Whether it's the wrong color, size or style — or just plain ugly — more than half of Americans say they don't like at least one of the gifts they get during the holidays.
And at about $31 a present, on average, that adds up. Altogether, Americans waste more than $9.5 billion on unwanted gifts every year, according to a report by finder.com. The personal finance site surveyed more than 2,000 adults in November.
Most unwanted presents are clothing and accessories, followed by household items, cosmetics and fragrances, and books.
Even when it misses the mark, most recipients keep an unwanted present anyway, Finder said. Just about one-quarter exchange them, 1 in 5 regift them, and fewer than 5 percent donate their them to charity or simply throw them away.
Surprisingly, friends give the worst presents, followed by parents, then in-laws and last, partners, Finder said. When it comes to giving gifts, bosses are the ones most people dread buying for, followed by their mother-in-law.
That's also partly why more holiday shoppers planned to give a gift card this season.