Woman Gives Kindle Away, Regrets It After A Decade, Demands It Back But Gets A Paperweight Instead

A woman decided to give her old Kindle to someone she knew after upgrading to a newer device. At the time, she believed she would never need it again, and the recipient was genuinely grateful for the thoughtful gift. Once the Kindle changed hands, both of them considered the matter settled.
Nearly a decade later, the woman unexpectedly reached out with an unusual request. She explained that she wanted the Kindle back, claiming it held sentimental value and insisting that it had only been meant as a temporary loan. The recipient, however, clearly remembered it as a gift and was surprised by the sudden demand.
As the conversation continued, tensions quickly grew. The recipient pointed out that the Kindle had been well cared for over the years and had become their personal property. They couldn’t understand why someone would expect to reclaim a gift after such a long period, especially without offering any compensation or acknowledging the time that had passed.

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Refusing to give in, the recipient decided to make a point. Instead of returning the original Kindle, they handed the woman an old paperweight as a symbolic response, suggesting that if she wanted to rewrite history and pretend the gift had never been permanent, then the request itself deserved an equally absurd answer.
The disagreement sparked debate among friends and family, with many questioning whether a gift can ever be taken back after so many years. While some understood the woman’s regret, most believed that once something is freely given, ownership changes permanently. The incident became a reminder to think carefully before giving away something you may one day wish you had kept.
Read story…
You want it back after a decade?! Fine.
He asked my SIL if she wanted it. She declined. He called me next and I accepted right away.
I owned this little like, first gen Kindle for years. It didn’t even have a backlight. Or color. I didn’t care tho cuz I had my books.
I filled that little guy UP. Books I’d read, wanted to read, had heard of, heard were so bad you had to read em etc. I was on the high seas those days so 99% of my books were…ill gotten.
SIL came up to me one day at a BBQ and asked if I’d read The Witcher? I was like, yeah. It’s decent, I have the series on my Kindle. Asked how many books I had on it cuz her husband wanted to start reading. I told her like, hella-hella. I thought she was gonna ask for book recommendations. She says something like, yeeeah about that. That was mine but Dad gave it to you so, when you’re ready just drop it off at my place
I’m not gonna lie, I called my FIL and asked if I was being crazy cuz that’s not a normal thing to say, yeah?
He told me it was mine. I’d had it for ages. He said she was tripping (not his words but, you know) and that IF I chose to “return” it, the conditions weren’t specified.
I’m pretty sure he was suggesting I break the fucker and drop it off at her door. We just plugged it in and restored it to factory settings. Wiped it clean and made it just like it was built.
She was pissed, told me I wasted an ebook cuz she had to throw it away. Thank you read my story.
The Kindle She Eventually Left Behind
A woman received a Kindle many years ago and enjoyed using it for reading books, articles, and personal documents. As time passed, newer devices entered the market, and the old Kindle gradually became something she rarely touched.

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A Gift Given With Good Intentions
Eventually, she decided to give the Kindle to someone she knew. She explained that she no longer needed it and thought it would be more useful in someone else’s hands. The recipient happily accepted the gift and thanked her for the generous gesture.
Over the following years, the Kindle became part of the recipient’s daily life. It traveled on vacations, accompanied them on long commutes, and stored hundreds of books they had collected over time. It had become much more than just an electronic device.
Nearly ten years later, the woman unexpectedly reached out. She asked whether the Kindle was still around and explained that she wanted it back. The request caught the recipient completely off guard.
According to the woman, the Kindle had sentimental value because it reminded her of an earlier chapter in her life. She admitted that she regretted giving it away and hoped it could be returned.
The Recipient Refused To See It As A Loan
The recipient listened politely but couldn’t understand the request. From their perspective, the Kindle had been given as a permanent gift, not loaned temporarily. After so many years, they believed ownership had long since changed.

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The discussion quickly became uncomfortable. The woman insisted that the recipient should understand her feelings, while the recipient argued that gifts don’t usually come with an expiration date.
Friends and relatives soon heard about the disagreement. Some sympathized with the woman’s regret, saying sentimental items can become more meaningful with time.
Others strongly disagreed. They believed that once a gift is freely given, it belongs entirely to the new owner, regardless of how much time has passed.
The recipient explained that they had taken excellent care of the Kindle for years. Although it showed signs of age, it still represented countless memories and hours of reading.
She Wouldn’t Let The Matter Go
As the conversation continued, the woman became increasingly frustrated. She suggested that returning the Kindle would simply be the kind thing to do.

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The recipient felt the request was unfair. They pointed out that they had invested time, money, and personal memories into the device over the past decade.
The disagreement eventually reached a point where neither side seemed willing to compromise. Each believed they were being completely reasonable.
Wanting to end the discussion, the recipient decided to respond in a way that reflected how unrealistic they found the demand.
Instead of handing over the original Kindle, they presented the woman with an ordinary paperweight as a symbolic gesture. It was their way of saying that trying to reclaim a decade-old gift made little sense.
The unexpected response left the woman speechless. She had anticipated an argument, but not such a sarcastic reply.
News of the incident spread among friends, sparking lively debates. People shared different opinions about gifts, ownership, and whether sentimental value can justify asking for something back.
Many felt the paperweight was humorous but also carried an important message. Once a gift has been freely given, trying to reverse that decision years later can create unnecessary conflict.
Others believed the situation could have been handled more gently, suggesting that honest communication might have avoided hurt feelings on both sides.
In the end, neither person got exactly what they wanted. The woman never recovered the Kindle, and the recipient was left disappointed that a thoughtful gift had become the source of an argument.
The experience served as a lasting reminder that giving something away should be considered a final decision. While regret is understandable, true gifts come without conditions, and attempting to reclaim them years later can damage relationships far more than the object itself is worth.





