Ask QC: Can I Get My Gift Back From My Unappreciative Friend Or Am I Just Uptight?

Now, before anyone says what a selfish, childish, a-hole I am, let me provide a little background. Over the years, I have given this friend many nice gifts and items I no longer need :

1) a gift certificate for a spa session, which was never used and allowed to expire

2) glassware that has never been used

3) a nice looking shirt that has never seen the light of day

4) my own used and no longer wanted camera, dvd player, other electronic items that are stashed away in a bag unused

5) movies and cd’s that have never been opened

I could go on and on, but I won’t… Maybe I’m just a horrible gift-giver, but come on, do any of those gifts really sound that bad to anyone out there???

I bought a friend a fairly nice article of clothing for Christmas. I saved a gift receipt just in case it didn’t fit properly (and, as it turned out, it didn’t). I politely informed my friend that he could return it and exchange it for a size that fits. He said that he would. Last week or so, jokingly, I asked, “so, have you returned that (item) yet?” “No, but I will…”

Seriously? come on! All you have to do is go to the store and return it! It’s not rocket science! Now, there is only about a week left to exchange the item, and I know he is not going to do so. It’s just going to wind up stuffed in his closet, never to be worn, until some skinny twinkie trick comes over and he lets him “borrow” it and it will never be seen again. Now, I have no qualms just saying “Hey, give me this back bi-otch” point blank, but I would like to be polite about it.

So, how can I tactfully ask for the item back. If he is not going to inconvenience himself to drive 20 minutes to a store to get an item that fits, I would very much like to get something for myself, of simply refund the money for my own use. I have FINALLY learned my lesson, and will simply not be getting this particular friend anything so nice again in the future – fool me once, shame on him; fool me over and over… well, we know where that is going…

Occasionally we get letters from readers that are just begging to be commented on. And though we take this guy’s problem seriously, it’s also kinda funny and will probably get a rise out of our opinionated readership. So it sounds like he’s learned his lesson about giving his pal gifts, but is he right to ask for his shirt back or is that just a price he has to pay unless he wants to cash in his friendship as well? Please share your advice and experiences in the QComments section.
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