Thoughtless Gift?

[bdoyledimou]

Our worst gift?
My in-laws went to Australia (where SIL lives with her BF) and they travelled all over the country with them spending thousands.
The gift for us???
A picture of the 4 of them in scuba gear. Apparently it was quite an expensive picture - so they suggested we buy a nice frame!
DH was so annoyed that he threw the picture out!!!

This happened to me as well..

My Brothers girlfriend emailed me one year telling me how much my brother needed/wanted a cordless torque wrench .. would i be so caring/kind to buy it for him and she sent me a link to a picture of it..

i was at a loss of what to get him , so i said sure.. she was very happy!

So i head to the hardware store and this thing was $350!! but i figured, well.. if they are asking for $350 presents.. we must be getting something nice as well.. so i bought it, and bought her a nice "Bed in a Bag" thing that my mom had mentioned she liked.

On Christmas day, my brother opened his gift and was crying tears of joy over how thoughtful the gift was, even mentioning that the thing was SO expensive.

And then the bombshell... they combo gifted us.. an envelope.. what would be in it? I picture of his kids. From a Walmart Christmas package.

Then to add insult to injury.. he asked me for $20 i had borrowed from him the month before to put gas in my truck to move some stuff for him.

The following year, they sent me a list of things they wanted/needed, including an xbox 360 and a new PlayStation 3.. they got a box of liquors and some soap and were apparently shocked and insulted. (Oddly enough, we didn't get ANYTHING).

(Oh and one year my MIL gave me a Glad SunCatcher (an air freshener) to hang in the kitchen window.. with the $2.49 price tag still on it)

 

[SanFranciscan]

I did buy a nice gift for my husband's nephew the same year that I sent nothing but a tacky handmade "card" to my brother-in-law and his wife because we decided that we would only buy for children the year that I was recovering from some rather expensive operations. My "gift" to my husband's brother and sister-in-law was a piece of handcut cardboard about 4x6 upon which I had written "Money is tight. Times are hard. This is your 1990 Christmas card." and stuck it in the mail.

 

[Finally_Talking]

I've received some bad gifts over the years but this one is my favorite for just being plain gross - and insulting.

Years ago, I worked with a woman who was about 10 years older than me and her position was several levels higher than mine at the time. She and I were not close - just worked together. She had her first child, then, a few months later, I had mine.

I was home on maternity leave when a package came in the mail from this woman. Inside was a ziplock gallon bag, filled with used pacifiers.

She said her daughter had outgrown them, so she boiled them up and sent them along to me.

It just grossed me out to think of giving a child used pacifiers - boiled or not!
Maybe she thought my husband and I were too poor to spring for a brand-new pack for our own kid??? Gee, do you have any used diapers or half-eaten jars of baby food you want to pass along while you're at it???

Needless to say, the bag went right in the trash. Yuck!

 

[Kaler131]

That IS gross!

 

[Villainess]

My uncle is the winner in our family - he's always known for being cheap, but his wedding gift to my brother took the cake.

My brother got married in March but it was small and last minute, so my uncle didn't attend (though he was invited). That June, my mom, grandmother and I went to my cousin's (this uncle's daughter) wedding. While we were there, he gave the gift to pass along to my brother. My mom was nosy and peaked inside -- it was a calendar for that year (remember, it was already June). And not a regular calendar with nice pictures - it was one of those with one picture on the top and you rip off the page for each month. If it wasn't free, they probably didn't pay more that $1.99. Needless to say, since we had traveled to another state, staying overnight in a hotel, plus gave my cousin a nice gift, my mom was so mad!

This same uncle also wrote in his yearly holiday letter that he was given a picnic basket as a retirement gift and then gave it to someone as a wedding gift a month later. Now I understand some people regift and it's not always a bad thing -- but to brag about it in your holiday letter??

I hope the recipient of the regifted picnic basket or the giver of the basket wasn't on the holiday letter mailing list.

Oh god, we have so many..... one year for Christmas my mother gave my DH a professional deli meat slicer - the kind the people at the food store use when you buy a pound of turkey!! Now tell me what the hell we were going to do with that?!?!?!
Same mother CONSTANTLY buys my girls the LOUDEST FREEKING TOYS in the toystore!!! I can't stand it!!!
Theres so many more things that were totally inapropriate that they have purchased for both myself, DH and my girls, but I don't think the dis has enough room!!!

Oddly, my exSIL received this for a bridal shower gift this past Saturday. When I remarked what in the world would she do with it, exMIL said she registered for it. Ooops! :lol:

 

[xoprincessmomxo]

Then again, his step-mother has been ratted out that she regifts from a shelf she keeps in her Christmas closet to the step-family. Namely us. Hence why Christmas with her kids and grandkids is held at a separate time.

