We’ve all been given bad Christmas gifts in the past which have made us question whether the person really knows us at all – or made our blood boil. HighStreetVouchers.com recently conducted a Worst Gifts survey to find out who buys the worst gifts. (888 people surveyed)
Who buys the worst gifts – Top 5
- Partners 19.3% (171 responses)
- In-Laws 15.8% (140 responses)
- Friends 14.4% (128 responses)
- Parents 13% (115 responses)
- Aunts/Uncles 10.7% (95 responses)
Worst Gifts – Top 10
1. Jumpers
2. Irons
3. Perfume
4. Saucepans
5. Slippers
6. Diet books/memberships
7. Socks
8. Chocolates
9. Clothes in the wrong size
10. Granny knickers
Top 20 responses:
“On my first Christmas as a married woman my husband bought me a packet of 3 sponges from the pound shop. I got told blue was for washing the car, green was for the bathroom and pink was for the dog” Jacquelin, Isle of Lewis
“A pair of ear-rings that had been previously worn – they weren’t on a card or in a box but were wrapped in toilet roll!”Wendy,Kent
“A hand knitted jumper from an aunt. She had used all her odds and ends of wool and it looked like vomit.” Alistair, Ceredigion
“A diet book when I was 9 years old and a bar of soap when I was 10.” Aby, Mid Glamorgan
“New lead for my dog that died two weeks before.” Sandra,Cheshire
“An embroidered cat suitcase, it was the ugliest thing I have ever seen!” Sarah,East Midlands
“A white fleece jumper covered with large gold metal stars from which leather tassels hung!” Lisa,Fife
“Stretch mark cream.” Michelle,Lancashire
“ATurkeyRecipe Book – it was a bad idea as I’ve been a vegetarian all my life.”Debbie, Glasgow
“Hair salon vouchers, because I’m bald.” Jonathon,Lancashire
“Pyjamas off my husband because the top was a size 22 and the bottoms a size 14. I am a size 10.” Paula, Mid Glamorgan
“Perfume that smelt like a wet dog.” Michelle, Merseyside
“A pair of scissors, because I’d asked for something shiny and this is what I got! I was thinking earrings?” Jennifer,West Midlands
“A book on how to survive diabetes. Which I don’t have!” Tom,Somerset
“A packet of cigs and I’d just come out of hospital after having heart attack.” Sandra,Norfolk
“A diary that was 3 years out of date!” Clare, Oxfordshire
“A Leo horoscope book, I’m a Virgo.” Mikaela,Lancashire
“Women’s knickers – I’m male!” Mike, Leicestershire
“Gloves, the worst gift ever as I only have one hand.” Carol, Pembrokeshire
“A tube of toothpaste and toothbrush… what were they trying to say?!” Leigh, Oxfordshire
Other responses….
“A smoke-stained glass ball to hang in the window to scare witches away.” Wendy,Bristol
“An ashtray – I have never smoked.” Linda,West Somerset
“A musical clown – it was the freakiest looking thing and scared me…it looked like the scary character in Stephen Kings ‘It’” Sharon, Bedfordshire
“A red vase that I’d seen in that person’s downstairs loo before!” Jo, Essex
“An old pack of sage and onion stuffing wrapped in Christmas paper from a neighbour who, it seems, didn’t like us, strange!” Helen,London
“A very skimpy nightdress from my boyfriend’s Gran. Very inappropriate!!” Lindsay,North Lanarkshire
“A half dead plant. It had a 69p sticker on it.” Heather, GreaterManchester
“Stilton Cheese covered in Chocolate – why? It was ‘ORRIBLE. Two tasty things spoilt by bringing them together. Yuk!!!!!!!!” Jimmy,Tyneand Wear
“Sellotape in my Christmas stocking from my mother in law because she thought it would be useful.” Michelle,Surrey
“I got pots and pans one Christmas, think in-laws were trying to tell me to cook for their son.” Samantha,CountyDurham
“Enrolment and 12 weeks Slimming World membership.” Sharon, Merseyside
“An ornament shelf because I was about 12 and didn’t have any ornaments!” Hazel,East Sussex
“A tin of hamburgers.” Deborah, CountyDurham
“A used handbag, it had a sweet in that was stuck to the bottom and a 1pence coin in.” Elle,Devon
“A fleece coat with pictures of wolves printed on it.” Sara,Birmingham
“I appreciate ever gift but getting Santa leggings is a bit mental with jumpers to go with it.” Helen, Merseyside
“An egg slice and dusters, I don’t like receiving kitchen stuff for Christmas.” Heather, GreaterLondon
“Soap on a rope.” Amanda, Merseyside
“A box of tampax when I was pregnant, I was not impressed. And I opened them in a room full of people.”Anita,Kent
“Mosque alarm clock!!!” Sarah, GreaterManchester
