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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 today I want to talk about something I recently bought and I really wanted to return it. It was a charger. I bought a charger for my husband's birthday which was 2 months ago. I bought a charger because his previous charger was broken. Sometimes it doesn't charge very well with that wire. So I wanted to surprise him with a new charging cable. But when I looked online there is only I think 200 something rupees of the difference in the charger itself and cable. So I thought I'll buy a charger set, charger, a rocket and a cable for him. But when it came my husband told me that it doesn't want to charge and it is very expensive. So immediately I went to the website and started a returning policy. But I realized that there is no return policy on that wire.

    Band 6-7

    I was actually looking for a white straight pan for a long time. I checked different shops and both in my hometown and in my town where I'm working and even in the online platforms but I couldn't find a perfect match for me and when it comes to online I was more afraid whether whether they will fit nicely or will they be of the same quality as they had mentioned in the site so I had a lot of confusions to purchase it from the online. So many a time I was badly looking for it but couldn't find it and it was two months back that I found a white straight pant and in pantaloons so I thought I would give it a try but when I checked the price it was too costly it was it was double the price double the actual price so I was a little confused whether to buy or not and I tried it on okay it was fine it was fitting well but this price was keeping on bothering me however I was so tired of searching it for everywhere so I decided I will give it a try that is how I bought it home but when I bought it home the things turned topsy-turvy the one that looks classy in the shop now looks too too bad actually it looks too bad on me actually and it was there was many folds which I couldn't straighten it even by ironing and when I tried to match it

    Band 6-7

    Just last month, I got a Bluetooth speaker from this brand Portonix. I got it from their official website and it was delivered within 4 days of me placing the order. Once the Bluetooth speaker arrived, I checked how it functioned and in the start everything seemed fine. But just about 15 minutes into the use, the volume suddenly dropped and it was not functioning as it was expected to. So I tried reaching out to the support team on the official website and they told me that it was maybe because I had dropped it or you know because of my carelessness that some of the issues might have occurred but I tried explaining it to them that I was just checking how it functions and just felt that it is not performing as it should and I tried asking them to replace the order or at least provide me with a refund but they were very persistent on the issue being caused due to my misconduct. Later on, I even tried to drop a mail on their customer care telling them to replace this or provide a refund and it was later given to me.

    Band 6-7

    Good afternoon, firstly thank you so much for asking me this question. The shopping which I did last month was a pair of shoes which I bought online from a well-known online shopping website. The pair of shoes which I bought or purchased was from a very well-known brand. I would not like to name the brand. I thought that it would be a great experience wearing the shoes but ultimately and ironically it didn't come true. Why so? It was faulty. Although it was very good looking, very cool, very flashy which I wanted to but it did not meet my expectations. It was faulty in the sense, it started biting my heel when I walked. It was very rough on my sole. It was very tight although the size is exactly what I am wearing but even after that it seemed not to be properly crafted. It was very ill-crafted. So I thought to talk to the customer care. I connected with them. They talked to me. They arranged a representative. He came and visited my place. Thanks a lot for that. But when I described my problem, he simply denied. He said that there seems no problem with the shoes although I presented all the bills, receipts, documents. So I am feeling very disappointed with the brand, very disappointed with their claim of refund or refund.

    Band 6-7

    Very recently I bought the white sneakers from amazon online shopping app I wanted sneakers since long time so I placed an order I placed an order for white sneakers of size 9 but I got size 8 which is bigger in my size which is bigger for my shoe size so I had to repress that order so I had to return the order there were some online complications between the app I was not able to return the order firstly I had a feeling of anxiety I thought that I could not return the order but afterwards firstly I had an anxiety that I might not able to return the order but after sometime after few complications here and there I was able to return the order and after 4-5 days of whole the process I got my new shoes which were exactly the shoe size which I needed and I was relieved at that time when I got my actual shoe size the product was good the quality was good I was just bit disappointed with the with the transport facilities and the staff members

    Band 6-7

    Well, I am usually a person who usually buy things online and do a lot of shopping online. However, here I would like to talk about an item which I purchased earlier that I... purchased online. The name of the item is jacket. I purchased online jacket from Adidas brand. Actually, I was busy in my hectic schedule, so I placed an order of my product online and I bought a jacket online. But when I received the order after a week, then the quality was really bad of that jacket, which made me so disappointed. And that is why I thought of returning it. And when I called the delivery agent, then he agreed with my point of view. And he told me that he sent his customer agent at my home to get back the product and give me the returned one. However, I felt really bad because first time I did online shopping and bought a new product, but my experience was extremely bad with it. So, yes, I think buying with full details is really necessary when you bought something.

