How Long Should You Wait Before Regifting Unwanted Presents?

As the festive period comes to a close, many of us will be thinking about what to do with the gifts we’ve been given that didn’t quite hit the mark, such as the Sombrero with arm sleeves and the jar of sherbert, liver and ginger Pâté, etc. Regifting is an obvious solution, but getting the timing right is crucial as few will want to be in the more than one in 10 regifters who get caught out and labelled ungrateful.

While Christmas may be the most wonderful time of the year, come the beginning of January we’re often left with a series of unwanted gifts. While some make their way to charity shops, others are kept hold of, ready to be rewrapped and regifted.

Of course, that comes with its risks, and a new survey by The Works has uncovered just how likely Brits are to get caught regifting, as well as who the most likely culprits are.

More than one in 10 people who regift get caught, and the main reason why is they don’t allow enough time to pass before doing it. Eighty per cent of those who get caught do so after waiting less than four months to rewrap an unwanted present, while a further 10% get caught between the four and six-month mark.

So, it’s safe to say it’s best to leave those unwanted gifts until at least the second half of the year before handing them back out.

Typically, females are better at regifting and not being caught out, with only 7% ever being caught, compared to 14% of men. Interestingly, females are most likely to wait at least seven months before regifting a present, while almost a quarter of men wouldn’t wait at all.

Regifters under the age of 34 are most likely to be caught out, with one in five doing so, correlating with the fact that almost 75% in that age bracket are likely to wait less than four months before passing on a present.

The over 55s are the least likely to get caught regifting, with less than 3% of people overall having ever been found out. However, over half of people in the age bracket will wait at least five months before passing any gifts on.

You can view the full study at www.theworks.co.uk.