What the hell is wrong with you Brits?

LONDON (Reuters) - It's the most romantic day of the year, but for many people the cards they receive on February 14 are not from a Valentine, but from themselves.

One in nine love missives received on Valentine's Day (news - web sites) were sent by people to themselves ``to save face on the dreaded V-day,'' according to a survey released by online retailer amazon.co.uk on Thursday.

Amazon, which questioned more than 1,000 people in Britain, France and Germany, also found one in three cards was received by a parent and one person in 10 admitted to stealing a card from a sibling or housemate.

Amazon said Germans were the least romantic, with 69 percent saying Valentine's Day was unimportant, compared to 54 percent of Britons and 46 percent of French.

Germans were also the most likely to forget to give their partners a present while the French spent the most on their loved ones.

One in three French lovers splashed out between $42 and $84 on a gift, and 11 percent spent more than $84.

The most common romantic gift in Britain and Germany was flowers. The French were more likely to opt for a romantic dinner or other surprise at home.

And for those who don't yet have a Valentine, British sex shop Ann Summers has compiled a chat-up guide to ensure no-one has to spend the year's most romantic day alone.

A poll of 5,000 Ann Summers customers came up with lines like: ``You, me, whipped cream, handcuffs, any questions?'' and ''Hi, I'm Mr. Right, someone said you were looking for me.''

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