Stuck for That Special Christmas Present? Then Ask Amazon for Suggestions!

Christmas is just around the corner, and while it should be the season of joy, gift-giving can bring a fair share of stress. 

Finding something unique for your loved ones is no small feat – especially when everyone seems to have everything they need! 

But, thankfully, Amazon is here to make your holiday shopping a breeze. If you’re looking for inspiration, Amazon’s suggestion tools and vast gift range can help you find the perfect presents for everyone on your list.

1. Discover Amazon’s Gift Finder Tool

One of Amazon’s best-kept secrets for holiday shopping is the Gift Finder tool. Available right on the website, it helps narrow down choices by age, interests, and budget. Whether you're looking for gifts for your nan, a gadget-loving teen, or a picky friend, the Gift Finder offers a selection of hand-picked suggestions based on your search criteria. It's a lifesaver if you’re in a rush or simply overwhelmed by choice.

2. Explore the ‘Most Wished For’ and ‘Trending Now’ Lists

Another way Amazon simplifies gift shopping is through its Most Wished For and Trending Now sections. The 'Most Wished For' list compiles popular items that people have been adding to their wish lists, so it's full of trending gift ideas that are guaranteed to be a hit. Meanwhile, 'Trending Now' highlights the season's hottest items, including Christmas-themed goodies, new releases, and limited editions that make for thoughtful, up-to-date presents.

3. Utilise Amazon’s Personalised Recommendations

For those of us who tend to forget birthdays, let alone personalise every holiday gift, Amazon’s Personalised Recommendations can be a real blessing. Based on your past purchases and browsing habits, Amazon offers tailored suggestions that are perfect for finding unique and relevant gifts without hours of scrolling.

To make the most of it, try looking through your loved ones' interests and habits. For instance, if your dad is a coffee enthusiast, Amazon might recommend the latest coffee gadgets or speciality beans that would brighten up his Christmas morning.

4. Try Amazon’s Handmade and Customised Options

For a truly special touch, the Amazon Handmade section is where you’ll find personalised, artisanal items that feel genuinely heartfelt. From monogrammed jewellery and hand-poured candles to one-of-a-kind artwork, Handmade is full of gift ideas that support small businesses and add a personal flair.

You can also explore the Customisable Gifts section, which offers items you can personalise with names, initials, or dates. Perfect for showing you put extra thought into the present, these custom gifts are ideal for partners, family, or close friends.

5. Set Up Gift Cards with a Twist

If you’re still stuck or worried about choosing the wrong item, Amazon Gift Cards are a failsafe. They may sound a bit plain, but Amazon now offers e-gift cards with video messages, animated gift wraps, and digital greeting cards that feel far from basic. And with Amazon's selection, your recipient can pick something they truly want – and thank you for the freedom to choose!

6. Stay Organised with Amazon’s Holiday Deals Calendar

Amazon’s Holiday Deals Calendar is a great way to snag deals on high-quality gifts throughout the festive season. With discounts on everything from tech gadgets to luxury beauty products, this feature allows you to stay on budget and organised. Check back regularly to see the latest deals and grab those big-ticket items on sale – it’s like having Santa’s workshop on your phone!

Make This Christmas Special, Not Stressful

This holiday season, let Amazon help you take the guesswork out of gift-giving. With so many options tailored to your needs and budget, finding that special something has never been easier. Whether you're shopping for your family, friends, or even yourself, Amazon’s suggestions can turn a frantic holiday shopping spree into a relaxed online browse.

So, if you’re stuck for ideas, don’t fret – hop onto Amazon and let their recommendations guide you to the perfect Christmas presents!

The origin of this blogpost? I was using Amazon's Christmas Gift Guide function and I thought: "Hey! This is a great idea for a blogpost on That's Chirstmas!"

Why Charity Shops are a Hidden Gem for Amazon Returns and Overstock Deals at Christmastime

Image courtesy Jill Wellington & Pixabay

If you’re on the hunt for bargains, you may have heard about the increasing trend of buying Amazon returns or overstock pallets. 

These items, often returned by customers or unsold inventory, are sold off at significantly reduced prices. 

