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Describe A Problem You Had While Shopping Online Or In A Store: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • When it happened
  • What you bought
  • What problem you had
  • And describe the party.
Show all 99 answers

Cue 1:When it happened

  • Begin by mentioning the time frame when the online shopping experience occurred, such as during a festival or sale.
  • Provide context about your shopping habits, like if you usually shop online or prefer physical stores.

Example

Last month, during the Diwali festival, I decided to do some online shopping to buy gifts for my family. I usually prefer shopping online because of the convenience it offers.

Cue 2:What you bought

  • Clearly state the item you intended to purchase, including any specific details that make it relatable.
  • Mention why you chose this particular item, perhaps due to its significance or popularity.

Example

I was looking to buy a beautiful set of traditional Indian sweets to gift to my relatives. These sweets are a staple during Diwali, and I wanted to ensure I got the best quality.

Cue 3:What problem you had

  • Describe the specific issue you faced while shopping, whether it was related to the website, delivery, or product quality.
  • Explain how this problem affected your shopping experience and your feelings about it.

Example

Unfortunately, after placing my order, I received a notification that the sweets I ordered were out of stock. I was really disappointed because I had planned to surprise my family with them.

Cue 4:And describe the party

  • Talk about the significance of the occasion and how the problem impacted the celebration.
  • Share how you resolved the issue or what alternative you found to still make the occasion special.

Example

Diwali is a time for family gatherings and celebrations, and I wanted to make it special. After the issue, I quickly searched for another vendor and found a local store that offered similar sweets. I managed to get them in time for the celebration, and my family loved them!

Conclusion

    Example

    Overall, while my online shopping experience had its challenges, it taught me the importance of having backup plans. In the end, I was able to enjoy Diwali with my family, which was the most important part.

    Following this structure will ensure you cover all the essential points while providing a clear and engaging response to the cue card topic.

    Tips to answer this Cue Card

    1: Vague Descriptions

    Being vague can make your answer less engaging and informative. Avoid general statements that do not provide specific details about your experience.

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    Tip

    Use specific examples and details about the product, the problem, and your feelings to create a vivid picture for the examiner.

    2: Ignoring the Cues

    Failing to address all the cues can lead to an incomplete answer. This may result in a lower score as it shows a lack of organization.

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    Tip

    Structure your response by clearly addressing each cue: when it happened, what you bought, the problem, and your feelings about it.

    Overly Negative Tone

    Focusing too much on negativity can make your response less appealing. It’s important to balance your experience with some positive aspects.

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    Tip

    While discussing the problem, also mention any positive outcomes or lessons learned to create a more balanced narrative.

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    All Answers

    Here are all the answers by real-users practicing speaking for IELTS Cue Cards on our IELTS Prep App.

    Band 6-7

    I prefer to do my shopping completely online, the main reason is that I really don't have to go and search in a shop whether it is available, because you never know about the inventory of the store, right? But this idea contradicts with if you're gonna buy an item through online, right? So I prefer to do online shopping through various platforms like Amazon and Flipkart. So one event that I could actually remember is that I bought a popper balloon for my grandma's birthday, but the issue in the online shopping is that the product is not in the expected size. So actually we expected a bit big, but the item seemed very small to the actual size which was illustrated in the online platform. So it was a bit of a joke, because we were expecting another size and the size of an item was too small, so we felt we were cheated upon. So we complained it about to the customer representative, but there were no response from their end. So it really didn't expect as how we planned. My grandma, she's somewhere around 60+, so I was expecting to celebrate her in a grand view, so I really wanted to purchase big balloons, big popper balloons, big decorative items, but it really did not go as planned. However, the event turned out very well. Actually, my mother, she went out and purchased, because she knows the shop where they sell this item. She bought a bigger popper balloon, then we pasted it upon her, above the walls, walls of fame. So, like, it turned out well, but I really did not like that experience that I got, which I made through online shopping. So I really think that people who sell their products online should maintain their inventory properly, and they should depict the product.