    Band 6-7

    I am a very big fan of shopping things online, that's why I prefer to order online, because it has the home delivery facility which makes it more convenient. I once bought a shorts of white color online and the problem was that the shorts was so thin, it was of such a poor quality that it was a bit transparent I would say, which made it difficult for me to wear, so I had no option but to return it. The return facility was so poor that it made me so worried whether my money will be refunded or not. Moreover, they didn't have any helpline number to call on, which made it more complicated I would say and when I initiated the process of returning, there were so difficulties and at last the return was accepted, but I didn't receive my money. It took at least one week for them to return my money back into my account, moreover, the person who was allotted my pickup didn't come on time, it took him 2-3 days to come to pick up my order back so that my money can be refunded. The facility was so poor that I started hating on that app. I felt quite relieved after that because I received my money safe and sound I would say, but the quality of that shorts was so poor, like how can someone make such a poor quality shorts. Moreover, the facility of returning was also not good, so personally I had a very bad review of that app.

    Band 6-7

    I really wanted to return the top I got last week from Amazon. I had bought it at an offer of a 20% discount. I really liked the red color. In addition to that I also was impressed by the floral design, how it looked on the model. So I was very excited to buy it and try it. In fact I was looking forward to the day my dress was actually delivered. The moment my dress got delivered the first thing I did was went and tried it on and with great sorrow I realized that it did not fit and I had ordered a wrong size. So I had to return it and get a new one at my size. So I went back on Amazon and tried to return it but I couldn't find the same item in my size. So I had encountered a huge problem. Then I thought that maybe I can give that to my sister because she's two size short smaller than me and maybe it might fit her. In hopes that I have not wasted my money I gave it to my sister. Fortunately it was perfect for her and I ended up keeping the top.

    Band 6-7

    Recently I have bought a second-hand iPhone as it is a good company and the model name is 13 Pro Max. As I was using the smartphone, it became very laggy which is very unfortunate as the company claims that their phones never get laggy or kind of stopping. But this problem was very major for me as I am doing editing on that phone and various other tasks. However, after facing that problem, I went to the iPhone store and told them to return it to and claim me some kind of money or exchange the phone with another one. But they told me that the phone warranty has been expired and there is no solution for this problem as the model is now outdated and the company claims that you have to buy the new one and there is no solution for this problem. But I feel like it is very difficult for me now to do the table tasks in my everyday life. I feel very angry at the company that they sold the outdated product to me at very high cost as it was about 45,000 Indian Rupees which is a loss for an investor in the smartphone. But I feel like their excuse is genuine as the model is outdated. But it was very awkward for me to do and to express that feeling to them.

    Band 6-7

    I bought a guitar from one of the offline stores available in the instrument market in Delhi. It was a very nice guitar and it was from a good company. Initially, I really enjoyed, you know, for the first two weeks, I really enjoyed playing it, practicing it and I was very excited about it because being a, I mean, I'm really into the pop music and rock music. So I always wanted to perform one of the gigs and guitar riffs that, you know, which usually we hear from the band from the 80s and 90s. But eventually, since I have a job, a permanent job and, you know, I also work out, I, after a month, I was not consistent with my practice. So I, you know, I just left my guitar in between, learning my guitar in between and then I jumped back again on learning it and then, you know, I was actually very inconsistent about it. So I thought of returning it back because it was an expensive thing, which I have bought and I really hope that they will, you know, I really hope that that they will accept it. But then again, as soon as I reached it, even though I had bought it from one of my contacts, he told me that, you know, we won't be able to take a return of it. And so I even asked him, you know, that, can you just, you know, pay me half of a price and then just keep this guitar because it was actually very new, right? But then they refused it and I was really feeling bad during that time because it was a big investment.
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