What many people don’t realise is that charity shops are becoming a prime spot for finding these deals. Charity shops often receive consignments of Amazon pallets, offering returned or overstocked goods at a fraction of the original cost. Here’s why you should check them out.

1. Affordable Prices on High-Quality Items

One of the biggest draws of charity shops is their affordability. Items that come from Amazon returns or overstock are often still in great condition, sometimes even brand new or in their original packaging. Whether it’s electronics, homeware, clothing, or toys, these products are sold at much lower prices than you’d find online or in high street shops.

Because charity shops receive these goods in bulk, they can sell them at incredibly low prices, allowing you to get a great deal while also supporting a good cause.

2. Supporting a Worthy Cause

When you buy from a charity shop, you’re not just snagging a bargain—you’re also contributing to a charitable cause. Charity shops raise funds for a wide range of initiatives, from medical research and supporting the homeless to caring for animals and providing community services.

So, while you’re finding great deals on Amazon returns or overstock items, your money is going towards helping those in need. It’s a win-win situation: you save money, and your purchase helps make a difference in someone’s life.

3. Sustainable Shopping

Shopping at charity shops is also an eco-friendly choice. By purchasing Amazon returns or overstock items from these stores, you’re helping reduce waste. Many of these products might otherwise end up in landfills if not sold. By giving these goods a new home, you’re contributing to a more sustainable way of living, reducing demand for new items, and minimising environmental impact.

This kind of shopping not only benefits your wallet but also aligns with the growing trend of sustainability and conscious consumerism.

4. A Wide Variety of Items

Because charity shops receive such varied stock from Amazon pallets, you never know what treasures you might find. The selection could include everything from kitchen gadgets and beauty products to tech accessories and clothing. It’s an exciting experience because each visit can bring new and unexpected finds.

This element of surprise keeps many shoppers coming back regularly. It’s a bit like treasure hunting—you might walk in looking for one thing and leave with something completely different but equally useful or desirable.

5. How to Find Charity Shops Selling Amazon Pallets

Not all charity shops sell Amazon returns or overstock, but many larger or well-established ones do. If you’re specifically looking for these kinds of deals, it’s worth doing a bit of research. Visit or call charity shops in your local area and ask whether they receive Amazon pallets or similar consignments. Some stores may even advertise when they get new stock, so it’s worth keeping an eye on their social media or in-store announcements.

Another tip is to visit charity shops in higher-income areas, where donations tend to be more frequent, and there may be more stock coming from major retailers like Amazon.

6. Tips for Shopping Amazon Returns at Charity Shops

While shopping for Amazon returns and overstock items at charity shops can be exciting, there are a few things to keep in mind to get the most out of the experience:

Inspect Items Carefully: Some returns may be open-box or slightly used, so it’s a good idea to check for any signs of wear or damage. Many charity shops will label items accordingly, but it’s always worth having a closer look.

Visit Regularly: Stock at charity shops turns over frequently, and Amazon pallets are often snapped up quickly. Visiting your local charity shop regularly increases your chances of finding the best bargains before they’re gone.

Ask About Return Policies: While charity shops generally don’t offer the same return policies as major retailers, it’s worth checking if they allow exchanges or returns on certain items. This is especially important if you’re buying electronics or more expensive goods.

Shop with an Open Mind: Because charity shops depend on donations and consignments, the stock can vary from day to day. Go in with an open mind, and you may just find something unexpected that fits your needs.

If you’re looking for Amazon returns or overstock bargains, don’t overlook charity shops. These stores are often stocked with consignments of Amazon pallets, offering high-quality goods at a fraction of their original price. 

Not only will you find great deals, but you’ll also be supporting a charitable cause and making a sustainable shopping choice. So, next time you’re on the hunt for a bargain, take a trip to your local charity shop—you might just be surprised by what you find!

Why Buying Christmas Gifts on Amazon Supports Small Traders

As Christmas approaches, many of us turn to Amazon for the ease and convenience of finding gifts for loved ones. 

What you might not realise is that a significant portion of the gifts available on Amazon aren't sold by the corporate giant itself, but by small traders and independent businesses. 