    Band 6-7

    Well, it's always challenging to shop online because the colors which is on the website is completely different to what product we get when it gets delivered on the third day or the fourth day. So this problem has been there for quite a while. Shoppers and online shopping websites try to grade the colors and edit the colors so it looks brighter on the screen and looks more attractive to us when we buy it. So shopping online has their own drawbacks while in-person shopping or in-store shopping is always much easier because you can see the product with your naked eyes and you can see how it feels, how the material is. While online, I've always found this problem of the quality of the material being extremely bad or the color which was precisely visible on the website was not the color which was delivered to me. This was one problem which has been constantly bugging me about online shopping. I think online shopping websites should try to show their true materials and whatever material they share, they should be true to whatever they sell. So I think that's one of the major problems I have faced.

    Band 6-7

    Recently, a few weeks back, I bought two jeans from an online retailer. And the problem I had with those was the size and the fit. As nowadays, we have a lot of different fits in jeans like baggy, oversized, carpenter fit, carrot fit, etc. and many more. Me personally, I am not a fashionista, so I don't know anything about those fits and how they taper from the bottom or how they are loose in nature. So when I got those jeans, I tried them on and I was very unhappy with the fit because in the description, there was written that it will be a little baggy but it will not stick to my skin. But when I tried them on, they stuck to my skin and I don't like piece of clothes that stick to my skin. I am very sensitive in that matter. So moreover, the size that I ordered was not the size that I received. I ordered 34 in length and 33 in waist. But the size I got was 35 in length and 33 in waist, I think. I may be wrong but the size was not the one that I ordered. Moreover, the quality of the jeans was not up to the mark.

    Band 6-7

    The biggest problem while shopping online is actually evaluating the quality of the items that you are purchasing. Most of the times what we see on the website or on particular app about the product or image and we assume the quality of it but when we actually get the product and we check the quality sometimes we can find a lot bigger difference in the quality of the item that we have purchased. One incident which happened to me is I had purchased two suits you can say on one online app and the photos of that suit on the app were quite good, the images were good but when I actually got it home the quality was not up to the mark or what they have uploaded on their websites or their app.

    Band 6-7

    A major problem I had while shopping online was not being delivered the right product. It happened a month back. I had ordered a headphone set but I was delivered an old wired earphones. I was in a great shock because something could like this happen. It not just infuriated me but also made me feel sad because I was looking forward to own my headphone set. I had been planning to buy this for a long time and when I finally did, it ended up in a mess like this. I immediately raised a query in the website but received no response. I called the customer support, I reached out multiple support partners but none of them were of help. It took almost 3-4 weeks for them to get back to me with a valid response. Finally they offered me a concession fee and promised to get me the pair of headphones I decide. This was one of the bad experiences I faced but also made me understand that mistakes like this are common.

    Band 6-7

    Last week I visited the nearby mall to buy some t-shirts and jeans to wear for casual purposes. Me and my mom visited the Reliance Trends in the mall where we have bought three t-shirts, polo t-shirts of brown, black and grey color and two jeans of Levi's company. When we came back home, at that time I found that the brown t-shirt is a bit dull in color at some point, making it a bad in front of others as it looks are hampered due to such misprinting. So I decided to visit the store back and tell the store owner regarding the same. When we went back and tell the store regarding complaint, at that time they were not ready to accept the mistake and they simply told us that do whatever you can as we cannot replace or exchange the product. So I decided to drop a mail to higher authority and I emailed to Reliance Trends head office which is which was located in Delhi and luckily I got a reply from the head office within two days. So they apologized me and ready to provide me a new piece or refund whatever suits me. So I decided to replace it, moreover they also give me 500 rupees cash back for their mistake and they are happy to serve me again.

