Unwanted gift returned just two hours into Christmas Day

An unwanted gift was returned to a shop just before 2am on Christmas Day in Fife.

The recipient was so determined to get rid of the gift that they went out in the middle of the night to find a shop which was open in Kirkcaldy to dispatch it.

The parcel was returned to a Collect+ store at 1.53am on December 25 – more than six hours before anybody else was motivated to go to the shops to send something back, according to PayPoint data.

The next return was at 8.20am in Crewe, Cheshire.

Throughout December the Collect+ network managed more than 4,000,000 parcels as people looked to get presents delivered ahead of Christmas Day.

In total, 383 people used the Collect+ service at their local convenience store to make a return on Christmas Day, with 55 of those being in London.

Collect+ is available in 10,000 local convenience stores with the majority open on Christmas Day.

Nick Williams, head of strategic partners and product, said: “Over another Christmas when the nation has faced Covid restrictions and many have been isolating due to the spread of Omicron, it’s never been so important to make sure that loved ones receive their presents on time.

“That said, no matter the present you can’t please everyone… and I’m always happy to see that our retail partners, many of whom remain open to serve their local communities when banks and Post Offices are closed, have been ready to handle the speedy return of gifts where needed.

“It’s testament to their enduring service and commitment to local customers.”