In fact, when you browse the extensive range of Christmas gifts on Amazon, you're often supporting small-scale sellers who rely on the platform to reach customers.

The Amazon Marketplace: A Hub for Small Businesses

Amazon may seem like a colossal online retailer, but its marketplace is a gateway for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to showcase their products. Many independent traders use Amazon's infrastructure to sell their goods, as it provides access to millions of potential customers across the world. Amazon takes care of the heavy lifting – handling payment processing, shipping logistics, and customer service – allowing these smaller sellers to focus on creating quality products.

For small businesses, setting up their own website and managing the complexities of shipping and marketing can be a costly and time-consuming endeavour. By listing their products on Amazon, they gain access to tools and services that streamline the process, making it easier for them to operate and grow. As a customer, this means that when you shop on Amazon, especially during busy periods like Christmas, you're not only purchasing a gift but often helping a small business thrive.

Spotting Small Traders on Amazon

If you're keen on supporting small businesses, there are ways to identify whether a product is sold by a small trader on Amazon. Look for the "Sold by" information beneath the product listing. If it says something like "Sold by [Business Name] and Fulfilled by Amazon," this indicates that the product comes from an independent seller. Amazon's "Fulfilled by Amazon" (FBA) programme is widely used by small businesses, allowing them to store their goods in Amazon's warehouses while Amazon handles delivery and returns.

Additionally, Amazon has introduced features like the "Support Small" section, which highlights products from independent and local businesses. This can be a great way to intentionally support smaller sellers during the festive season.

The Benefits of Supporting Small Traders

When you purchase Christmas gifts from small traders on Amazon, you're contributing to more than just a single transaction. Small businesses often pour passion, craftsmanship, and personal attention into their products, and your purchase helps them continue to innovate and thrive. You're also contributing to local economies. Many of these small businesses are based in the UK or other local regions, meaning your support directly impacts individuals and communities.

Moreover, small traders tend to offer unique, handcrafted, or niche products that you may not find from larger retailers. This can make your Christmas gifts more personalised and special, perfect for those seeking something different.

A Meaningful Way to Shop This Christmas

While Amazon's name is synonymous with large-scale retail, it's important to remember that the platform is home to thousands of small traders who rely on your support. By choosing to shop from these independent sellers, you can make a big difference this Christmas. So, as you browse through Amazon for gifts this year, take a moment to check if you're buying from a small business – you might just find the perfect present while supporting someone’s dream at the same time.

Happy shopping, and here's to a Christmas that supports small traders!

Buying Christmas gifts online? Here are some tips

A new investigation conducted by Which? has uncovered that, over the past year, as many as four million Amazon shoppers may have been offered an incentive in exchange for leaving a five-star review on the site. 

Nick Drewe, who is a retail expert and Founder of online platform Wethrift, discusses exactly how the practice has become commonplace amongst brands and sellers on the site, as well as guidance for consumers on how to spot if a positive write-up for a product is genuine or potentially fake. 

“Review incentivisation, using bribes of vouchers, free products, or refunding the cost of an item - is nothing new among ecommerce sites. Yet, the findings revealed in this recently published Which? study indicates that, worryingly, it is occurring in even higher levels than before. 

This is across different brands and sellers using Amazon to market their products, and stay one step ahead of their competition in an entirely unethical manner. This practice, in turn, could be misleading millions of consumers each year into purchasing items they falsely believe are being honestly reviewed and recommended by like-minded consumers. 

“Many businesses will use the ratings they boast on Amazon as an incentive to persuade shoppers into believing their products are far superior to their competitors. What’s more,  when browsing for items they're looking to purchase, many shoppers will naturally gravitate towards those with the highest number of five-star ratings, in order to ensure they're receiving the best quality product, regardless of how much extra it may be costing them price-wise. 

“Whilst it can be hard to identify if a review is genuine or if one has been incentivised by a business into leaving a not entirely accurate review, there are certain things savvy shoppers can look out for online that may indicate they have been falsified: 

Does the reviewer have a strong historical profile history?

If a particular review has caught your attention and you're questioning whether or not everything included within it can be trusted, be sure to delve into the profile history of the individual who has left the write-up. This is to see if their previous reviews on a site, the tone of voice they’ve used and their general purchasing habits seem to correlate. 

