How to return your unwanted Christmas presents

Christmas morning has come, you’ve unwrapped your gift and – it’s an absolute dud.

Maybe it’s something you’d never use, something you never wanted or something you just don’t like, but no matter the situation, you want to get rid of it.

While plenty of us will simply ‘shelf’ presents we don’t want and leave them to collect dust, it’s far smarter to actually do something with them.

In most cases, that means returning them.

But returning a gift isn’t as easy as walking into your local Westfield and asking for a refund, so it’s time to familiarise yourself with your options.

When returning a gift the first thing most of us think of is getting our (or the gift giver’s) money back.

It’s the most common route, and you can go on to spend the money on something you actually want, but it certainly isn’t the easiest.

Legally speaking retailers are only required to refund items that are broken or damaged, meaning they don’t have to take back the horrid orange sweater your mother-in-law bought you just because you don’t like it.

But many retailers do offer store credits, and some will allow refunds, if you have proof of purchase.

This does mean you’ll need the receipt, which may be an awkward conversation to have with the gift giver, but it’s better than just letting your gift go to waste.

But here’s a tip; many stores now have membership systems that store purchases, so if you don’t have a receipt you can always ask to look up if the gift giver is a member, as the loyalty system may have a proof of purchase on record.

Just be aware that most stores will only process refunds in the same tender as the original purchase, and if the gift giver paid by card, the refund has to go back onto that same card too.

If that’s the case you can usually ask for a store credit though, meaning you can save the money for another time, you’ll just have to spend it at that store.

While some stores won’t refund your unwanted gifts, there are plenty that will allow you to exchange them.

Again, you’ll need a proof of purchase, but you’ll be more likely to be successful when it comes to exchanges than refunds.

These are also great for when the gift isn’t totally awful, it’s just not perfect.

Clothes, for example, that are too big, to small, or in the wrong colour can usually be exchanged pretty easily for the correct size and style.

Just make sure to double check store policies, as some don’t allow exchanges on sale items, so if the giver bought the gift on sale, you may be out of luck.

At the end of the day the biggest things to remember is that you’ll need proof of purchase, no matter how you plan to return your gift.

If the store your gift was purchased from doesn't offer any form of return options, or you just can't bring yourself to ask the gift giver for the receipt, your other option is to sell the gift on.

Sites like Gumtree and eBay allow you to list and sell just about anything, so those hideous green trousers you unwrapped on Christmas morning may even end up making you some money.

And if all else fails you can always regift it!