    Band 6-7

    About 3 months ago, I had to attend a formal meeting at a reputed hotel in the city of Mumbai For the same, I had to shop for a plain white formal t-shirt which my wardrobe lacked I decided to go to the nearby mall which is the Oberoi Mall And I went through so many shops but to no avail I could not find a white formal t-shirt anywhere I went to brands like Pantaloons, Lifestyle but none of them had the white formal t-shirt that I required Finally, disheartened with no hopes for finding the shirt and having to make shift something out of my white t-shirts that I have at home As I stepped out, I found a store just in front of the mall which was recently opened and I hadn't noticed it before I immediately took to the cause and went to the store and finally found a white shirt that I was looking for So the problem that I faced while shopping was that even though the mall is full of clothes but the ideal requirement that I had and in my size, it was not available But as they say that if you have a will, God will find a way And I think that shop for me was a miracle appearing which helped me find my formal white shirt

    Band 6-7

    Okay, a problem if I had while shopping online on a store, basically I am the kind of nature of a boy who does not really believe on the online shopping. I usually prefer on offline shopping at the store over online shopping because it gives us more clarity, it gives us more specific coherence, it gives us specific product details and we can physically access the things due to which I usually prefer to store shopping rather than online shopping. A problem I had while shopping in a store that I went to purchase a mobile phone and I got stuck over the mobile phone I want and the mobile phone which is not available at that time. It was the occasion when I want to give the birthday gift to one of my best friends and I want to give that particular mobile phone but due to the festive season the mobile phone I want was not available at the store and that the storekeeper told me that it would take a long 10 to 15 days to come but I don't want to lose the moment because it's a very special day, it's a birthday of one of the best friends of mine. So I want to take that mobile phone which is available at that particular store which is related to that category but it was not in fact particularly what I wanted. So this was the dilemma where I had faced during my shopping. After that I purchased that one and I was a little bit confused that whether my friend will be happy with that mobile phone because I knew his choices, what color he like, what specification he likes and what kind of camera, what kind of gallery, what kind of internal storage he would like but finally he was very happy with my efforts and I also was happy at that.

    Band 6-7

    A problem I had while shopping in an online store happened when I was ordering a protein powder. I am a fitness enthusiast and I like going to the gym since my college days. I have been visiting a health center since 3 years. So a quality exercise also requires a good diet which is the most important thing. Body requires more protein to repair the muscles and enhance muscle protein synthesis. So I eat protein powders regularly and once there was a time I was ordering protein powder from Optimum Nutrition. I wanted to apply a coupon code which I saw online. It was the code from an influencer which mentioned its name and stated 10 afterwards. The discount was of 10%. I was constantly trying to apply the discount but I wasn't successful at applying that. Though I got unhappy with that coupon as it would give me a great discount but at the end what mattered was that protein powder. So I ordered it otherwise.

    Band 6-7

    The one experience that I can never forget in my life with respect to the problem that I had faced while shopping online was two years ago when I ordered a gown from Amazon. The gown when it got delivered to my place, it was not appropriate to my size, although I had ordered as per my measurements. Since I placed a return, believing the fact that Amazon had a great hassle-free return policy, I was under the assumption that I would be exchanged with a new gown as per my measurements. Strangely, the Amazon delivery guy did not even respond to my request and it was kept on hold for a very long time. This irritated me and then I made a complaint to the Amazon customer care. They reassured me with the same fact that your dress would be exchanged and a new one would be delivered at your doorstep, although there was no result for this expectation. This triggered me to the core and I had to drop multiple mails to the Amazon sales team. Post one month later, I got a reply from them stating that rather than Amazon taking my parcel and then returning me a new one, I had to physically go to a store and get my dress exchanged. This irritated me to the core, but I couldn't ignore the fact that my dress was more expensive and I had taken it to attend an important function, which was the wedding of my sister. With great difficulty, I was able to manage the location of that store, which was miles away from my current place and I had to travel all the way until there just to return the dress and then obtain a new one.
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