IELTS Complaint Letter Band 9: General Writing Task 1 New Samples

IELTS complaint letters is a general writing task that you need to take for the test and score higher. It is a formal or semi-formal letter where you need to create a sample complaint about specific concerns.

There are several vital things to consider before writing an IELTS complaint letter band 9 score. For example, the concept of a complaint writing task relies on emphasizing the pain point of the writer. Here it is essential to showcase the issue at hand and what type of based service or experience you had with a brand, service provider, or business. Here is an example of how the task may look like: You may need 20 minutes to complete this task, and most important is to ideate on different scenarios that will emphasize the issue. The task is to write an IELTS complaint letter band 9 score on a damaged Bluetooth you received from an eCommerce website. It needs to have:

• A clear definition of the problem
• Suggestions or solutions that possibly eCommerce website can provide
• Also, suggest the type of action needed.

The letter will be around 150 words, and there is no address needed. Most of the letter starts with dear. Let’s first understand the structure and different vocabulary to use for your letter, and later we will discuss some of the samples.

Structure of General Writing Task 1

Here is a list of things you need to keep in mind while writing the IELTS complaint letter for the band 9 score.

Proper Salutation

Address the authority or concerned person to whom you are writing the complaint letter. It can start with “Dear sir or Dear Madam” if there is no specific name. The intent behind the salutation is to allocate the complaint or direct it towards the proper channel of communication. In layman terms, your letter of complaint needs to have a salutation that targets the exact person who can take some necessary actions.

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Grammatical Proficiency

One of the most significant aspects of IELTS general writing task 1 is grammar. Even if you are writing an informal letter, try to be accurate on the grammar for a high band score. The IELTS letter writing task is meant to analyze your English proficiency skills and understanding of how you interpret specific scenarios.

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Defining the Problem

This forms the heart of your complaint letter as you will be explaining the reason behind writing such a letter. Mostly it is the first paragraph of your IELTS letter which conveys the inconvenience caused due to lack of service or product. The second paragraph relates to the core purpose of the letter. It can include details of the product or service for which you are converting dissatisfaction. Here are some common phrases to start with,

• I am writing to complain about the damaged Bluetooth speakers that I received on [DATE].
• I would like to draw your attention to some of the most significant issues with the Bluetooth speaker you delivered.
• The reason why I am writing this complaint letter is due to the damaged Bluetooth speakers that I received on [DATE].

It is essential to have coherence in your letter with the right tone to achieve a high band score in this writing test. The cohesion of the first and second paragraphs with the proper flow will help you ace this IELTS exam.

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Going in Details

The next step is to explain the entire problem in detail. For example, if you are writing a letter of complaint about damaged Bluetooth speakers, you can discuss different issues that you are facing, like speaker audio issues, connection problems with devices, and more in bullet points. You can start explaining of issues through:

• Explanation of event-  How did you receive the product, and what was the issue you found after some usage.
• Showcasing sadness over bad service- Explain how unhappy you are with the services through sentences like “ you can only imagine how unhappy I was to receive such a damaged Bluetooth speaker from your brand.”
• The immediate course of action that you took- Showcase how agile or smart you were to contact the store immediately with a request for replacement or return of the product or even ask for a refund. However, it was the lack of response from your online store that led to you writing such a complaint letter.
• Action needed- Explain in detail what kind of action you need the concerned person to take, like in our example, would the eCommerce platform look to replace the speaker or return it.

Concluding part

The concluding part will include you addressing something like “Yours Sincerely” followed by your name. Another essential part of the letter is acknowledging that you are waiting for a positive reply from the person to whom your letter is addressed. Now that we know the structure and vocabulary of general writing task 1, here is a sample of the IELTS complaint letter for band 9 score

Formal Letter Sample

The below sample letter is an example of an IELTS complaint letter for band 9 score.

Instructions

Write a letter informing the eCommerce online store customer desk about a damaged product you received. In your letter:

• Give a brief description of the issue
• Mention what type of action will you like them to take
• Provide some solution ideas and even images of the product if possible.

Dear Sir/Madam, I have been a regular customer of your eCommerce store and often shop from your product catalogues. However, this is the first time that I have experienced such a lapse in your service. I received a Bluetooth speaker from your eCommerce store last week, and since then, I have been unable to connect it with my smartphone. The same problem continues for every other device with which I am trying to connect. I would like to replace the product with a new one as this is damaged. Please make arrangements for a replacement for the product and a full refund of the amount if the product is out of stock. Here are the details related to the product: Product Name: Bluetooth Speaker Order no.: 45685 Payment type: Online Email: workaholic@gmail.com Yours Sincerely [NAME]

Informal Letter Sample

Write a letter to your friend asking them to develop an application for your startup. In your letter:

• Give a brief description of your startup idea
• Mention what type of features you would like them to add to the app
• Provide some suggestions on the type of technology you want to use

Dear Mia, How are you? I hope you and Mac are doing well. I can believe it’s been more than 4 years since our Stanford days! I have been busy developing a new startup idea on mental health. The application will help healthcare professionals to track patients between their visits and check on the behavioural changes for adjustment in the treatment. The idea of a mental health startup is not new, but your experience as an application developer with my unique solution can be a fruitful partnership. Would you be interested in working with me on my startup? I have gathered a few like-minded people in my team who are ready to give their 100%, and we are counting on your fantastic development skills. I am thinking of leveraging a cloud-based solution with an agile approach as per my research. What is your take on the solution and development approach? Please do share with me. I have attached a presentation of the entire idea and features list that we may integrate into the application. So, would you like to take on this project? Do share your thoughts with me, and of course, we can discuss the charges after you consider it worth your time. Waiting for your reply. Your friend, Janis

Conclusion

Practicing in advance is the best way to prepare for any exam. IELTS can be especially challenging if candidates are underprepared. These samples provide a comprehensive insight and can help in scoring well.  Candidates can also visit the LeapScholar blog to receive more details on the same.