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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 319 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

    Recently I purchased a riding jacket which was made by Rhinox. Riding jackets are a special kind of jackets which are used during bike rides. It protects your body during accidents and any mishaps. I was really excited to use the jacket but when I used it I found out that it was a size small and I require a medium size. So I wanted to return it. I reached out to the customer service and they said that I have to wait for a week to get any kind of response. After a week or so I received an email which says that I had to contact the HOD or you can say I had to contact the regional manager. I was provided with the phone number and email address. I tried contacting the manager but they did not receive my call and they kept me on hold even after receiving my call. It was really frustrating. So what I did instead was I took the jacket to a nearby shop, a nearby auto parts shop. They also deal with riding jackets. So I made a deal where I just exchanged it with a larger size.

    Band 6-7

    I am not a person who shops a lot in online but recently I ordered a footwear from an online platform. The quality of the footwear was really good but I didn't like the fitting of the footwear. The front strap was very broad and it doesn't suit to my foot. So I think of returning it and when I checked to return the item I was shocked because I didn't notice the return time or return and exchange. I didn't notice anything about the return policy. So there is only return policy for damaged product. So I felt very bad because I didn't have the ability to return it. So I decided to keep it myself. Then I realized that if we shop from online we need to analyze all the details about the item and read reviews about it and check for all policies that are available in it. Then always we need to go for it. Otherwise we will lose our money and shopping online is bit confusing because of the items that in online are very different when comparing to different platforms, different online shopping platforms. So we compare all the platform fee and all then we go for the very little or very less money item. From that time I realized that we need to choose the quality item by reading the reviews and we need to analyze it.

    Band 6-7

    When I was in 10th grade, I was a big fan of tie-dye clothes and because of the Instagram reels, even I wanted one tie-dye hoodie or a tie-dye co-ord set. And so, I went to my mother after my exams and requested to get me a tie-dye clothes set. But, turns out that tie-dye clothes have to be made ourselves and first, I needed to buy a tie-dye kit which included a bucket, some paint and a plain hoodie. And so, we went on a shopping spree to the nearest supermarket which had a tie-dye kit. The tie-dye kit costed Rs. 3000 and thinking I would love it, I immediately bought it. And as soon as I reached home, I opened the kit and made my first bucket of tie-dye paint. I dipped the hoodie inside the bucket and as per the instruction video, I kept it in for 3 minutes but when I took it out, it was a complete disaster. The tie-dye which was on Instagram had turned tie-dyed and so, I got furious and I decided to immediately return the kit back. I went to the shopping mall and tried to return it but they refused because I had opened one packet and used some of the paint. I felt really bad because it was just a waste of Rs. 3000 and my mom also scolded me. But what mattered was the experience I had. I actually enjoyed the process and the excitement I had while dipping the t-shirt. And so, I kept on dipping white t-shirts until I finally received the Instagram fit tie-dye design.

    Band 6-7

    Yes, recently I bought the headphone of a company that was very good in view, but the listening quality was poor, then I contacted with the company person, then he told me to return the package from the Amazon, because I bought the Amazon, and now I was returned that, and my refund, I received my refund within 7 days, so I am going to bought a new, so I again ordered the same company and same model, and again I received that, that is very good quality, and I appreciate to the company, they helped me, and they returned my faulty headphone, and gave me a new headphone, thank you.

    Band 6-7

    Buying things gives happiness to everyone in their life. Every person has a dream to buy something in their life with their own money. Here I would like to describe about a watch which I wanted to buy for a long time. It was a black Emporio Armani watch which I was eager to buy for a long period of time. After a long period of wait, it was available on the app and for a good discount which was in my range. I was very happy that it was available and it was in my range and it was according to my wrist size. The watch really suited my dressing style and I was very keen to buy it. I ordered it the time it became available. It took a long time to reach my home. It almost took two weeks to reach my home. When I bought the watch, it looked very good and interesting but when it got delivered to my home, the watch had cracks on the glass of it which indicates that it was used before. I felt very bad after seeing the watch because I was very interested in seeing the watch and I was very eager to be waiting to see the watch. All in all, it was not a very great experience because I returned it after some time and I felt very sad because the watch was never available again.

