5 percent of re-gifters get gift back

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- A U.S. survey of online shoppers has found that 5 percent of people who recycle gifts by giving them again have had the same item end up back in their hands.

The BizRate Research survey of 1,047 online buyers conducted for the comparison shopping search site Shopzilla.com found 78 percent of online shoppers know they have received a recycled item as a gift.

Three percent of re-gift recipients said they had confronted the giver, with 63 percent saying they simply said thanks out of kindness.

Three percent of the respondents admitted to giving cheapskate gifts because they "do not like to waste money on items for other people."

Of those who admitted to re-gifting, 40 percent said they had done it to friends, 24 percent targeted relatives, and 23 percent re-gifted to coworkers, the survey said.