Oh, you shouldn't have - you really shouldn't have

Industry survey reveals that giving gift cards or vouchers is one of the best ways to avoid becoming the giver of an unsuitable or unwanted present that you really shouldn't have this Christmas.

Three out of five people (57 per cent) wouldn't have chosen half the gifts they had received

12 per cent of men and 13 per cent of women had exchanged gifts in the past 12 months

Only 9 per cent of respondents felt that all the gifts they had received were perfect for them

The biggest culprits for giving 'unsuitable' gifts are the in-laws, ex-husbands and grandmothers

Southerners are least satisfied with their gifts, whilst those from the West Midlands are more likely to return an unwanted gift

45 per cent of Scots would prefer a gift card or voucher to a present chosen for them - more than any other region in Britain and 6 per cent above the national average result

These are among some of the key findings identified in a YouGov survey carried out by The Va (formerly known as the Voucher Association) into gift giving trends. This forms the basis of a consumer PR campaign being carried out by Clareville Communications to raise awareness of gift cards and vouchers. The survey was used to identify peoples' perceptions of gift cards and vouchers as suitable gifts in the run up to the festive period.

Andrew Johnson, Director-General of The Va says: In the past, some have thought gift cards and vouchers were thoughtless or last minute presents - those days are gone. They're now a sought after gift solution that's all about individual choice.

Indeed, 'freedom of choice' was found to be the overriding reason why 90 per cent of the people surveyed think that giving gift cards and vouchers as presents is acceptable and why four out of five (81 per cent) have already done so.

Of those who had received a gift voucher, 86 per cent acknowledged the appeal of being able to choose their own gift and 88 per cent had also given one as a gift in the past year. More than one in three (37 per cent) thought receiving a gift card or voucher showed that the giver really cared about what they wanted.

The survey found that 39 per cent of Britons would rather have a gift card or voucher than a present chosen by someone else. Of those that thought it was acceptable to give gift vouchers as presents, 60 per cent also believed that giving one avoided upsetting the recipient with an inappropriate gift.

The survey also revealed some of the more shocking unwanted gifts that were received by friends, family, and the colleagues of those that took part. These included:

- An edible thong from one woman's boss
- A bag of manure from a husband
- A hair dryer for a shaved-headed man from his own Mother
- Four jars of anti-wrinkle cream from four separate people
- A personally monogrammed fire extinguisher from a boyfriend.
- A book called 'Staying Together' from a husband to his wife in the midst of their divorce

Such a selection of unsuitable gifts suggests that we are not always too intuitive when it comes to choosing a present that will be truly appreciated!, continued Andrew Johnson, which is probably why vouchers have become a popular solution for so many people.

Sales for quarter four last year made up nearly half of 2006's total category sales. We're predicting an even bigger lead up to Christmas this year, bucking negative predications for the retail industry, with final quarter sales for Va members likely to eclipse 877,000,000 to a full year figure of more than 1.77 billion.