Do you say something when partner gets you something you don't like?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Those of you who are happily in a committed relationship......do you say something when your partners gets a gift for you that you don't like?

Depends. Most times I don’t say anything bad. He got me the most useless cosmetics set, blusher shadow thing. It was the first time he bought cosmetics so I didn’t tell him I’d never use it. I didn’t tell him I dislike rubies. But if I get the feeling he’s going to repeat buy, I do say something. I told him I don’t like sunflowers, after a few times.

[Anonymous]

We've been married about 25 years and I still really appreciate and love my DH. He's not very good at giving gifts, he's usually last minute and is doesn't really think about what he's buying. In the lead up to Christmas this year, he asked me about a book light. I told him I had 2 booklights next to my bed (they're clipped to the lamp) that my mom gave me and I don't like them. I don't like the concentrated beam of light and since I mostly read on a Kindle, I don't need a book light.

Guess what he got me for Christmas?

A book light. I posted about it on a DCUM Worst Presents Thread. An astute poster noted that he'd probably me another one next Christmas since I had 3 of them......she's probably right. I normally would have just thanked him and returned it but I guess it was pretty obvious when I opened the gift that it missed the mark. I actually would rather not have gotten anything than something I said I didn't want. It just reinforces how much he didn't listen, that it was about him and not me. But, DH really is a good guy so I move on.

[Anonymous]

Yes. But the key is to NOT say something RIGHT WHEN YOU'RE GIVEN IT. So I wait until the next morning or after the party guests have left, and then I find something nice to say before asking if I can exchange it for something I'll like more.

[Anonymous]

I said something once
He fixed it but ai still wasn't thrilled. The next time he gote something I hated I wore it until it grew on me

[Anonymous]

I don't. If it's something that didn't fit I'd try to exchange it. If it were something that was actively making my life worse (like triggering an allergy or smelled really bad or something) I'd explain and get rid of it, but that's never happened. This year I got two things I wasn't really interested in/probably won't use but they did have thought behind them. I will try them out and then in a year or so give them away or donate them. I'm sure some of my gifts have been more exciting than others; marriage is (hopefully) long so some years are a 10 for gift giving and others are 3. I'm married to a great person so this isn't a huge deal for me.

[Anonymous]

Once before a holiday we saw a commercial for something and I mentioned that I didn’t like it...the next day he sheepishly presented me with that item. I tried to claim I liked it because it was from him and was special, but he wasn’t buying it, so he returned it and I picked out something more my taste. Had we not seen the commercial, I wouldn’t have said anything and just kept the item.

[Anonymous]

DH and I would say something and not be offended. We work hard for our $ and don't like wasting it. Other people- would say nothing except thanks.