From suitcases to slow cookers, thousands of Kiwis have already listed their unwanted Christmas gifts on Trade Me.
One user listed a shirt with the description: "Size medium but it's a slim medium and I have definitely become a lockdown large. ... Lol."
Other sellers listed Ashley Bloomfield pillowcases, used lip-gloss and Rexona deodorant.
Trade Me Spokesperson Ruby Topzand said, according to a recent survey, nine per cent of people said they receive at least one present that misses the mark each year.
Eight per cent of those surveyed also admitted to re-selling them.
"When it comes to telling gift-givers how they really feel, most New Zealanders are too polite to tell them they haven’t got it right," Topzand said.
“When we asked Kiwis how they react when unwrapping a bad present, 70 per cent said they take a grin-and-bare-it approach.”
But thousands of New Zealanders are also purchasing other peoples unwanted gifts, and Topzand said the demand is definitely growing.
“Last year, we saw 46,000 searches for unwanted gifts in the first 24 hours following Christmas Day" she says.
Kiwis told Trade Me the worst gifts to receive are socks, candles and expired confectionary.
Topzand also has some tips for re-selling presents:
- If you’re selling, include the words ‘unwanted gift’ in your listing title to make it easy for buyers to find.
- Don’t sell handmade or highly personalised items, especially if they have your name etched or embroidered on them.
- Selling brand new items is easiest, make sure to keep the packaging as intact as possible.
Meanwhile, police are telling people to choose safe places to meet to exchange items, such as in a well-lit, public place with a lot of foot traffic.
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