Woman Regifting Boyfriend’s $1K Laptop to Sister Slammed: ‘Appreciation’

Mar 18 2025

A
Reddit
post about a woman exactly who provided a
gift that has been designed for this lady sweetheart
to cousin alternatively because he “didn’t value” it offers sparked argument on Reddit, the web forum.

In a post shared on
Reddit’s Am we The A****** (AITA) subforum, individual No_Replacement_8458
said she’d decided to shock her date with “a fresh notebook” for Christmas time because he’d already been “moaning about their notebook for a time” and “expressed the desire to update to a more recent design.”

Considering that an important concern together with recent laptop was the speed, an individual thought “it could well be installing attain him the exact same product he had (MacBook Pro), exactly the newest adaptation…I’m maybe not a tech person…i recently thought a $1,300 laptop computer was ample for their requirements. So I ordered the laptop, without carrying out anymore study involved with it.”

Whenever she offered the notebook to her sweetheart at Christmas time, “he ended up being so excited” until he noticed their specifications. “He was truly, really disappointed because he ‘couldn’t get his work done on such a slow machine’…he said however quite come back the notebook acquire one he wished,” the user typed.


a stock picture of a couple of looking disappointed while sitting in front of an unbarred laptop.


iStock/Getty Images Plus

So the
original poster chose to “re-gift”
the laptop to her cousin, that is a college student and “could actually make use of a laptop in this way.”

An individual said: “i am aware it might seem self-centered, but I didn’t think it actually was reasonable that he did not appreciate my personal gift, and I also desired to ensure that the laptop computer visited somebody that could in fact relish it.”

In line with the user, the woman boyfriend presumably “does not understand just why i mightnot only send it back and acquire him usually the one the guy wished” and “cannot feel I would personally make a move therefore self-centered while I discover how much the guy demands a fresh notebook.”

“I believe types of terrible, but on the other hand, this isn’t cheap for my situation, and just a little understanding would-have-been good,” the consumer stated.

Whilst individual inside latest Reddit blog post regifted something special that has been 1st directed at someone, based on Merriam-Webster, to regift is “to provide some one a present that was formerly gotten from someone else.”

The results of an
Oct 2012 research during the peer-adulthookup.com review record

Psychological Technology

discovered that “participants which imagined regifting a gift (receivers) thought that the initial giver would-be much more offended than members who envisioned that their unique presents had been regifted (givers) reported experience.

“particularly, receivers viewed regifting as similar in offensiveness to organizing gifts away, yet givers obviously chosen the former…givers believed that the act of gift offering passed away concept into the gift to receivers, to ensure
receivers had been absolve to determine what regarding the present
; in comparison, receivers believed that givers maintained some state in how their presents were used.”


an inventory image of one or two dressed in Santa caps, while seated by a xmas tree and seeking at an open notebook.

In line with the results of an United states present survey reported in December 2019 by Up Coming Avenue, a nonprofit book, “regifting is an extremely appropriate training,” with most Americans (73 %) thinking “it’s ok to reuse a present.”

Fereshta Ramsey, an union teacher on Relationship School, advised


that the Reddit poster wished to take action unique on her behalf date and feel appreciated for this, while the woman sweetheart required a fast laptop for work. “In essence, each of their requirements tend to be legitimate but it doesn’t seem like they truly are empathizing with one another really well.”

Whenever conflicts like this appear, it’s best to “slow down, sit one on one, appear as a teammate, and usually each other’s thoughts.”

If this few encountered the interaction skills to “share vulnerably and notice each other,” both of their demands is satisfied, in accordance with Ramsey.

The relationship specialist said: “Re-gifting the laptop to the woman aunt and never giving their boyfriend the option to cover the improvement, sounds like protest conduct (browse: passive-aggressive) and is an unskillful attempt to speak in place of speaking upwards for herself.”

Bill Gladwell, a hypnosis, impact and salesmanship expert/speaker who assists folks “speak efficiently” and “ethically influence other individuals,” told

:

“both sides could have managed the problem much better.”

He said the sweetheart’s “reaction and insistence” on coming back the gift may have been “unreasonable,” because the poster had made the effort to listen to the woman date and his problems about his current laptop computer and made an attempt to surprise him with a new one.

It can have already been “more considerate” for boyfriend to “express his gratitude for the thought and energy put into the gift, in the event it was not just what he desired.”

But the first poster’s choice to regift the notebook may have also perhaps not been one particular careful answer. “it could were right to communicate her thoughts and arrive at a resolution with each other as opposed to create a rash choice that could probably damage their commitment,” Gladwell mentioned.

Several consumers on Reddit criticized the original poster and had been a lot more knowledge of the boyfriend.

In an opinion that had gotten 29,600 upvotes, 0biterdicta mentioned: “YTA [you’re the a******] Your boyfriend feels like he had been appreciative of your own gift, but the guy required a machine that may carry out just what the guy needs it as well…the appropriate motion could have been coming back the laptop and enabling him to put the income towards a device that matches his requirements. And of course, once you gift something—it doesn’t belong to you any longer. It was their laptop while got it to present your sis.”

User saltyeleven said: “Yea at the least the guy may have exchanged it and settled the difference. OP [original poster] only chosen if he wasn’t keeping this precise the one that he does not get it period. That’s slightly severe. YTA,” in a comment that got 1,200 upvotes.

In a remark that got 2,400 upvotes, individual amaraame stated: “additionally, op [openly] claims to carrying out no foundation before buying however complains that she performed the girl greatest and bf [boyfriend] ought to be pleased. When it comes down to thought to count, you will want to added some idea op.”


has contacted the first poster for review.


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