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Describe something you bought that you really wanted to return: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • What you bought?
  • Why you wanted to return it?
  • What happened when you tried to return it?
  • And explain how you felt afterward.
Show all 294 answers

Cue 1:What you bought?

  • Begin by clearly stating the item you purchased and its significance to you.
  • Include details about where and when you bought it to set the context.

Example

I bought a pair of expensive wireless headphones from an online store during a sale. I had been wanting them for months because I love listening to music while commuting and exercising.

Cue 2:Why you wanted to return it?

  • Explain the specific reasons that led you to want to return the item.
  • Mention any expectations you had that were not met.

Example

After using the headphones for a few days, I realized that the sound quality was not as good as I had hoped. Additionally, they were uncomfortable to wear for long periods, which was disappointing since I had read many positive reviews.

Cue 3:What happened when you tried to return it?

  • Describe the process you went through to return the item.
  • Share any challenges or frustrations you faced during the return process.

Example

When I contacted customer service to initiate the return, I faced long wait times on the phone. They informed me that I needed to send the headphones back at my own expense, which I found frustrating. Eventually, I managed to send them back, but it took a lot longer than I expected.

Cue 4:And explain how you felt afterward.

  • Reflect on your emotions after the return process was completed.
  • Discuss any lessons learned from the experience.

Example

After finally returning the headphones, I felt relieved but also a bit frustrated with the whole experience. I learned to be more cautious when buying expensive items online and to read reviews more thoroughly before making a purchase.

Conclusion

    Example

    In conclusion, returning the headphones was a challenging experience, but it taught me valuable lessons about online shopping and managing expectations. I now feel more confident in making future purchases.

    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

    Using vague language can make your response unclear. Avoid general statements that do not provide specific details about the item you bought or your feelings about returning it.

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    Tip

    Be specific about the item, including its name and features. Describe your feelings and experiences in detail to create a clearer picture.

    2: Neglecting Emotional Impact

    Failing to express your emotions can make your answer less engaging. It's important to convey how the experience affected you personally.

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    Tip

    Share your feelings before and after the return process. Use descriptive language to express your emotions, such as frustration or relief.

    Ignoring the Return Process

    Not explaining what happened during the return process can leave your answer incomplete. Candidates often skip this crucial part, which can lead to a lack of depth.

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    Tip

    Detail the steps you took to return the item, including any challenges faced. This adds depth to your story and shows your problem-solving skills.

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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 >7

    what I bought was a bean bag filled with beans but it was not filled with beans we have to buy another bag of beans to fill the bean bag which makes no sense at all I bought it from Amazon the biggest online shopping app why I want to return it because the stitches were coming out and the material of the bean was leather bean bag was leather which is not a good quality leather it was tearing apart right after I bought it I haven't even used it and I called them to return it and saying my issues that I faced but they were not responding they were saying like they didn't even get an order for me like and they they were like they don't give a damn about my issue like they are saying they don't have any kind of details that I ordered but I told like for a month I was behind this thing but I still didn't get any kind of response from their side but they even called me bad words just not acceptable but I still tried my best to return it but I couldn't do it and afterwards I really felt very bad and I stopped shopping from the online like completely but I only had this experience with Amazon not any other

    Band >7

    The thing that I recently bought that I wanted to return would be an online course. I am not very sure if this can be included in an answer as it is not the general answer one would expect but so far I had the worst experience returning this particular product. I had paid the sum that was required for purchasing of this product but later on I realized that they made fake promises regarding the internships they would be providing with this. So I tried to return it and asked for my refund that I had already paid them in the advance but they rejected me saying that I have signed a memorandum or something that the money cannot The most recent thing that I bought and wanted to really return would be an online course. I don't know if this can be considered as an answer as this is not your general purchase or an item purchase but still it costed me money and I really wanted to return it because it gave me fake promises that they would be offering me internships after the completion of the program when I got to find out that the internships are not a surety that they were providing but more of a maybe situation. So I asked them to refund my money online but they told me that I have signed a non-refundable contract while I was paying and that the money cannot be refunded to me and that caused me really lots of distress because even that little sum of money meant a lot to me. So I emailed them, I messaged them on the whatsapp, I messaged them on the group chat but they removed me from there and they told me they would complain to my principals and it all ended up in a very much of a chaotic situation more than one would have expected and it left me feeling hassled, tired and very apologetic and gave me a lesson that I should be really cautious before spending my money and I should be reading every contract before paying or signing it because every contract, every little thing that you miss can have consequences especially when it comes to documentation and contracts.

    Band >7

    A thing I bought that I wanted to return was a pair of shoes I ordered online. I had seen them on a shopping website and the pictures looked really stylish. I was very excited because they were on discount and I thought they would be comfortable for daily wear. However, when the shoes arrived, I was quite disappointed. First of all, the size is smaller than what I usually wear, so it was quite uncomfortable for me. So, even though I ordered with my regular size, the material also felt very cheap and it didn't look anything like the photo online. When I tried walking in them, they were not comfortable and even caused pain in my feet. I immediately thought of retaining them, but unfortunately, the seller had a strict no return policy on discounted products, so I ended up keeping them in my cupboard without using them. I felt very frustrated and also realized that I should be more careful while shopping online. And it was a lesson for me to always check reviews and return policies before buying anything. People usually return items if they are defective, not as described, or the wrong size, or if they simply change their mind after purchase. I didn't look, the more instructions about the discounted products had no return policy, so that's why I ended up keeping them in my cupboard itself. Speaking about this, online shopping are convenient and it also have plenty of offers, but these stores should have mistakes that cannot be fixed.

