Gumleaf
December 25th, 2007, 06:09 PM
Wednesday Dec 26 00:01 AEDT
Christmas is over and the chances are, you're one of millions of Australians stuck with an unwanted present.
A Galaxy survey commissioned by online auction website eBay has found two-thirds of Australians have received at least one unwanted gift.
The survey estimates $985 million was spent on unwanted Christmas gifts, up $35 million on last year.
The most common unwanted gifts were scented candles, novelty neck ties and foot spas, while one in 10 admitted to having received socks and jocks.
When it comes to who is buying the useless gifts, mother-in-laws and work colleagues topped the list.
Western Australia achieved the honour of the lowest rate of unwanted gift-giving (49 per cent), while NSW was the worst (73 per cent).
Young people were the worst afflicted, with three-quarters of people aged 18-34 years receiving an unwanted gift, compared to half of those in the 45-64 year-old age bracket.
The survey revealed that nearly half of all unwanted gifts hide at the back of the cupboard gathering dust, while a significant number are returned for exchange.
EBay spokeswoman Inessa Jackson says a growing number are turning their misfortune into fortune by selling their unwanted gifts online.
"Why would you put yourself through the pain of the Boxing Day sales mayhem to return unwanted gifts, when you can sell them online from the comfort of home and avoid all the crazy crowds and parking hassles?" she said.
Ebay said Boxing Day was one of the most active days on the website, with a significant spike in the number of books, CDs and DVDs posted for sale.
According to eBay's statistics, a DVD is sold every 21 seconds, a book is bought every 20 seconds, and an item of clothing every five seconds.
©AAP 2007
Christmas is over and the chances are, you're one of millions of Australians stuck with an unwanted present.
A Galaxy survey commissioned by online auction website eBay has found two-thirds of Australians have received at least one unwanted gift.
The survey estimates $985 million was spent on unwanted Christmas gifts, up $35 million on last year.
The most common unwanted gifts were scented candles, novelty neck ties and foot spas, while one in 10 admitted to having received socks and jocks.
When it comes to who is buying the useless gifts, mother-in-laws and work colleagues topped the list.
Western Australia achieved the honour of the lowest rate of unwanted gift-giving (49 per cent), while NSW was the worst (73 per cent).
Young people were the worst afflicted, with three-quarters of people aged 18-34 years receiving an unwanted gift, compared to half of those in the 45-64 year-old age bracket.
The survey revealed that nearly half of all unwanted gifts hide at the back of the cupboard gathering dust, while a significant number are returned for exchange.
EBay spokeswoman Inessa Jackson says a growing number are turning their misfortune into fortune by selling their unwanted gifts online.
"Why would you put yourself through the pain of the Boxing Day sales mayhem to return unwanted gifts, when you can sell them online from the comfort of home and avoid all the crazy crowds and parking hassles?" she said.
Ebay said Boxing Day was one of the most active days on the website, with a significant spike in the number of books, CDs and DVDs posted for sale.
According to eBay's statistics, a DVD is sold every 21 seconds, a book is bought every 20 seconds, and an item of clothing every five seconds.
©AAP 2007