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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 6-7

    So, a few months back, I bought a machine. It was a device to keep the ice packs cold. So, it was like an insulated device. So, it was around Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 4,000. But, after I purchased it, I didn't really need it because I bought it for the purpose of traveling. And my traveling plans got cancelled. So, I wanted to return it. So, I put a return request and they asked the reason. So, I just told them it was not working properly. The insulation was not working properly. So, they just said, you keep the product and we'll get you a refund and you don't need to return the product. So, that's how. It was a great experience really. It was with Amazon and yeah.

    Band 6-7

    So recently I bought new headphones from a brand name Audio Technic. I wanted to return those headphones because I expected a very high quality audio but it was not that reliable and also the quality of audio is not that good. So that's why I wanted to return those headphones but when I tried to return those headphones to the company they said there is not any return policy on this specific model of headphones so I was very disappointed after that I started using those headphones but I am not that happy because those are not related to my expectations so this is the reason why I wanted to return those headphones but now I have to use those headphones even I don't want to now I am using those headphones on my regular basis but I am facing a lot of problems while working with those headphones because I want headphones which are more high quality and depth in music instruments so I am not that happy with my decision.

    Band 6-7

    For about a year ago, on my brother's birthday in October, it was a time nearly around winters, I decided to gift him a jacket which costed around 2500 rupees. It was an H&M brand jacket and I got to know that he was really into getting that for himself but I observed his wish list and bought that for him but I was not able to get the perfect size so ordered a bigger size. I thought that it might fit him but unfortunately, I was wrong. When I received the package, I saw that it was a bit too loose for him to wear. I really wanted to return that but unfortunately, the return policy was not applicable. I tried to exchange the size but they could not accept the request. After a lot of trial and errors and talking to the community services, I was able to get a different size and a few days after that, I gifted him that. He was very surprised and he was very happy. Looking at him, it really put that joy in me that yes, I was able to fulfill his desires and the joy and that happiness on his face made me feel over the moon and that moment will forever be a memory and I will cherish it forever. His happiness is all that matters to me and overall, I say I was very happy with the situation.

    Band 6-7

    It was 2025 when our college was organizing a cultural fest. We have modeling as an event in our cultural fest and there are around 18 students who participate in this event. So one of the participants of modeling got injured and I was invited to be a participant. I accepted the invitation and they asked me to buy a pair of sandals. For that I went to the market to search an appropriate pair of sandals and it cost me around 2000 rupees. I was worried because it was all of my pocket money. After that the fest was cancelled within 6-7 days and I was very upset. After that I thought that I should return these sandals to the shopkeeper. When I went to the shopkeeper and I asked him that will you please take these sandals back because I do not need them anymore and I haven't used them yet. The shopkeeper said that the particular time span for returning the things has already passed and I could not return it and that he will not accept it now. I was very upset at that moment because those sandals were of no use for me. It cost me the whole pocket money of that month.

    Band 6-7

    I'm really fond of online shopping. I shop a lot and my experience was really good but this time I bought a guitar through Amazon. Although their services are very good but this was my bad time. I ordered a guitar in a good mood. I was very keen to learn guitar. My birthday was coming around two weeks away. My friend he also knows this thing that I love to play guitar and I am very keen to learn music and that's the reason he gifted me guitar. That is a gift I can't return but I can return mine. So I decided to return my guitar and I placed the return order. They refused. I rang up customer care services a couple of times but they are not agreeing on this thing that it is because the time is up. But after a lot of requests that I made to them they agreed and it was a good experience although I got the guitar from my friend side-by-side. The bad experience of the online shopping that I faced both. you

    Band 6-7

    recently I visited the Bharatiya city mall to buy a few things. there I bought a white dress which I wanted to wear for an office party. so I tried it and it was perfect but when I came home I noticed that the stitches of the dress are coming out. so I immediately realized that it was a blunder and I had to return it. so I thought of returning it the same day but as it was very late at night I was not able to return it. the issue with the dress was that it was fitting me perfectly but the stitches from one side of the dress were coming out. hence one side of the dress was becoming loose and the other side was tight. so it was impossible for me to wear it. furthermore if I would even manage to wear it, it would be disastrous at the party and I would not be able to attend the party at all. so I decided to return it the next day. I went to the mall and I returned the dress and additionally I asked them if they have another piece of the dress because the dress was really pretty and I really wanted to wear it. fortunately they had another piece of the dress and they asked me to try it on. I tried it. it was fitting me perfectly. so I got it and my issue was solved. so I would suggest that before buying any dress we should be very careful and just examine the entire dress properly so that we do not have to face issues later.