“When I was 14 I was hugely conscious of my weight and hated it especially as was being called fat at school. That Christmas I opened a present off my mum to find she had brought me exercise videos i cried all day.” Vicki,West Midlands
“A coat hanger in the shape of a cat because I have cats: they thought I wanted things with cats on.” Tracey, Warwickshire
“A man’s shower gel. Not the set, just the singular bottle of lynx shower gel.” Cate, Hampshire
“I once got a kitchen utensil set, at the time I lived with my parents in their fully furnished house. The person also bought them the same lol.” Mark, Hampshire
“A large plastic blue Casio calculator from my husband….it just didn’t add up to being a great present!” Melissa, Essex
“Pans for kitchen, because I hate cooking.” Sarah, GreaterManchester
“Lavender perfume. Hate the smell.” Margaret, Merseyside
“A dog lead when I didn’t have a dog!” Sophie,West Yorkshire
“Teabag holder stand – I don’t drink tea!” Susan, Carmarthenshire
“I used to always get massive boxes of make-up when I was a little girl – it was bad because I never showed any interest in make-up as a child, and the boxes were always full of tonnes of eye shadow and really dodgy lipstick!” Melissa,West Lothian
“A toy ironing board when I was twelve years old. The reason it was my worst? I was twelve, I would have preferred a five star cassette!” Caroline, GreaterManchester
“A sandwich maker because my son had been saying how much he loved toasted sandwiches and so bought me it so I could make him some.” Suzanna,Devon
“A furby at the age of 25.”Shelley,Kent
“A shiny, black tracksuit. I would not have liked to have been seen dead in it!!! My now ex-husband thought I would like it!!” Jocelyn, Wiltshire
“A hand-knitted tie!” Brian, Glamorgan
“I was given a clothes de-fuzzer. It was horrid, because I felt like they were trying to tell me I wear worn-out looking clothes!” Ellie,Berkshire
“Ill-fitting clothes…too large and felt a bit insulted that they thought I was a much larger size.” Bethany, Edinburgh
“A stone with eyes on. Why? Because it was just a stone with eyes on of course!”Lorraine, Flintshire
“ATiffinBox.” Sabita,London
“A mirror from my ex. I didn’t like it the first time he gave it to me! He rewrapped it and gave it a 2nd time!” Jayne, Hertfordshire
“Nothing – it upset me.” Kay,South Yorkshire
“A Popcorn Maker…..I don’t even LIKE Popcorn!” Jo,Bristol
“ ‘trolls’ as a teenage girl… I was more interested in boys and beauty then a child’s toy!” Amy, Hampshire
“I had a pair of cream plastic boots that didn’t even fit I was thirteen years old. They were a surprise present.” Doris, Dorset
“A toilet roll holder that is in the design of a woman (a Barbie!) in a ball gown – totally unneeded & totally vile” Jennifer, Merseyside
“A washing machine – who wants to receive a kitchen appliance as a gift?!” Sarah,West Yorkshire
“A bottle of used perfume.” Sarah, Bedfordshire
“A used mug, because it was used …” Annemieke,Cornwall
“A book on train spotting – lol” Cathryn,Shropshire
“A box of chocolates when I was 6 stone over weight!” Christine,West Yorkshire
“Used socks because they were used!” Nicole, Ealing
“A bottle of whisky; I don’t drink.” Inga,Lincolnshire
“A milk jug when I was 13.” Kirsty, Derbyshire
“A sugaring set – who wants hair removal for a present?” Madelaine,Norfolk
“A key ring. I had put a lot of thought into their present and all I got was this lousy key ring!” Jennifer, GreaterManchester
“Work blouses, I hate going to work.” Neelima,West Midlands
“An orange. I guess it’s traditional to some people but I don’t understand why.” Spencer,London
“Big pants, because I’d lost 3 stone prior to New Year and my friend didn’t know.” Emma,Cornwall
“Special gloves to use on touch screen equipment, because I do not have any touch screen gadgets!” Emma, Worcestershire
“A gorgeous, expensive looking set for treated blonde hair… I’m brunette and always have been!” Sarah, Flintshire
“A pair of tights.” Jennifer,CountyDurham
“Spiderman DVD bought with my credit card, because my then fiancé wanted it and in January when I got my credit card bill I realised he had used my card to buy it!!” Louise,Suffolk
“A set of bath toiletries from my Gran. It was the worst because she’d obviously been given it as a gift herself, tried a little of the products, decided she didn’t like it, repackaged it and gave it to me.” Susan, Edinburgh
