How do you react to unwanted gifts / gestures

[fuzzybuddy]

When others care enough about you to bring you gifts, you're a creep if you don't thank them, and mean it. That doesn't mean you can't tell them their gift was lacking somehow. It's the giving, not the gift, which is important. Otherwise, thinking you love it, they'll get you more.

 

[carouselsilver]

Maybe the crappy gifts from Scotland will stop now, since I politely complained about the fact that my BIL kept using my maiden name when mailing the package, despite me being married to his brother for ten years. It's funny how gift giving can be so complicated.
I recently gave a refurbished laptop to a casual friend in another state. She thanked me, and I rarely hear from her. But I wasn't expecting anything to change by giving the laptop to her, and was only responding to the fact that she lives on a fixed income and couldn't afford to replace her outdated computer.

 

[Been There]

I remember growing up my grandmother (more so) and mother always seemed to encourage thanking people for anything and everything and being polite at all costs.

Now i no longer feel the need to placate others and i think there should be a middle option.

A couple of weeks ago a friend....... who watches Food shows all the time even though he is TOO picky to make MOST recipes they show ... saw a salad recipe that had pickled beets in it...asked me if i had them before ( he never has) or liked them
I said " yes had them before used to like them .. never buy them since i am only one in house who will eat it"
i was out of town for a week and bam upon return
he brought over two jars of pickled beets he bought after reading reviews and expected me, I guess to gush all over about it..... I do NOT want them ..
He did this before with pickles worst tasting ones i ever had the misfortune to put in my mouth....

Did not ask for this and now feel like a heel for not making some grand thank you gesture...
this is an on going problem with this person and others giving me items i do not need or want ...
neighbor bring chocolates over even though she is well aware i cut out all sweets ...

I am getting frazzled ................. I want to be polite but I refuse to pretend and take items I have ZERO interest in anymore.
Any suggestions on handling these unwanted items ...

Fake thanking and giving items away has not worked they just INSIST on bring more crap over

Did you ever watch the Andy Griffith Show in the afternoon and the episode where Barney and Andy have to eat all of Aunt Bee's pickles she was going to use for the contest at the county fair and Barney called them Kerosene Cucumbers?" Go to 3:30.

 

[Leann]

Over and again I have told everyone in my family and close circle of friends to please not give me gifts. Their presence in my life is the only present I will ever need. Unfortunately only a few have heeded my request. So when I do receive gifts, I accept them graciously but always with the caveat that I don't need anything and perhaps they would think of making a donation to a favorite charity instead.

Now, what happens with the gifts? Well, most have gone unused so I have donated them in the hopes that someone else will be happy to have them.

 

[timoc]

How do you react to unwanted gifts?​

I smile and thank the person heartily, then, on that person's next birthday, I give them the same gift back, rewrapped of course, and, if they say, "Why, this is exactly like the gift I gave you for Christmas?"
I smile and reply, "That's amazing isn't it, well, well, it just goes to show how we both have impecable taste in gifts?"