At least she's thoughtful enough to hold the presents for her kids and grandkids to a different time! My dad's step-mother and our Grandpa used to have Christmas with ALL of us. Her five kids, their many children, and then our left out family. I once got a used belt that was scuffed up and my sister got a gravy boat. We were 8 and 11 years old. My brother got nothing, so they grabbed one of their used coloring books and told him he could take it home. Then, we got to sit and watch the "real" grandkids open up dozens of toys. My mother was stewing by that time, grabbed us kids, and took us home.

 

[simba8116]

I had to register today just to share this story. This was a truly thoughtless moment for my mother.

Three years ago for my birthday I received a hair styling kit from my mother...fancy little clips and combs and such. Actually, it was pretty nice, EXCEPT I was scheduled to start chemo for breast cancer 1 week after that. And, yes, she knew that. When my hair fell out, I thought about packing it up along with the kit and sending it back to her. But she probably would have been offended.

 

[lkueffer]

Right after my husband and I were married his favorite uncle died. His aunt sent his dead uncles' underwear to him along with a present for our wedding. Talk about gross.

 

[pigget74]

Right after my husband and I were married his favorite uncle died. His aunt sent his dead uncles' underwear to him along with a present for our wedding. Talk about gross.

 

[famofsix]

that would be the 2X LL bean sweatsuit I got for Christmas from MIL when I was 7 Months pregnant. Mind you I am usually a size 10-12. I also did not gain much weight with pregnancy 15 pounds!!!!

Oh then there's the sewing machine I can share with her other two daughters who lived together at the time. Um...I don't sew and if I did I don't want to go get it at Sis in law's anyway.

Paper dolls for a two year old (oh honey don't rip them)

I could go on but it makes me steamed.

OKay one more....

MIL pumps up kids that they are getting presents. My girls are 2 and 4 at the time. They open gifts and recieve a powerranger car and an action guy. They are told they have to give it to their new baby brother (who was in utero at the time). They are crying and I am supposed to save these things when my son in 5 I threw them away.


Oh my doofy sister gave me a binding band for the hospital even though I told her 100 times I was BFing. I asked her why she gave it to me and she said "to dry up your milk" Um okay then the baby is going to be really angry!


I just wanted to say these gifts don't really show how much I do love my sister and my MIL~ they are just goofy people when it comes to gift giving HAHA

 

[DisneyBrat]

Last year for Christmas my MIL gave me a Marshall University throw and my husband a We are Marshall video. I am not into sports. I gave it to a homeless man at the beach I felt like saying lets just not exchange gifts. We both have all we need LOL

 

[java]

My mom travels quite a bit. She generally doesn't bring back gifts for anyone. And I'm good with that. Once though she did bring back something for my daughter(I have 4 children) but just dd got a gift. It was a notepad - with a name on it. It was her name but spelled completely different. My mom said "I'll just tell her that's how they spell it in Paris" She was 10 at the time.

 

[katiebug86]

I think the worst get I have ever recieved was from my EX-bf's grandmother. Remember when those shirts with initials were popular? Well I got a beautiful pink shirts with an "S" written in rinestones. It would have been nice if my name didn't start with a K!!!

I witnessed another tacky gift. It was from my ex-aunt. (My uncle divorce her) My cousin (his mother was the one who gave the gift) He has two children from a previous marriage and one step-child. The mother gave one of the son a really nice bike and an outfit. The girl got some kind of barbie car. Guess what she gave the step-child? A CARD. My cousin has been married to the mother for about 5 years. I thought it was really rude that she did this.

 

[Disney_Angel]

I did buy a nice gift for my husband's nephew the same year that I sent nothing but a tacky handmade "card" to my brother-in-law and his wife because we decided that we would only buy for children the year that I was recovering from some rather expensive operations. My "gift" to my husband's brother and sister-in-law was a piece of handcut cardboard about 4x6 upon which I had written "Money is tight. Times are hard. This is your 1990 Christmas card." and stuck it in the mail.

 

[mrawson]

My BIL & sister were married in our home. As a "thank you", they brought us gifts from their honeymoon to Ireland. We received a really ugly candle that did not match anything in our decor and a Guiness keychain that you can pick up at your local gas station! What really stunk was that for the longest time they would come over and a comment would be made like "Where's the candle?".

 

[disneymom3]

I know the sweet little girl getting peanut brittle in her stocking is an AWFUL gift, but I have to say the comment of "Merry Christmas. Let's call 911 to celebrate" has me I literally start giggling every time I have thought about that comment as I read the whole thread.

Last year for Christmas my MIL gave me a Marshall University throw and my husband a We are Marshall video. I am not into sports. I gave it to a homeless man at the beach I felt like saying lets just not exchange gifts. We both have all we need LOL

Oh dear! Well, at least someone benefitted from it, right?

