Don't buy that crappy Bintang singlet . . .

Skyscanner reveals that one in three Australians do look a gift horse in the mouth

With summer holidays just around the corner, holiday makers who intend to bring back gifts for their family and friends take heed of these recent findings by leading travel search site Skyscanner.

Don’t buy crummy gifts

Unfortunately, Australians aren’t very good at putting this theory into practice, finding it hard to resist the urge to bring back naff gifts for their nearest and dearest.

22 per cent of Australians said that cliché nick-nacks and other ornaments were the most disappointing gifts given by a friend or family who had returned from overseas, with items of clothing (hello, Bintang singlets), and comedy t-shirts ranked as the second (17%) and third (9%) least desirable gifts.
So what’s all the fuss about? A gift from anyone should be appreciated, right? Wrong.
While 50% of Aussies kept the gift to avoid hurting the giver’s feelings, a shocking 18% re-gifted the items, and just over 12% cut all emotional ties and threw the gift away.

But it’s not just the receiver who regrets the wasted efforts of clothing items purchased overseas. 

 

One in five Australians surveyed suddenly remembered that pair of paisley drop-crotch pants from their holiday to Southeast Asia (now hidden deep in their bottom drawer) and admitted that they had bought an item of clothing overseas that they later regretted. 

 

12% of people admitted to buying an ornament or souvenir item they had no use for back at home and 8% admitted they had brought back weird local delicacies, but later wished they had been confiscated at customs.

A whopping 60% of Australians said that they had never bought anything from overseas that they later regretted.

Dave Boyte, Market Development Manager Australia and New Zealand said, “Rules of gift engagement! Try not to buy cliché overseas ornaments or t-shirts. Chances are they will be used as firewood or a spare t-shirt for work around the house. It may even be re-gifted and given back to you!”

 

Top 10 most unwanted holiday gifts:

1.      Ornament

2.      Comedy t-shirt                              

3.      Cheap jewellery                            

4.      Key-ring                            

5.      Magnet

6.      Food item

7.      Snow globe

8.      Fake DVD

9.      Local drink

10.  Airline branded toy

Skyscanner polled 500 Australians via OnePoll.

About Skyscanner

   Skyscanner is a leading global travel search site providing instant online comparisons for millions of flights plus hotels and car hire.

   Founded in 2003 by three IT professionals, Skyscanner is the no.1 travel search website in Europe and no.3 worldwide, receiving over 60 million visits per month.

   Skyscanner is available in 40 countries and in 30 languages.

   Skyscanner’s highly-rated free mobile apps are available on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry and Windows 8 devices and have been downloaded over 25 million times.

   The company employs over 250 staff and has its global headquarters in Edinburgh, with regional hubs in Singapore and Beijing. It will be opening a Miami office in 2013.