Disappointed you didn’t get the gift you wanted? Get tips on what to do with unwanted pressies.
Before you stick your unwanted electronics in the back of your wardrobe, here are a few other ideas that could help you get the most out of them.
1. Sell ‘em
Chances are, whoever gifted you that games console, drone or e-reader probably spent a bit of money on it.
And, if the item is still sealed in its original packaging, or at least in a fairly decent state, it could be worth a bit of money.
So, why not stick it on a website like:
- eBay
- Amazon
- Gumtree
Just remember to be discreet – you probably don’t want the person who gave it to you to figure out you’re selling it on!
Better still, if you’re trying to get rid of a laptop, tablet, smartphone or Smart Watch you may be able to trade it in. Check out the Currys PC World trade-in policy and get an estimate to see if you could put your unwanted gadget towards something you do fancy.
2. Regift ‘em
The ultimate form of cheekiness.
If you know of a friend or family member’s birthday coming up, and they’ve been in the market for the gift you just received, you can subtly re-gift your device to them.
That means you won’t have to fork out any cash for their present and you get to shift your unwanted gift. Win-win!
3. Return ‘em
If your gift is in a resalable state (best case scenario, it’s still shrink-wrapped), you should be able to return it to the store.
No receipt? No problem. Most stores will allow you to return an item, even without one.
Having said that… you may have to get into detective mode to figure out where your friend or relative bought your gift in the first place.
Do bear in mind that if the person who bought the item paid by card, you may not be able to get a cash refund – but you’ll still have the option to choose in-store credit, meaning you can put the money towards something you do like.
Of course, returning may prove difficult if the item was bought online. However, some stores, such as Currys PC World, will allow you to return or trade the item in store, even if it was bought from their website.
If you’re returning an unwanted phone, make sure you’re clued up on the difference between returning a pay monthly phone and a SIM only phone.
4. Give ‘em to charity
Feeling benevolent? Then why not do some good for the world and take your unwanted gifts to your nearest charity store.
Here are a few charities that will happily accept donations of unwanted gifts:
- WaterAid
- Your Local Air Ambulance
- The Salvation Army
5. Use ‘em for something creative
Nowadays, most electronics can be used for all sorts of functions.
A smartphone, for instance, can easily double as an expert camera. So, if you don’t need your new phone to do phone stuff, why not:
- Strap it to a selfie stick and start a vlog of your daily travels
- Attach it to a drone and get some awesome footage from up high
- Mount your phone to a tripod and use it to capture footage of you in the gym, cooking at home or as a home security camera
There are many other ways you can use other electronic devices too:
- An unwanted laptop can be used as a second screen – great for gaming or working across multiple applications at home.
- If you can’t use your new tablet at home, how about using it at work? If you run a shop or other small business, you could use a tablet behind the checkout or even on the shop floor to help customers find products they like.
- As well as a camera, an unwanted mobile phone could be used as a satnav device, a music library or even just an alarm clock.