Groupon Says 73% Of Gift Recipients Say: ‘Oh, You (Really) Shouldn’t Have!’

Some say the trickiest part of the holidays is finding the perfect gift. Others say it’s harder to hide a reaction when receiving a gift that misses the mark.

According to Groupon’s new survey, 73 percent of Americans fake their reaction when they receive a gift that misses the mark. And only 10 percent of people will actually tell the truth about that unwanted gift. Within that figure, men are more likely to be honest than women.

Bring on the awkward gift giving, right?

Well, it also only takes a person, on average, five seconds to figure out if they like a present or not. For some, it could be much sooner.

Groupon released the survey in advance of its first Holiday Spa*Tacular, running from Dec. 12 to 14, which showcases top spas in the country and their holiday offerings on the eCommerce site. The three-day event includes the opportunity to win a lifetime of massages — a nearly $37,000 value — for anyone who purchases a beauty or spa deal.

The survey, conducted by market researcher OnePoll, took into account 2,000 Americans regarding their reactions when opening holiday gifts. Of those participants, the other findings included 80 percent of people admitted to lying and pretending that they love the present.

As for insight into what people actually want, the survey reported that people are looking for non-complicated items that speak to their personality, their hobbies or has sentimental value.

Of course, it’s up to each person to decide who to be honest to, but the survey reported that significant others are the “worst” gift givers, and one in nine of those gifts have resulted in a relationship tiff that nearly ended the relationship.

When in doubt, however, hug the person long enough so there are no follow-up questions (30 percent of people said this works).

And remember to respond with: “Oh, you shouldn’t have!”