PEOPLE HAVE GIVEN me daggers in the past but let me explain my thinking.

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It’s been weeks of browsing, picking and buying presents, and now that the goods are in the hands of the person they were intended for, you’re waiting for the affirmation that you’ve done a great job.

But not every gift will be a winner. Sometimes they’ll already have it or something similar, sometimes it’s not quite their style and sometimes they just won’t see the value in it.

I don’t take it personally – I tried my best but I missed the mark this time.

It’s for that reason that I always include a gift receipt.

The added reassurance that no matter what the initial response, they’ll get something they want makes all the effort worth it.

It’s the same reason why I’ll often ask those who might be getting me a present to include a gift receipt.

I can feel the judgmental scowling already, probably because I’ve seen it in the flesh when I’ve mentioned it.

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No, not everyone takes it well when I ask them to grab a receipt but my logic is simple and, in my mind, kinder. 

People can spend weeks thinking about what to get you, where to get it from and then take the time to go and get it.

Then it’s wrapped, the card is written and it is all delivered with a hug.

I open it to discover it’s just like something I already own, it’s not in my size or I quite simply don’t like it.

By those who scowl’s logic, I should accept it quietly and politely only for it to go to waste or be regifted – both of which I would find more disappointing if I were the gift-giver.

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So for me, asking for the gift receipt is the best possible solution.

Yes, the thought of letting someone’s hard-earned (and hard-to-part-with this time of year) money go to waste simply to avoid the short-lived disappointment they might feel is just unnecessary.

I could regift it, but the intention was for me to get something I’d enjoy and it should be OK that I’d want that too.

So yes, I ask for a gift receipt and while some people might have taken that badly initially, they’ve always come around when I showed them what I swapped the gift for – something I really love and will actually use. 

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