Most Americans Guilty of 'Regifting'
64 Percent Admit to Secretly Giving Unwanted Gifts to Others; 20 Percent Have Sold Unwanted Gifts Online
It happens every holiday season. Millions of Americans receive unwanted gifts -- whether the wrong size, the wrong style, or just plain wrong. According to a new survey commissioned by eBay, 64 percent admit to "regifting," or secretly giving unwanted gifts to others.
For those who prefer to avoid getting caught regifting, there is an alternative: selling unwanted gifts online. In fact, 20 percent of survey respondents indicated they have sold unwanted gifts over the Internet.
The online reselling trend represents a new twist on regifting that allows people to turn tepid gifts into cold cash -- enabling them to get what they really wanted for the holidays or to pay down holiday credit card bills.
"Practically everyone gets gifts they just don't want -- and it's better to turn them into something useful than to throw them in a closet," says eBay's Jim "Griff" Griffith. "By selling unwanted gifts online people can avoid the potential regifting embarrassment, and best of all, buyers can find some amazing deals from sellers who paid nothing for their gifts."
To sell items on eBay, people can either list items themselves through the online tutorial, or contact a local Trading Assistant, who specializes in handling the entire selling process for people's unwanted wares, including holiday gifts.
Survey Methodology:
Conducted by Survey.com, a representative sample of 504(1) respondents were surveyed online from December 8 - 10, 2004. The survey has a margin of error of +/-4%.
Source: press release
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