This is a great thread. I have to say my MIL is usually awesome at gift giving especially for the kids. The one year she totally infuriated me, we were celebrating Christmas at their house 4 days before Christmas on the weekend. She gave DS the ONE thing he had asked for. (He was 4 at the time.) I looked at her like "are you insane????" I commented "Hmm, that was NOT on the list I gave you." She said, "I know, but it was the only thing he said he was asking for." Yeah....duh! Do you think that perhaps Santa already had it loaded in the freaking sleigh and that Santa did not want to have the elves make a different who knows what the heck gift for DS a mere 4 days before Christmas???? Man, was I ticked. We have not celebrated with them before Christmas since then, nor will we!

My SILs regularly give me odd gifts that make me ask DH when we leave if they have ever met me in the last 16 or so years. Last year from both of them I got really large purses. Now, I am known for the fact that I carry a really small purse. My current purse is about 6x9 inches and for me that is kinda big. These purses were even bigger than any diaper bag I ever carried and I haven't carried one of those in 5 years.

Last Christmas was about the third year in a row that I got a bizarre gift from MIL too. I don't know what happened as her gifts used to be GREAT! I know she really likes me, so that's not it. And the gifts are nice and always a fairly high price range, they are just not ever something I want. Or they are, but then there is a really odd twist to them. Like the very nice pan set I got. Great quality, nicer than I would have bought for myself, but they were red. I have a sage green kitchen. REd and green are not pretty together other than at Christmas.

 

[dijid]

What's worse than getting a picture - how about getting it via email! DH (and I) have a good friend that we have exchanged gifts with for years. Usually homemade stuff. Well, the year the friend gets married, he emails a Christmas card with picture from his wedding and picture of his new car with that as the explanation of why we weren't getting anything, as well as why he wasn't doing real Christmas cards this year.

Not really thoughtless, but accidental - one year I got two left feet shoes from my mom. She and the salesperson never checked the box. We still joke about that one!

 

[snickerboo]

Oh, I have several of these....all from the same person.

-"My First Drum" for my one-year-old.
-A book of dogs for my dd to pick out her first puppy that this person would then buy
-A crystal-making kit for my dd that reads, "fatal if ingested, will permanently stain countertops and floors"
-A candle holder for me that this person had had in her garage for several years so it was out of style and had cobwebs on it! (and, yes, it was supposed to be a 'gift' for my bday not just something passed along)
-in the same vein, SIL got shot glasses that had been in the garage, one of which had a huge dead spider in it (BIL threw that right in the trash)
-A book that had already been read (again, it was a bday gift), movies that have already been watched
-Old food that had been in her cabinets for God knows how long
-A digital picture frame that she had gotten at a work seminar. She scratched off her work logo and there were no instructions in the box so we don't know how to use it and have no idea who made it to look up the instructions
-Several items of clothing obviously bought for herself
-Someone posted about bead kits....dd got a 'carousel' (think Costco-sized) of beads
-a candle holder that looks like a realistic monkey with its butt in the air and you put the candle on its butt


OP-yours still beat mine, though, a pregnant cat!!!

This is a great thread. I have to say my MIL is usually awesome at gift giving especially for the kids. The one year she totally infuriated me, we were celebrating Christmas at their house 4 days before Christmas on the weekend. She gave DS the ONE thing he had asked for. (He was 4 at the time.) I looked at her like "are you insane????" I commented "Hmm, that was NOT on the list I gave you." She said, "I know, but it was the only thing he said he was asking for." Yeah....duh! Do you think that perhaps Santa already had it loaded in the freaking sleigh and that Santa did not want to have the elves make a different who knows what the heck gift for DS a mere 4 days before Christmas???? Man, was I ticked. We have not celebrated with them before Christmas since then, nor will we!

I deliberately refuse to tell my MIL what they are asking for from Santa because of this. She would do exactly what your MIL did.

 

[seashoreCM]

>>> pregnant cat
This is not a gift. It's a problem your relative was trying to pass on to you. I kinda' think you should have returned it. At the appropriate times of year the Humane Societies are begging people not to give rabbits or ducks as gifts as these animals sooner or later get abused and/or abandoned.

>>> trillions of tiny beads
Reminds me of the time when I was little and accompanied Mom to the supermarket and they had a little toy section and I wanted her to buy me an Indian Beadcraft Kit with trillions of tiny beads and some wire to string them on and a few other accessories.

Disney hints: http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[mjejj]

My DH's SIL ( I don't claim the woman) is famous for giving thoughtless gifts. One year she gave me a Quesadilla maker. It would have been a nice gift for someone who a.) did not already have one and b.) eats Cheese. Anyone who has known me for five minutes knows that I DON'T EAT CHEESE!!! We had bought a Quesadilla maker for my DH and the kids and told my SIL about it. She gave my husband two plastic tumblers one year for Christmas. That was it, just two glasses! I really hate to complain because I really believe that it is the thought that counts, but when there is no thought put in to a gift, what is the point?!