eBay Could Break Hearts This Christmas!

New research from The London Gift Consultancy shows that 71 per cent of people surveyed said it would hurt their feelings if the gift they gave their loved one ended up for sale on eBay.

Disappointment was by far the most common emotion, expressed by 64 per cent of people who said that they would be hurt. Whilst twelve per cent of this group expressed irritation, 9 per cent said they would be angry, with women showing a greater tendency to anger than men.

Research from YouGov shows that half (49%) of all adults in the UK receive at least three unwanted presents each year.

In 2004 eBay put the costs of unwanted Christmas presents at an estimated £1.3bn each year.

Lorraine Loughlin, Managing Director of The London Gift Consultancy said, “We help people to purchase the perfect present because gifts say a lot about the people who give them. Gifts represent the giver and the relationship they have with the recipient. Gift giving is a very emotional experience. The vast majority of gift givers care about the people they give presents to. Rejecting a gift can feel like a rejection of the giver. Likewise receiving an unwanted present can be awkward and embarrassing.”

Lorraine continued, “Making use of unwanted presents is a good thing. Even better is not to give people gifts they don't want”. Successful gift givers will heed Lorraine’s top five tips for purchasing the perfect present:

1) Plan ahead: This will give you time and save you money
2) Allocate time: The perfect gift needs to be found in advance and given on time
3) Do your research: Good background knowledge of the recipient is vital
4) Be creative: Think beyond the norm
5) Perfect presentation: Irrespective of the cost of the gift, always make sure it is beautifully presented.”

Women in the South East aged 20 – 29 were the group in the UK most likely to be hurt if the gift they gave was placed on an auction site.

And women were more likely to be hurt by their gift being placed on an auction site than men. Seventy-five per cent of women said they would be hurt compared to sixty-six per cent of men.

For further information on The London Gift Consultancy visit Thelondongiftconsultancy.com