    Band >7

    Today I would like to explain about I purchased one dress material through online that is a jumpsuit like online I like this color and the pattern and also the descriptions say that it is pure cotton unfortunately it came when the when the material delivered it's entirely different color and pattern and additionally it's linen this material is polyester I never expect this type of linen and especially like during this summer seasons polyester is very it's very irritating my skin so I tried to return back through online itself and I sent a a message to the online through the online to the manager also and he replies me like apologize also so I after I try I after one day within that 24 hours I returned back this stuff fortunately after one week I got a new dress with my favorite color it's like a pink the same pattern I wish to get and moreover that I get the linen material also that's made me so happy and I send a message to the manager I got the really expected material and stuff

    Band 7

    This actually happened quite recently. I bought a digital clock to keep on my study desk, but after using it for a while Short while I realized it wasn't functioning properly. So I planned to return it. However, my father examined it closely. We discovered that the clock was perfectly fine. It was just a minor setting issue. I felt a bit embarrassed, but also relieved. And in the end, I decided to keep it. Thank you for watching!

    Band 7

    Recently, I have purchased a cute little pink dress from an online store named Little Box. Though it fits me perfectly and the color and the fabric is very cute, however, it did not meet my expectations which left me in despair. And then when I went and looked back into the app to return this product, there was no return or exchange option available because I failed to check whether these are provided or not by the app. This was very disappointing and I felt very bad because I thought I would wear the dress for my birthday whereas the time is up for me to buy from an online store now because it takes quite a lot of days for me to receive the product by door delivery. So it was really very heart-wrenching to be precise because I have kept a lot of expectations and a lot of efforts in buying as I have spent almost two months searching for a perfect birthday outfit but I have failed as a proper buyer. I think I should never repeat this mistake again.

    Band 7

    Okay, the thing that I wish to return is a crop top that I bought in Zodio at Chennai. I bought that dress approximately one year ago during my internship. Actually, I just went on a casual shopping with my friends at Zodio and I really liked that dress and I tried it on. During the trial, it looked really great basically because of the lighting but I bought it and returned home and after few weeks, I went to a get-together and I decided to wear that with the jeans. But for my skin tone, it looked really very dark and it didn't suit me. The photos that we took at get-together was not good because the color seemed so dark than when I saw in the store. It may be because of the lighting in the showroom. After that incident, I really didn't wore it at least for once. That's the last time I wore it. So whenever I clean my cupboards and whenever I see the dress, I really wish I could return that dress and buy something good. This is a common mistake that I do very often. Recently, I returned a saree and bought another one. So I should choose wisely.

    Band 7

    Okay, so a few weeks ago I bought a new chair for my home office. It's a nice chair. The cushioning is soft, the handrest is extendable and there's also a recline feature. And overall it's a very comfortable chair for a home office. But there was a small issue that really annoyed me while using the chair. So whenever I would sit down on the chair and if I moved while sitting on the chair it would make a very annoying sound. It was not like a damaged product or there was no defect but rather the wheels were made in a way that they made a lot of noise when they were rubbing against the floor. So it was kind of getting a little bit disturbing when I'm working at the desk. So I decided to contact the manufacturer. I asked him if I could return it but unfortunately they said they don't accept a return unless it is like a very serious damage or there's some damage during the shipping process. But when I spoke to their quality control team they said that I could swap out the wheels, the plastic wheels which came pre-installed with the chair for some set of rubber wheels instead and that would make a lot of difference they said. So I took the advice, I bought some wheels on Amazon and I tried installing them. It definitely helped with the sound. Right now it does not annoy me as much as it used to when I bought it first. But there is still some noise when I try to use it. I definitely think that it is a good chair but the plastic wheels combined with the friction of the wheels, the friction between the wheels and the floor was causing this problem. So the advice was very good when I contacted the manufacturer he gave me a very good advice and it did work.

    Band 7

    Well, I was always a fond lover of watches, categorically of smartwatches and recently I saw an Instagram advertisement which depicted an Apple watch. I was extremely excited by the features that the brand now-a-days provides to the users and followed by this I was forced to buy an expensive Apple watch worth Rs. 50,000. But when the watch was delivered, I was extremely shattered to see the condition of the same. It was delivered by a renowned logistic partner but somehow when I opened the parcel the watch was found to be in a broken state and immediately I had requested the customer support to assist me in returning the particular product. I was really in a mess at that point of time because I had given an exorbitant amount to fulfill my requirement of getting that Apple watch but somehow it did not work. I called the customer care executive to initiate the return process of the watch but somehow the return policy did not allow me to do so. The logistic partner who had delivered me the watch did not inform me about the open box delivery which was available on the product. The return was denied stating that I did not check the open box delivery and hence I am not eligible for the return. I cried a lot at that particular moment of time because I had spent a hefty amount to fulfill my dreams.

    Band 7

    I usually don't end up returning stuff because I always find that the clothes I ordered or the products I ordered usually fit me and are useful. However, there was this one top from H&M that I had ordered online. It was a black sleeveless off-the-shoulder top and I really loved the entire look. Furthermore, it took 2-3 days for it to arrive at my doorstep and when I tried it on, I noticed that the top kept sagging on the shoulders. Now, most of the times from H&M, I know that my size is an extra small, but you never know the size or the actual size of the product when you order online. But I was pretty sure that mine would be extra small, however, that did not happen. Even though the product had extra small written on it, it did not fit me at all. So I applied for an exchange or a return. First of all, they didn't allow me to do an exchange, but I did manage to have a return application signed and the problem was that the delivery guy did not show up despite multiple attempts from my side. I felt really frustrated and unhappy and not satisfied with the entire purchase experience. So I ended up going to the store and returning it in person, which was a major inconvenience, but it was something that had to be done.
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