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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 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

    So, it was few days back when I ordered a laptop sleeve for my laptop, macbook, I recently purchased a macbook from chroma and I ordered a sleeve to protect my back, so I ordered a laptop sleeve online on me show, I checked all the websites to check which website has the latest sleeves and all the reviews are 5 started, so I thought to it should be better to order on me show, so I ordered it and then when I bought it, it was the same as it was showing in online but I forgot one thing that the size of the sleeve was 16 inch and my laptop is a 12 inch, so it was too big for my laptop, so I got worried about this, so I thought to return it, when I tried to return it and then it accepted my return request immediately but there were few things which I am afraid of, first I live in my college and I have to return in the college hours, so I was worried that my classes will start and all and second thing I was lucky when the delivery agent came and I couldn't pick up my call, so what and in my college there are a lot of network problem, so I was also worried about this, so but in the last it was moved and it got returned and I got money refunded in just 5 to 10 minutes after the pickup was done, so it was the amazing experience buying on the me show.

    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.

    Band 6-7

    I love to stay fit, so I regularly do workout and go to gym and in addition use supplements which are quite important for my muscles to grow, like protein, creatine and multivitamin tablets. So recently I bought a protein powder which cost me around 8000, I guess its quite expensive, I expected it would have given me great results, I used it for a month then I started feeling bloating in my stomach. In addition with some allergic reactions in my body, I tried to return it, I even posted many mails to the company but they didn't respond me on the topic of return. The product was under the risk of unreturnable items, so sadly my request got cancelled and I regret ordering protein from the website. I wasted 8000 of rupees which is hard to digest, yet I feel I will never repeat such mistakes again of ordering protein powders online or any supplements through websites. From next time I will go to store and buy things.

    Band 6-7

    १.२ ०२। seeds ०२॥ Well.. That's an captivity cue card To talk about the things I really want to return In my 24 years of life There are multitudes of things which have brought and really want to return But for the sake of this cue card I will like to talk about the thing which I really want it to return Recently Few months back I bought a phone for myself It was Google's Pixel 7 It was really a dream phone for me as I really wanted this device from years and when I got this device there was a minor issue with the microphone and I was not happy with that I really wanted to return that device as in my mind I am also thinking about how I get this device and how I was dreaming about getting a Google's phone from years and when I got this it was not in the best condition Moreover I have also spoken to some of the customer care persons They recommended me to visit a service center where they have taken 7 days to repair that device which was really frustrating as I have no other device to use in 7 days After that they have returned that device to me and the time they have consumed was really frustrating and not up to my thinking I really wanted to return that device on that place but on the other hand I appreciate

    Band 6-7

    Now this is a really very interesting question, the thing that I brought was a t-shirt. I brought it from an online platform, soul store. It was an oversized t-shirt and when I received the parcel and tried it on, I really did not like the cloth that it was made of. It was quite rough and I felt really uncomfortable while wearing it. So I wanted to return the product and when I filled in the return process, I got a message that my request was denied because when I sended the picture and contacted the seller support, they informed me that because removing the tag, now the t-shirt cannot be returned. And I felt that it was a really sad moment for me as I had spent some money on a valuable stuff that I really liked but now because I wasn't able to return it, I had to keep the product and also had to face the loss of the money. Apart from that, I also felt that since I have brought the t-shirt, so I must wear it and it is a really awful experience whenever I am wearing the t-shirt. Furthermore, I would like to add that it was a great design and pattern. Only because the clothing was not good enough, I felt that I had to return it. So as of now, I occasionally wear it on my week off or while I am at home and I am not really a lot interested in the t-shirt that much. So I am not planning to wear it for a while and I will soon give it to my sibling or friend if they would like to accept the t-shirt.

    Band 6-7

    Recently I bought a good, a very costly mobile phone after seeing or I would say after you know getting influence by others that I should also have a very good phone or you know a costly mobile phone but you know after using sometime I felt this was not needed because it is moreover similar to my previous phone, moreover apps are same, moreover you know I mean most of the features are same, the only thing it has a brand value, it has a brand name so that is it is costly and the worst thing happened when I try to return to this mobile to the shopkeeper from where I purchased this, he behaved very rudely although it was in, it was in you know what should I say there is a period like there is a capping that within 2 days or 3 days you can return your things if you are not liking it so this was in that service so I tried to return this item back to the person and he clearly refused to take it back and there I felt that I have wasted my money on it and I realized that we should really really you know spend our money wisely, once we you know do such kind of act we do not realize initially but after using the product for a while we know that where we have gone wrong and that's a alarming point for us.

    Band 6-7

    Once I have bought a steady lamp I was very excited because I always wanted to have a steady lamp on my study table but unfortunately once it came I tried to turn on the power button but it was not working it was not showing any at least dim light it was entirely damaged I think it might be due to them transportation during the time it might happen during the transportation but I felt very sad about it because I always wanted to have a steady lamp on my table and it was the first time I bought something that I always wanted to buy and I actually I have bought it without my mother's permission but after it came my mother already called me and when it was not working she really called me then I unfortunately I had to return it to them but I tried to buy another lamp but I lost my hope because I think the online marketing need to be more careful enough when they are dealing with these kind of electronic devices and I felt

    Band 6-7

    One day I was really excited to buy a new skin care product. I am really fond of skin care and taking care of my skin. So I often find myself purchasing skin care products. So one day I bought a skin care product from a derma company which included niacinamide and vitamin C combined together. After ordering it I got to know that my skin barrier would not accept both the ingredients together because my skin is really weak and my skin barrier is very unhealthy. So thankfully it was refundable and I got my money back in my bank account after a few days. I learned a lesson that it is very important to know what type of skin you have and whether you really need such a product or not. Because if it was not refundable then I would be in a loss of 2000 rupees as the product was really expensive. Even in case of cheaper products it is important to keep in mind to purchase those products only that we really need. So that's the lesson I learned and I was thankful that my product got refunded and I got my money back. Moreover there was another time when I could not refund a dress. I often rush in shopping so I ordered a dress that was huge in size and I didn't bother to check the size chart and I ordered it. After it arrived I tried it on and it was super long for me.
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