    Band 6-7

    First of all, as far as I remember, I came across this experience last year during my summer vacation. Well, there are many experiences I can talk about, but today I would like to describe one which is really special to me. To be honest, it's a bit difficult to choose, but let me share the one that left a lasting impression on me. It happened last year in June 2024, at that time, I was studying. The main reason I want to talk about this, it was truly unique and unlike anything I had seen before. To give you more detail, let me tell you exactly what happened. I bought a smartwatch from an online website, and when I received it, it was not working. Then I really wanted to return it, but the return policy within 7 days overextended, but then I tried to return it, but it cannot be refunded. Another thing that made it special, the watch was used and the wallpaper of the watch was already used. During that time, I felt really it was a bit nerve-wracking, but at that time, but at the same time, exiting. Honestly, it was an eye-opening experience for me overall.

    Band 6-7

    Online shopping plays a pivotal role in the modern generation. The one thing that I wanted to return so badly was a black leather jacket, which I ordered from the Amazon website. I still remember the day when I was so excited to buy this jacket. Although the jacket came in 2-3 days, I was quite surprised by the delivery time, though the quality of the product seemed utter waste. The product was worn and torn and that wasn't the only issue that I noticed. The other major mess up was the size of the jacket. I ordered a small jacket and it came in a size bigger than that. So that was a really messed up situation that I got into. But there was always a solution to fix this. Amazon also had a method to fix this. Afterwards, I decided to return this product and replace with a new product. So the return was successful and I got the product replaced with a new product. When the new product arrived, I was quite satisfied with the material quality and the size. Overall, it was an amazing experience.

    Band 6-7

    I recently got myself a heel which I really liked but the issue was it didn't fit my feet and I was so disappointed because it was second time the first the first time it was the same heel but I had to replace it because the size didn't fit me and I and it had the last size that is 41 so I instead of 40 I replaced with it 41 and it came last week but it was still it still didn't fit me and I was so pissed I really like the material and everything that this company offers offered but the thing is even if the shoe the heel the shoes are pretty if it doesn't make me comfortable it's of no use so for that reason I had to return however there is no update of when my parcel will be picked from my place so I'll be waiting for that and hopefully yes the shoe will get returned and I'll get back my refund

    Band 6-7

    Well, I have bought many items in my life and I have not written many of them. But I vividly remember one time I have bought a dress from online shopping on Myntra and after receiving that dress, I realized I have made a big mistake to bought this. Because the dress what I saw on the online website that was really good, fascinating and attracting towards my eyes. But when I received that was really different what I saw in the picture that was really opposite from them. And the color combination is really worst. Then I tried to return it but due to some issues I am unable to return that dress. After that I thought I never will buy anything from Myntra but I have bought many things after that also. At the end I would like to say that if you are buying anything don't trust in the first time because sometimes you will not receive what you wanted from your heart and what you dream for anything. But yeah that's the good experience. I learned a big moral value that if we are buying anything firstly we have to see the

    Band 6-7

    to be honest I'm very fond of shoes so I love collecting them and I still remember there was a time when I bought this pair of Nike shoes and I ordered it from online I thought it was my correct shoe size when I ordered it but when I received it it was one size smaller than my shoe size I tried to contact them for returning severe times but there was no response from them side and I felt really really disheartened and disappointed with the brand because I was not expecting this kind of behavior with such a big brand and that time onwards I've decided something that if I really want to buy a shoe I'll go personally in their offline stores I'll try it and then I'll buy it because it kind of honestly kind of took a really big loss for me that pair easily was a hefty amount of pair which went on usually literally no of no use so I later on I decided to donate it to some of my friends so yeah but now if I have to buy something or for shoes I really go I really prefer offline stores
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