Have they only given other products similarly high “gold star” reviews, or have they also documented their more negative or average responses to purchases made? As this would make them seem more genuine in their answers.

Also, please take note of the location of the person who left the review, are they posting from a country or region that doesn’t seem to geographically fit with the item under discussion? If so, it might be an indication that all is not what it might seem to be.

Have a large influx of positive reviews occurred over a short period of time?

If a certain product seems to have experienced a huge amount of 4 or 5-star reviews over an extremely short period of time, despite the fact the item isn't new to the market, then this may indicate a brand or seller is trying to use fake reviews as a way to hide previous low scores. 

Do reviews on the product have a lot of spelling or grammatical errors?

Some brands may outsource the writing of falsified or faked reviews to people in developing countries, so if a product seems to have a lot of reviews with poor spelling, grammatical errors or seem to be unusually descriptive or nonsensical in parts, consider the fact they may have been posted by someone who doesn’t speak English as a first language. 

Are you seeing a lot of similar phrases/words being repeated across different reviews of the same product?

If you are seeing phrases such as, “The best product”, “Great product”, “It saved my life” or, “The best on the market”, being posted more than seems normal on the reviews for a product, this could be a sign that review incentivisation is taking place. 

These are the kinds of reviews that will be lacking in thorough description, and may even read as though the poster clearly hasn’t tested out or used the product themselves.

There may also be phrases that indicate a little too much of an overreaction to receiving certain products. Reading a review about a floor mop or a brand of washing detergent, where the poster describes the purchase as ‘incredible’, ‘a miracle’ or uses a lot of exclamation points and smiley faces, will naturally seem inauthentic to readers, and lead one to conclude the reviews are faked. 

Are the majority of product reviews overwhelmingly positive?

It’s virtually impossible for absolutely everyone to have the same positive experience and love a product so much that they want to give it five stars, so if a product has an overwhelmingly large number of these kinds of reviews, this could suggest some foul play might be in hand.

Some brands and sellers, despite this being against Amazon’s guidelines, will actively seek out and communicate with genuine customers who left 1-3 star reviews on their products, and offer them bribes or incentives in order to boost their scores. So the brand’s average rating will rise. When it comes to this tip, just remember the saying, “If something seems too good to be true, then it probably is.”

Also, we at That's Christmas look out for large number of 1 star reviews on a product.

We'd like to thank https://www.wethrift.com for their help in putting this article together.

(Image courtesy of Adam448 from Pixabay)

Don't Yell for Yodel!

Don't yell for Yodel! That's the message that many customers are sending to mail order firms like Amazon, Littlewoods, Early Learning Centre, Homebase, Tesco, etc.

Yodel appear not to acknowledge that they have a problem, diverting attention from problems by saying that they made many successful deliveries.

However, there have been far too many examples of deliveries not being made to the intended recipient for utterly ludicrous and dubious reasons. Typical claims are that people were not in to receive the parcel when they were at home. That a card was put through a letterbox, when it wasn't. That because the home they were to deliver to was in a remote rural location they could not find it. Even though the address was, in reality, quite close to the centre of a very busy town!

If you cannot get any sense from Yodel or the firm that you have bought the item from (after all it is THEIR responsibility to ensure that you receive the goods you buy from them!) you can try contacting Consumer Direct http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/Consumerrights/index.htm who will be able to help tell you either get your goods or your money back.

Complaints to Yodel can be made at http://www.yodel.co.uk/contact-us.aspx.

Also if you bought your goods by credit card then under the current laws you can get your money back from the credit card company.

Last minute Christmas gifts urgently required? We can help, Read on

Sometimes things go wrong. A present is lost in the mail, we find out we sent a present to the wrong person, or it turns out that the present is broken.

It is not too late to sort this problem out, however. And That's Christmas, together with sister site, That's Books can help you do this.

If you visit http://thatsbooks.blogspot.com/ and use the online That's Books dedicated online Amazon shop search box you can buy emailable Amazon gift certificates there in any amount you want!

Sorted! As we say.

And do have a good Christmas!