Brand new gadgets worth £320m are lying unused in Britain’s homes after Christmas, according to new research from phone and broadband firm TalkTalk (www.talktalk.co.uk).*
TalkTalk’s survey found that around one in 12 people who were given a gadget as a Christmas present – the equivalent of 1.42m adults – still haven’t got it working yet, a month on from Christmas Day.
A further 9% admitted they couldn’t get their gadget working on Christmas Day – some taking days or weeks to get it working properly.
This means over 3.3m Brits received gadgets for Christmas but spent a frustrating day by the tree, unable to get them to work.
The average cost of these gadgets was £225, although nearly a quarter of those surveyed (24%) reckon their gift cost over £300. The total value of the gadgets received by the 1.42m adults who haven’t got them working yet is a whopping £320m.
TalkTalk’s research reveals that all this unused technology has created a phenomenon of “gadget guilt”, with one in seven people (14%) admitting they feel guilty about spending money on gadgets that they rarely or never use. Over a quarter of people (26%) feel they are not getting the most out of their gadgets.
And a further quarter of those polled (28%) said they would appreciate more help from companies that sell or make gadgets on how to get the most out of them.
Mark Schmid from TalkTalk said: “It’s a little sad to see how many people still haven’t got their Christmas gizmos working. Consumers clearly need and want more help in getting their technology up and running. Many useful starting points can be found online, which is why at TalkTalk we’re trying to do our bit by providing guides for customers on how to optimise their broadband connection.”