“A set of pound shop silver tone picture frames.” Karina, Renfrewshire
“An ironing board cover because it ended my relationship!” Joanna, Merseyside
“A slanket – blanket with arms, it looked cheap and I wouldn’t use it.” Kate,Berkshire
“A video on ‘how to cook with bramley apples’ when I was 18 from my godmother! No explanation needed me thinks!” Jackie,Surrey
“A throw for my sofa that looked horrible.” Karl,London
“A white, patent handbag. It was ugly!” Gwen,West Midlands
“A mouse mat……and it was the worst present ever because it was a Valentine’s Day gift!” Jade,Somerset
“Pair of sandal socks – they looked like I was wearing white socks with sandals and were simply hideous.” Joanne,Birmingham
“A can of beans, as a joke from the wife.” Matt,Shrewsbury
“A perfume set that was over 10 years old (money off voucher inside which was 10 years out of date!)” Trish, GreaterManchester
“ A car jack.” Emma,Cornwall
“Some false eyelashes that were huge, my lashes are already big and I don’t like looking like someone out of ‘The Only Way isEssex’.” Gemma,South Yorkshire
“A pair of horrendous legwarmers with Christmas bells on them!” Amanda, Merseyside
“I once received a beautiful name plate for my horses stable, heartbreakingly he had crossed the rainbow bridge several weeks before.” Sarah, East Riding ofYorkshire
“A ball of string, I complained to the kids I could never find any, so they bought me some.” Michelle,Lancashire
“A scented candle of my sister-in-law, because I’ve been married to her brother for four years and for three of those four years she has given me a scented candle.” Louise,London
“Chocolates that tasted vile. They looked nice and my friend had spent money on me that she couldn’t really afford at the time. It was a bad gift because I felt guilty. I never told her that they were inedible.” Jeremy, Buckinghamshire
“A bag ofBombaymix for Christmas because I don’t like it and it was out of date!” Claire, GreaterManchester
“ALakelandrunner bean cutter – I hate runner beans!!”Denise,Kent
“An iron, I hate ironing.” Alison,Tyneand Wear.
“An iron because I thought it was someone telling me I needed to improve my ironing.” Emma, Aberdare
“A second hand Boyz 2 Men CD when I was about 7. Self-explanatory.” Shona,Lancashire
“A mini trampoline to be used as diet aide when I wasn’t even on a diet!” Katrina, Cambridgeshire
“An unauthorised biography of Robbie Williams – it just seemed to be a cheap gift – why couldn’t they buy me the authorised biography!” Chantal, westMidlands
“Groovy Chick Rucksack (for school!) at the age of 16!” Gemma, Worcestershire
“A wind up ice crusher. It’s just something I would never use.” Vanessa,CountyLondonderry.
“Very large check pyjamas that would have been big enough to cover my entire lawn!” Sarah, Hampshire
“Car cleaning kit, because I didn’t have a car.”Debbie,Cheshire
“A blackhead remover.”Joanne,Kent
“A joke sat nav. It wasn’t that funny and it went straight in the bin, what a waste!” Aimee,Surrey
“A pair of Dora the explorer socks, size 1-3. I’m a size 8!!” Jane, Northamptonshire
“A rubbish book about wells and drinking fountains ofGreat Britain… Need I explain why?” Luisa,West Yorkshire
“Pj’s that were 2 different sizes top and bottom… I’m not that shape!!” Claire,West Midlands
“Tacky underwear for obvious reasons!” Stacey, Essex
“Dishtowels. I was 20 and still lived at home.” Jay,Dundee
“Some tea towels, because I’m not a maid.” Rebecca,London
“An iron, because I hate ironing and I already had one.” Linda, Glasgow
“A single can of deodorant. Not just that, but it was one that didn’t have a barcode on it, as it was taken from a wash set! And as for why? I feel they were making a very cheap point! *paranoidly sniffs under arms*” Mark,Shropshire
“Bottle green knickers! I was about 13/14years old!”Jacqui,Washington
“A Chip pan. I was really hoping for something for me not the house!” Lynsey, Glasgow
“A bottle of wine, I am teetotal!” Kirsty,West Midlands
“Pot porri! It was just so boring and I was a teenager, not exactly the present I would want at that age!” Yasmine,South Yorkshire
“Stick on earrings! Old fashioned and awful!”Becki,Devon
“A frilly lace tissue box cover-I didn’t have a box of tissues!!!” Louise,Tyneand Wear
“Tupperware tubs, which were round so they didn’t stack neatly in the freezer.” Becky, Cambridgeshire
“A fake purple and black marbled cat – do I really need a reason? It was vile!” Cheryll, Cambridgeshire
