Dealing with Unwanted Gifts

Make Extra Money Selling Unwanted Presents

Dec 23, 2008 Asa Ghaffar

Unwanted gifts needn't create clutter. It is possible to sell unwanted presents and make extra money at an ebay auction, swap sites or at local car boot sales.

Richard Mason, director of insurance at Moneysupermarket.com, said "Only a fifth of Brit's receive presents they actually want, meaning up and down the country disappointment will be rife on Christmas Day." It is perhaps surprising that only six per cent of people sell unwanted gifts and only 11 per cent rewrap them and give them to someone else.

Whilst there is no need to be rude to someone who delivers unwanted gifts, it isn't necessary to keep them until time immemorial. It is possible to make extra money by selling unwanted presents on eBay or at local car boot sales. Others may wish to exchange unwanted presents at swap sites for something more desirable or give them to charity.

Selling Unwanted Gifts at an eBay Auction

According to eBay, about two million unwanted Christmas gifts were listed on the site on December 27, 2008. Setting up an eBay auction is a straight-forward process and can help make extra money. There are two main ways of selling on eBay:

Conventional eBay auction. It is possible to sell to the highest bidder once the last second has expired. The buyer will receive a confirmation email and will then be able to pay via one of the pre-agreed payment methods;
"Buy It Now" auction. This involves setting a price and letting a buyer make a purchase at any time during the auction proceedings. This is beneficial to those who don't want to waste time waiting for the auction to end.

It is advisable to set up a Paypal account in order to be able to accept payment. Selling unwanted presents is vastly more difficult without a Paypal account as people are less willing to send cheques or cash due to the risk of theft and cheque fraud.

Selling Unwanted Presents at Local Car Boot Sales

Those that enjoy an early start may be able to sell unwanted gifts at a local car boot sale. It may even be possible to sell other clutter and raise enough for a holiday or to clear credit card debt. It is important to arrive early. Not surprisingly, good weather also makes a huge difference.

Exchanging Unwanted Gifts at Swap Sites

There are a number of online swap sites that allow someone to exchange unwanted presents. Most swap sites tend to specialise, but popular ones include books, DVD's and tickets to music events.

Swap Unwanted Presents at Shops

Whilst there is no legal obligation for a shop to provide a cash refund unless the item is damaged or faulty, most will allow someone to exchange the item provided proof of purchase can be demonstrated. It is important to leave electrical goods in their boxes, tags on clothes and a valid receipt.

Hanging on to unwanted gifts is pointless and only serves to create additional clutter. Selling unwanted presents helps to make extra cash and can be a useful way to clear credit card debt. The Internet makes it very easy for people to sell and can even create a financially viable hobby.

Those who found this article useful may also be interested in reading about how to get quality mortgage advice and reducing gas and electricity bills.

The copyright of the article Dealing with Unwanted Gifts in Family Finances is owned by Asa Ghaffar. Permission to republish Dealing with Unwanted Gifts in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.