any kind, but my Mum said I should thank her and say I really liked them, which I did. Unfortunately she then gave me a box every Christmas and birthday! I never had the heart to tell her I'd lied.

readsalot Tue 19-Mar-24 18:46:19

A plain brown teapot from my boyfriend. I did actually marry him!

jusnoneed Tue 19-Mar-24 18:41:26

My other half gave me a ironing board holder for Christmas, you screwed it to the wall and the board hung on it and the iron sat on the shelf at the top - or it would of if it had ever seen the light of day! Needless to say I said no more pressies after that and we have never exchanged one since. He has no imagination even to this day.

TheMostSuprisingGran Tue 19-Mar-24 18:37:09

A personalised handbag with someone else's name on! Think something like "Marie" when my name is "Maria"

* I've not used my actual name.

It wasn't my style anyway.

MissAdventure Tue 19-Mar-24 18:34:20

Maggymay

DH once received a pair of brown pillow cases from his Mother
And DS aged 9 received 2 bottles of ketchup for his Birthday from her.

grin

Marthjolly1 Tue 19-Mar-24 18:32:16

2 Christmases ago I received a car cleaning kit from OH. Its still under the stairs.

Maggymay Tue 19-Mar-24 18:21:28

DH once received a pair of brown pillow cases from his Mother
And DS aged 9 received 2 bottles of ketchup for his Birthday from her.

grannypiper Tue 19-Mar-24 17:34:20

A rust coloured jumper with a sleeve that hadn't been sewn up, it still had the tag so i returned it to the store, they hadn't sold it within the last 5 years. A musical ornament of an American shack made from bits of copper, it went straight in the bin.

Oreo Tue 19-Mar-24 17:27:01

HowVeryDareYou2

my (late) MIL bought me a candle snuffer (we lived in a 2 bedroomed terraced house and didn't even have any candles.

I just nearly had hysterics reading this 😂

Oreo Tue 19-Mar-24 17:22:22

A necklace, given to me by a friend😣I had bought it for her birthday a couple of years previously.
Was a bit upset at first but later saw the funny side of it, and it was a lovely necklace.

Georgesgran Tue 19-Mar-24 16:27:14

A friend’s (now ex) DH bought her a Slendertone slimming belt!

AGAA4 Tue 19-Mar-24 16:18:54

Our parish church always gave me the creeps when I was a child. Walking past it one day my DH and I were talking about a local artist. I wondered whether he had painted the church as it was in the Domesday book.
For my next birthday I received a painting of the creepy church. To be fair DH didn't know I had an aversion to it.

ginny Tue 19-Mar-24 16:00:33

DH usually employs our DDs for ideas for my gifts or my Mum , before she died.
The one year that he decided to think for himself, I was presented with a brooch in the shape of a lizard.
I never wear brooches and wouldn’t go anywhere near a lizard of any kind!

Esmay Tue 19-Mar-24 14:27:15

A hideous , repaired far too big nightgown and then , the next year a hideous ,repaired far too big cardigan - both wrapped in very ancient used - every -year paper by my mother in law .
She used to watch as you unwrapped them so she could reuse the paper .
My sister in law warned me in advance .

loopyloo Tue 19-Mar-24 14:25:11

My D H bought me a paperback called how to flatten your stomach!
I still have it and I never did manage it.

Musicgirl Tue 19-Mar-24 14:19:11

Some years ago, an older friend gave me a second hand dress with the immortal words: “it was too big for me so I thought it might fit you.” We were a similar 14/16 dress size, although a different shape. The dress was at least a size 26 - enormous. I have seen smaller tents. To add insult to injury, it was grey - a colour that is the very least flattering colour for me as I look like a walking corpse and was a style that has never been fashionable. It is probably the most hideous item of clothing l have ever seen. I was amazed that the local charity shop accepted it. While I was in the charity shop, a friend saw me with the dress and asked me who else was going to wear it with me. It is said that it is the thought that counts but there are times when it truly isn’t.

Sparklefizz Tue 19-Mar-24 14:18:48

My husband (now ex !) gave me the book Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management for our 10th wedding anniversary.

It was exceptionally annoying because not only did I manage the house and looking after our children very well, but I also did all the decorating and gardening because he did nothing ! Grrr

Gossamerbeynon1945 Tue 19-Mar-24 14:07:53

I was lucky to get a present, because he was very mean.

Primrose53 Tue 19-Mar-24 14:05:07

A pale blue satin type blouse from M and S many years ago. It was from my husband but he much later admitted he got his mother to choose it.

It was ghastly and I hate anything silky or indeed pale blue.

Gossamerbeynon1945 Tue 19-Mar-24 14:04:06

My ex-husband bought me an iron for Christmas.

AreWeThereYet Tue 19-Mar-24 14:01:29

Worst one was an M&S silky camisole two sizes too big. Returned it to M&S to change size to find that they had stopped selling it years ago, it wasn't even on their books. Obviously been doing the rounds for some time 😄