“Slippers every year from a parent. The same kind every year!” Geraldine,CountyAntrim
“Cassette of the musical HAIR – I always hated the music!” Pat,Surrey
“A jigsaw puzzle …I hate jigsaws.” Elaine, Cambridgeshire
“Frizz Ease Shampoo – it’s not even needed!” Amy,London
“My worst gift was from my children when they were little. Their father thought it would be a good idea to give them their independence and let them choose their own gifts. He handed them £5 each to buy a present thinking they might pool their money and buy me a book or a scarf. But no, instead I got a cigarette roller from my son and a packet of cinnamon dentine chewing gum from my daughter. I’m not sure what they were trying to tell me or where the rest of the money went but it was hard on Christmas morning to seem delighted without sniggering.” Jane,CountyAntrim
“A box of biscuits on buy one get one free from my brother (my sister got the other box).” Linda,West Midlands
“A dog’s water bowl to match my room.” Leanne, Merseyside
“A chocolate Rio Rancho in a ring box. My partner thought it would be funny for me to think he was prosing to me with it and the look on my face when I opened it to find a choc rio rancho inside, instead off an engagement ring. But he did propose two year later on Christmas day .” Barbara,Lancashire
“A Cat statue was sent by relatives through the post, when I opened it, the head was cracked and it had lost a paw.” Nicola,West Midlands
“A tin of broken biscuits that were out of date!” Sonya, GreaterManchester
“A cheese board, I don’t like cheese!!”Kelly,Cumbria
“A games console because it didn’t work!” Elma,CountyLondonderry
“Pair of tights from mother in law, everyone else received fabulous presents.”Frances,Lancashire
“Wall plaque with the Family name on it. Romantic, NOT!!!” Kay,Fife
“Pan scourers and rubber gloves…..for obvious reasons!”Lorraine,Cumbria
“A 2nd hand wheel chair as I am disabled.” Stuart, Wiltshire
“Some horrible big clip on earrings. I have pierced ears and wouldn’t wear big clumpy things like that, they were from the mother in law!!!” Nicola, Derbyshire
“2 tyres as I said to my boyfriend I needed them for my car and he decided to give me them as a present.” Adele, Warwickshire
“A spotty mohair jumper it was awful and itched like mad.” Marie, Angus
“A talking toy monkey that straps on your shoulder. Seriously, what purpose does that serve?”Allan,Cumbria
“I received half a bottle of a perfume TESTER that stank like an unwashed, smoking alcoholic! Got it from my husband’s friend’s wife who I met for the first time.” Maggie,London
“A pair of slippers from my nan- they were the ugliest most unpractical thing ever!!!! They were like clogs with a bit of a mirror on then!!!” Kimberly, GreaterManchester
“My pet hamster because I don’t like them.” Mhari, South Ayrshire
“A large heart shaped face watch with a white faux leather strap. It was the worst because it was from my best friends and she knew I didn’t wear anything that style. We ended our friendship soon after.” Gillian,North Lanarkshire
“A watch, because it was made from nickel and it gave me a rash.” Emma, Staffordshire
“A singing fish! It looked and sounded horrid!” Kirsty,Cornwall
“A desk fan.” Sarah,East Sussex
“Coffee creams. I hate coffee creams and I am allergic to chocolate.” Laura, Renfrewshire
“Candles as I have COPD and not supposed to have anything too smelly.” Sheila, East Riding ofYorkshire
“Massive granny knickers!! I’m in my 30’s not my 80’s :)” Kerry, Essex
“Cheap toiletries from £1 shop, no thought gone into the gift at all.” Vikki, Northumberland
“An old fashioned shopping bag from my granny. It looked like something out of the ark! Sorry!”Sharon,Belfast
“Out of date bubble bath off my so called best friend.” Yazmin, East Riding onYorkshire
“Wrinkle cream. I was 22 years old.”Kirsty,Washington
“Fresh pasta cutters but we don’t have a pasta making machine!” Allicia,Cheshire
“Vouchers for a slimming club – talk about ruin your Christmas day.” Michelle, Dorset
“A perfume that smelt so bad, it would make me nauseous and sick.” Olu,London
“A small jar of cranberry sauce. Wouldn’t have been so bad but I hate cranberry sauce.” Heather, Gwynedd
“Christmas jumper – it was a reindeer with flashing nose.”Barrie,Swansea
“Saucepan because my partner was having an affair!” Nicole,West Midlands
