Have you ever received a gift that you didn’t particularly like for Christmas? Or worse, have you ever given a gift that someone has not liked? Don’t worry, you are in the majority of people who have received at least one gift you did not like; some 61% of Americans admit to getting at least one unwanted gift over the holidays.

However, it’s the thought that counts right? But what if there was a way to ensure that all gifts bought and given are fully appreciated – without a hint of a fake smile or an empty ‘thank you’. That’s where No Bad Surprises steps in…

As the name suggests, No Bad Surprises aims to eliminate just that – bad surprises. No Bad Surprises is a platform where you can add all the gifts and wants your heart desires onto your own personal wishlist, which is not tied to any, single website or store. If you saw a pair of shoes you really liked from your favourite online store, add it to your wishlist! If you found a one-of-a-kind lampshade that can only be purchased from your local furniture shop, you can snap it and add it to your wishlist too! The only limitation is where you run out of things you want and need in life. As long as you have a desire for an item in your life that may just be out of your reach, No Bad Surprises has a home for you.

Once you have populated your wishlist of all your wanted items, it’s time to share this list with the ones that care about you most. Share your profile with your friends and family, by supplying them with a unique link that is exclusively yours – this allows them to follow you.

Once you are followed, your friends and family can view your own carefully curated wishlist of all the things your heart desires. They have an unrestricted view of all the wanted gifts you would love to have in your life. This is essentially their shopping list for you, each person can peruse your display of wanted gifts – each with its own links and images and comments that you’ve put alongside with it. This eliminates them having to fret at the last minute before Christmas Day in the mere hopes that you would even like the rushed gift, as they now know exactly what to get you – whether that be the day before Christmas, the week before, or even a month before! Imagine being sorted out with Christmas shopping a complete month before the 25^th! No Bad Surprises strives to ensure that every gift puts a smile on your face and brings joy to everyone and more importantly, eases the stress of trying to find the perfect gift whilst under pressure.

Once you are followed, all your loved one needs to do is go through your wishlist and choose an item that they would like to buy for you. They can go through each and every item on your list as each item has the space for images of the product, a link to the product, or even your own personal description. This is where the wishlist truly comes alive as you are able to include your own comments on an item, as it further enhances the personal touch of gift shopping. Some comments I have seen really do help in the decision-making process of buying a gift – things like ‘Could only find this kettle in black, would really like it in white’, and ‘Would really like these wine glasses, they’re only available at this store and are on special for this week’. This all really does aid in finding that perfect gift, and ultimately buying a gift that really means something.

Next step is to select which exact gift to buy. Your loved one simply has to select and mark the gift (or gifts) that they have bought or intend to buy, and that’s it! You will get a notification telling you that’s someone has bought your gift, but of course won’t tell you exactly who bought the said gift as this would be a bad surprise…

Your loved ones will never have to worry about giving you an unwanted gift ever again.

Another great feature of No Bad Surprises is that it works both ways. You are also able to follow the people you care about and, more importantly, the things that they care about in life. Find your loved one’s profile, follow them and start browsing through their wishlist straight away. Same as before, if you something on their wishlist catches your eye, whether it be something that’s from a store in your neighbourhood, or something from an online store that you already have an account with – you can choose what suits you best. The choice is yours.

By now you may be thinking that by buying all these gifts from someone’s wishlist it will take away from the whole surprise aspect of opening a gift on Christmas Day, but No Bad Surprises ensures 100% anonymity by not revealing the buyer’s identity, it only reveals that an item on your wishlist has been bought. So need to worry about them knowing if you are the one who actually bought that lampshade, your purchase is still completely anonymous ensuring that the gift is still a surprise! Surprised? You shouldn’t be, this is what No Bad Surprises wants to do for you.

One of the most memorable features that I found throughout this process of buying a gift for someone was how the whole family came together through this platform. When it was my brother’s birthday not too long ago, the rest of the family all scratched their heads as to what to buy – but once we all got on board with everything above, we had full access to what my brother wanted. It was great fun for the rest of the family as we snuck around having secret conversations with one another as to who wanted to buy what as we perused through my brother’s wishlist.

 We discussed and deliberated as to who would be where and who would be able to get certain gifts – it really brought the whole family together which made my brother’s birthday that much more special, even before the actual day. This was a rather surprising feature that reached far beyond the confines of the platform, as it really influenced the way we interacted with one another, and when that happens you know it’s a great app.

This is a place where all your loved ones can come together to create memorable experiences. So why not make every gift a surprise? A good one at that.