Givin Gifts Review: A Disappointing Experience with Secret Santa Replacements

If you’ve been a fan of online gift exchanges, you may have heard of Givin Gifts, a platform that replaced Reddit’s iconic Secret Santa. For many, this seemed like a great alternative, especially with the promise of a global community and an easy-to-use system for gift swaps. However, my personal experience as a premium member has left me disheartened and frustrated, with more downsides than benefits.

In this post, I’ll share my honest review of Givin Gifts, including my ongoing struggles with the platform and why, after more than a decade of participating in swaps, I’m considering walking away unless significant improvements are made.

What is Givin Gifts?

Givin Gifts was designed as a new platform for online gift exchanges, meant to continue the tradition of secret gift exchanges that were popular on Reddit. Users can sign up for various swaps and exchange gifts with strangers around the world, making it a fun and unique way to connect with people. Whether it’s a holiday exchange or a themed gift swap, Givin Gifts has aimed to bring the excitement of surprise gifts to a new level.

Unfortunately, my experience with Givin Gifts has been far from what I hoped for. As a premium member, I expected a higher standard of service, but I quickly realized that there are no real benefits to this membership, and the platform has some major issues that need to be addressed.

The Premium Membership: No Added Value

As someone who signed up for premium membership, I expected additional perks such as dedicated customer support or better access to exclusive swaps. However, I was extremely disappointed to find that being a premium member brought no added benefits whatsoever. There was no dedicated support, no priority in the swaps I signed up for, and no real incentives that made the membership feel worthwhile.

This lack of benefits felt like a waste of money, especially since the platform’s issues with IT support and gift exchanges already made the experience less than enjoyable.

Flaky Users and Unresolved Issues

One of the biggest frustrations I’ve encountered with Givin Gifts is the high rate of flakes. For anyone unfamiliar, “flaking” refers to when someone signs up for a swap but then doesn’t send a gift as promised. After participating in multiple exchanges, I can say that over 50% of the swaps I’ve taken part in have been met with flaking. In other words, I’ve sent gifts and received nothing in return.

It’s incredibly disheartening to spend time and money selecting thoughtful gifts for someone, only to never receive anything in return. This has become a serious issue, and it seems to be a pattern that Givin Gifts has failed to address. What makes it worse is that the platform doesn’t take effective action when you report non-received gifts. The process is painfully slow, and some reports sit unresolved for months, leaving users like myself feeling ignored and helpless.

The IT and Customer Support Issues

Another major drawback of Givin Gifts is its lack of proper IT support. When you report a gift not being received or any other issues, the process is sluggish, and there’s little follow-up. For example, when I’ve reported flaked swaps, the system often leaves me waiting for months with no updates or resolutions. This issue is frustrating and discouraging, especially when you’ve invested time and effort into participating in these exchanges.

As a premium member, I expected better handling of these situations, but unfortunately, it feels like Givin Gifts doesn’t prioritize user issues, making the entire experience feel unreliable.

The Rise of Scammers in the Community

It’s not just the flaking; I’ve also noticed a significant rise in scammers on the platform. After over a decade of participating in swaps through Facebook and other groups, I’ve come to expect a certain level of trust and community. Unfortunately, as time has gone on, it feels like more and more users are scamming others. This makes it even harder to enjoy the process and trust that you’ll actually get what you’ve signed up for.

The growing presence of scammers on Givin Gifts has made me seriously reconsider the time and money I continue to invest in the platform. It’s heartbreaking to see something that once brought joy and excitement now become a breeding ground for people looking to take advantage of others.

The Disappointment of It All

As someone who has participated in swaps for more than a decade, I’ve seen the ups and downs of gift exchanges. But the lack of accountability on Givin Gifts, combined with the high rate of flaking and slow IT support, has left me disappointed and frustrated.

The idea behind the platform is wonderful, and I’ve enjoyed the few successful swaps I’ve participated in, but the negatives far outweigh the positives at this point. I’ll likely complete the swaps I’ve already signed up for, but unless significant changes are made, I won’t continue using Givin Gifts in the future.

Conclusion: Is Givin Gifts Worth It?

In its current state, Givin Gifts is far from the gift exchange platform it promises to be. With unresolved IT issues, a lack of support for premium members, and a growing number of flakes and scammers, it’s hard to recommend the platform to others. What started as an exciting replacement for Reddit’s Secret Santa has, unfortunately, become a disappointing experience that no longer meets the expectations I had.

If you’re considering signing up for Givin Gifts, proceed with caution. Unless they improve their customer support, take action against flakers, and address the rise of scammers, it’s likely that I’ll be looking elsewhere for future swaps.