“A high necked, long sleeved, ankle length, brushed cotton nightie, 6 weeks after I got married!” Debra, Stoke onTrent
“A gift I originally gave to my friend repackaged by them.” Andrew,West Midlands
“My chum used to buy my knickers every year until I told her I don’t wear knickers!!” Pamela,Aberdeen
“Bottle of aftershave. Why? I’m female.” Sally, GreaterManchester
“Knee pads to put wood flooring down.” Tracy, Gloucestershire
“An Arsenal mug…..I’m aChelseafan!” Jonathan,London
“The worst gift I ever received was sum pink fluffy dice to hang in my car window. It was the worst ever gift because I didn’t have a car and can’t even drive yet!” Michelle, Northamptonshire
“A washing up bowl from my Husband. He thinks I love washing up Grrr.” Rosalind,London
“A sex toy from a secret Santa at work I do know why he gave that and seemed very strange to me.” Primrose,Shrewsbury
“A pair of size 16 pyjamas, as I’m only a size 12.” Louise,Lincolnshire
“PJS about 3 sizes too small when I was 6 months pregnant.” Claire,Thurrock
“A pull along toy dog as a Christmas present. Must have been some sort of joke that’s all I can think!! I was devastated being the age of 21 and all :-(“West Midlands
“A BIRTHING BALL FROM MY HUSBAND. I WASN’T PREGNANT!” Paula, GreaterManchester
“A box of glass pieces – never knew what broke.” Heather,West Yorkshire
“A cook book, I hate cooking and my husband said I needed some lessons. Cheeky.” Melissa, Oxfordshire
“Nothing. Who wants nothing from there hubby on Crimbo?” Cathy,North Tyneside
“We think it was a vase for flowers but we were not sure. It was too big to be a vase and too small to be a gold fish bowl. It was a Christmas present and I knew it was going to be bad because he was laughing when he handed it over to me.” Steven, Flintshire
“A big tub of flump marshmallows!! Because my friend said I looked like a flump in an old school photo!” Marie,South Yorkshire
“An inflatable sumo set, apparently because I was getting fat.” Darren, Wiltshire
“A cassette COPY of a cd I’d asked for! They kept the original cd for themselves!” Laura, Hampshire
“Some tummy tuck pants from Lidl.” Lisa,Cornwall
“A very revealing silk nightgown from my mother. The kind of thing that maybe should be bought by someone special in your life for those special moments lol.” Joanne,Tyneand Wear
“Mr frosty when I was a child! He just didn’t crush the ice properly and the flavouring which you added was awful. I’d asked for him for years and when I finally got him he was such a disappointment! I kept him in my bedroom so as not to upset anyone but I hated him! Lol :-)” Lindsey,CountyDurham
“A model car. I had just turned 18 and was learning to drive, and they wrapped up a car key and gave it to me first, so I thought I was getting a real car. I then opened up the model car and was gutted! It was certainly an introduction to adult sense of humour!!” Mark, Merseyside
“My fiancé gave me a month’s supply of “Alli” diet pills for Christmas. Bad? Yeah.. I was 8 months pregnant with his baby!!! AWFUL!” Gemma, Cambridgeshire
“My girlfriends family – BAD BUNCH! :-(“ Danny, Merseyside
“A pack of black Lacy thongs (two sizes too big) from my man’s mum. I guess she wanted grandchildren!” Christina, Dumfriesshire
“Teabags and washing up liquid of my ex because he said he wanted cups a teas and me to wash up like woman should. That’s why he is my ex!” Cindy,West Yorkshire
“Pj’s off my mum for my 30th birthday to find out it was a pack of 2 and she gave the other pair to myNanfor Christmas.” Louise,London
“Anti-wrinkle cream at the age of 27 from me son.” Lucy,Tyneand Wear
“Knitter jumper with 3 arms my gran made, it looked really silly.” Naomi,Devon
“My ex got me aHoover!!! That’s the worst prezzy a woman can get, no thought!!!” Joanne, Northumberland
“A pair of wellies! My husband likes to buy practical presents… I would have liked something more romantic!” Shelly,Shrewsbury
“Crotchless knickers were given as a joke the first Xmas with my husband with all his family. Embarrassing.” Kelly, Merseyside
“Nail polish set as it stated “free gift” all over it.” Lynne, North Lanarkshire
“A car care Kit and I never had a car.” Donna, Essex
“A teletubbies gift set at 13!” Kim,Devon
If you're thinking of buying something recommended by us, please go via the links on our pages. When you do this we may earn a fee which supports our editorially independent, family business.