I know that this title is a tad mercenary, but we’ve all had those Christmas presents that just aren’t remotely useful, interesting or fun. While the sentiment behind the gifts is always lovely there is nothing wrong with exchanging them, selling them, or swapping them for something that you would find more useful.
If your present is faulty then you have the right to have your money refunded or the gift replaced or repaired. In many cases you won’t even need the receipt as some gifts are clearly only from a specific store. Also, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 protects you from being told to take your problems to the manufacturer – it is the retailer’s responsibility to help you. So, if your item sits within a six month window, then the retailer is legally required to refund or replace your damaged item.
You can also return any online items within seven days of delivery thanks consumer protection laws that monitor online retailing. Some stores, like Amazon, are pretty relaxed about your returning items as long as you have an order number. Although getting that order number from the person who bought you the gift could be a bit tricky...
If you hit a dead end on the return and refund front, or you have no idea as to where the gift came from or where you would go to exchange it, then it’s time to look at selling your items for cold, hard cash. Then you can use that money to pay for essentials or items that you really need. I know it does seem a bit hardcore to do this, but rather have an item go to someone who will really appreciate it than have it cluttering up your house and remaining dusty and unused.
Of course the trusty favourite, eBay, is a great place to start when selling off unwanted Christmas presents. According to recent figures released by eBay, over 300,000 people put unwanted gifts on the site on Christmas Day! That’s pretty impressive and shows you that your desire to make some moolla off your unwanted gifts isn’t that strange and unusual.
I would recommend that you don’t dump your gifts online immediately, rather wait a few days or weeks until the frenzy has died down and your items can get more money. Use the time to assess selling trends on eBay (or other auction sites) to see what products are selling for the most money and what the most popular item are.
There are a ton of features online that tell you how to get the most money from eBay by using the right headings, photographs and timings, so spend some time reading up on these and make the best listing possible. You can also reverse the ideas to ensure that you get the items you really want for a lot less.
Don’t limit yourself to eBay either. There are tons of online auction sites that offer similar services. While they may not necessarily be as popular or well known, there is less competition for products and you may find that you can sell your item for a higher price, or get items for lower prices.
Amazon Marketplace is another place to visit if you fancy selling off your unwanted Christmas presents. There is a pretty lengthy registration process, the options are limited, and your first payment takes ages, but it’s often worth it for specific items.
Play.com, Game, Gamestation, and PriceMinister all have options for you to sell unwanted CDs, games, electronic items and more. You may find that these take a long time to sell, especially if there is a glut on your specific product, but they do work and many people have made a steady stream of money from these sites. It’s all about picking your products and sites carefully, and patiently waiting for someone to buy your stuff.
For those of you looking for a more traditional method of selling your items, why not use local adverts and papers? Put up adverts on noticeboards in local newsagents or stores, and advertise your items in the local paper. The classifieds are still a tried and tested way of selling unwanted goods.
If none of these ideas appeal to you, or nobody has shown even the slightest interest in the glow-in-the-dark teapot from Auntie Mabel, then look into swapping it. Swapping has seen something of a rebirth over the past few years and there are loads of sites you can use. Visit Swapaholix.co.uk, tradeyourstuff.co,uk or readitswapit.co.uk as start. Just make sure that you read all the terms and conditions so you don’t get caught out.
Hopefully these ideas will help you to sort out those unwanted Christmas gifts and make some much needed money to cover the holiday costs, or get things you really need for your home.
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