£1.25bn Wasted On Gadgets Every Year

A survey commissioned by Scooter Computer has claimed that people waste £1.25bn every year on gadgets that are never used. Fear and ignorance are classed as the top reasons why we don’t get on with our new toys. And, why we tend to dump them in a corner, never to be seen again. The average cost of these unwanted gadgets is £120.

In numbers terms, it means that one in every five gadgets is not used. Top of the list – surprisingly, I guess - is the iPod, followed by digital cameras, software, sat-navs and mobile phones. The survey was commissioned to see just what we do with gadgets we get as gifts and the worst offenders are 35-44-year olds.

Even sadder for them is that pensioners often fare better with iPods and cameras because they have more time to work them out. -Martin Lynch