Get Your Revenge On Santa

If Santa brought you a present you didn't want this Christmas, follow our five top tips on how to get your revenge and turn it into something useful!

What was in your stocking this Christmas? A pair of lilac tartan socks, perhaps? A Barry Manilow CD? Or maybe some rainbow-coloured ear muffs? Whatever it was, odds are: it wasn't something you wanted. According to a recent survey by Paypal, almost four of five Brits receive presents they do not want at Christmas - meaning that as much as £78 million worth of gifts could be wasting away in their boxes at the back of wardrobes and cupboards up and down the country.

If you are among the millions of gift-recipients who practised their Poker face on Christmas morning, then the good news is you can now get your revenge on Santa by transforming your gift into the present you truly wanted -- thanks, in the main, to the internet.

So here are my five top tips for turning your Christmas trash into some New Year cash or at least something useful!

Swap It

You may not have realised it, but bartering is back. Type the phrase "swap it" into Google and a plethora of internet swap sites come up, where you can swap DVDs, books, CDs, computer games and pretty much anything else you like. Some sites will charge you an annual membership fee or a fee per swap, but others are completely free to use, so it's worth ‘shopping' around. Usually you swap using a credit system: you get a credit for posting your item to a member, and can then use this credit to acquire what you want from another member.

Top Tip: If you received a gift voucher this Christmas for something you don't want, visit unwantedvoucher.co.uk and swap it with someone else.

Sell It

Online auctions are now commonplace, with eBay and Amazon leading the way. Expect to pay approximately 5% to 20% of the final price paid (check out this list of eBay's seller fees and Amazon's seller fees). It helps if you have a digital camera and can take a picture of your item. It's also worth bearing in mind that competition is fierce at this time of year, because you're competing with all those other unwanted present sellers. You might be better off waiting a couple of months, if your item isn't time-sensitive.

Top Tip: Get a certificate of posting when sending your item so that, if it gets lost in the post, you can prove you sent it and get up to £34 compensation from Royal Mail (even if you only send it by 2nd class post).

Recycle It

If you don't want the hassle of carting your gift to the post office, then the best way forward may be to recycle it. Your local council may offer a recycling collection scheme, but if not, you could always join your local Freecycle network. This is an email group which allows you to post messages about items you no longer want for other members in your local area to see. If someone else wants to take your unwanted gift off your hands, they will contact you to arrange the most convenient time to collect it - you shouldn't have to lift a finger.

Top Tip: Be as specific as you can in the description and if it's brand new, don't be afraid to shout about it!

Donate It

Donating your unwanted gifts to charity will hopefully help to make the world a better place, as well as giving you with a warm, fuzzy glow. But don't assume you have to make a trip down the high street to your local shop. Many local charities will now collect electrical appliances, furniture or other bulky items. Alternatively, you can post about it on Charity Choice, so that lots of different charities can see the item on offer and decide whether they need it.

Top Tip: Make sure your gift is something that charities can actually re-sell (for example many will not sell children's high chairs or white goods). Check out Oxfam's guidelines for more details and also to find details of your local shop.

Return It

The final option works best if you have a receipt, which you may be too embarrassed to request from your gift-giver. But don't despair just yet. If the gift is untouched (for example, if it has its original labelling on it), the merchant may be willing to give you an exchange, even if you don't have the receipt - especially at this time of year.

Top Tip: Some retailers will knock a significant sum off the refund if the packaging has been opened or the product has been used in any way. Check out their policy before you go out into the cold to return it, as you may well get more for the item if you sell it online instead.

Finally, if you wanted to be really cruel, you could keep your unwanted gift tucked away in a drawer until next Christmas and pass it on to an unsuspecting relative, lovingly wrapped and just waiting to inspire a brand new Poker face. If you strain your ears a bit, you can almost hear them now: "Lilac tartan socks? Oh, um, thanks, that's  just what I've always wanted..."