    Band 6-7

    Well, I am a shopaholic person and I always like to shopping or buy a lot of things from various websites as well as from the market. However, today I am going to talk about something that I really want from the website and unfortunately I returned it. I remember that while surfing on the Amazon, I found a Nike jacket on a very cheap price. Immediately I make my decision and bought it on 2500 rupees. Actually the same jacket was available on the Nike store which was more than 1000 rupees. Apart from this, I was really very excited after having a Nike jacket on a very cheap price. When I got a Nike jacket after 4 days, I felt very delightful but when I opened the package of the jacket, I found a big hole in the jacket. This makes me very sad and disappointed. Moreover, I immediately called to the center of the Amazon and told about the whole story that

    Band 6-7

    Recently I bought a digital clock of Amazon which I really wanted to return as I noticed some faults such as in the manufacturing itself such as the clock could only switch on when it was connected to a charger and that's the only way it would stay switched on the entire time and for another case you could either put a battery in it but the problem with that was that the clock would switch off and would only switch on again when I clicked on it. So I tried I was going to try returning it however I noticed a letter from the manufacturer inside the box which the clock came in and it stated well somewhat please like don't if you find any faults with the product message my whatsapp number privately as they are still a small time manufacturing company and giving them negative reviews on Amazon would affect their services so they told me to contact them directly if they had any problems but I ended up not doing it as I figured they are it's better to support small businesses than it is to say negative stuff about them so what I did instead was I gave suggestions to the number suggesting putting a small battery in the clock such as a watch battery so that even once the charging is switched off it the clock can still remain switched on.

    Band 6-7

    Recently, I bought an iPhone and the model number was iPhone 15 Plus. I didn't like that phone because it was, it is a very big phone and it's not handy at all. Although, on the contrary, I liked iPhone 15 Pro more. But due to some grievances, I was not able to get that because it was not available at the moment when I was in the store. So what I did is I, instead of waiting for iPhone 15 Pro, I bought the iPhone 15 Plus, paid the extra amount of money and took it home. After taking it home, after a few days, I realized that it's not what I wished for because it was not handy. It was too big. The battery kept draining again and again and it turned out to be such a pain for me that I had to return it. The moment I felt like returning it, I contacted the dealership and asked them that if it is possible to return my phone. First of all, they were not able to receive my calls or if I must say, they were not receiving my calls because they didn't want to return their product. When I went to their store and asked them that I do not want this phone, could you please return it, what they said in return was not expected. They told me on my face that once the product is sold, it is non-negotiable and we cannot take it back. I asked them very politely that if it's alright to return the phone instead and I won't ask for the money back except I'll take the 15 Pro and I'll pay the extra amount of money. That is because the model number is different. But at the end, they said no and that's where the conversation ended. I felt really bad because now I was stuck with a phone that I didn't like and with a lot of hate.

    Band 6-7

    Actually, I bought a laptop maybe 2-3 years ago and in the initial stages when I purchased it for the first few months it was running smooth, really smooth and you know, having no issues with the graphics card etc. etc. But recently I discovered that in the past 2 years I have been facing lots of graphics card issues, display issues and I thought I should return it. Then I went to the dealer from where I bought this and he explained me each and every problem I was having with this laptop etc. etc. But the thing is, since the laptop was not in the warranty, they told me that it will charge me around Rs.25,000 to fix that issue. So, I have been regretting that decision of mine. Let's see what happens now.
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