Chances are if you are reading this article, you have had someone give you a gift, only to take it back. Yes, it sucks, but you are not alone.
At one time in my life, I was also the victim of an ungifter. I was given a laptop that I was very grateful for at the time because my laptop wasn't working. They had no use for it and I might as well have it, I was told.
So I installed all of my work on the laptop only to be asked by the person that had given me the laptop if they could borrow it for the day, a few months later. Of course, thinking it was just for the day, I loaned them my laptop only to discover later that it had been given away to someone else, their response, "You weren't using it."
To this day it is a hurtful reminder to not always put my trust into everyone who gives me a gift and it poses the question, How do you deal with someone who is an ungifter?
It depends on the type of person you are dealing with. If your ungifter is a narcissist, try not to accept the gift from them, to begin with. If they refuse to allow it, politely accept the gift, but think of it as a loan only because a narcissist can turn on you at any given moment. In their mind, even though they have given you a gift, it's really theirs, not yours.
If you are dealing with someone who is simply being a jerk, for example, an ex who wants something back, you could just give it back if you don't want to be reminded of that relationship.
If you feel that the gift is really yours and you don't want to part with it or that item is no longer in your possession, you could talk to your local law enforcement about your situation to see if there is anything you can do. If all else fails, there is always the option of going to court over the gift, but is it really worth that?
