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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 I ordered a beautiful and an elegant blue dress on online, on a website called MiuMieAsia. So due to the size difference, I wanted to return this dress because my size was an extra small. Therefore, in addition, they gave me a size large. So while trying to return it, I went into the website and I have selected the return option and I have tried returning it. But furthermore, it was 10 days, 10 days passed and there was no response from the website. So in addition, I put in an email to the brand stating that I need a return for this product because there was a size difference and after 3 to 5 days, the brand replied with a note stating that they are sorry for the delay and for the inconvenience and they returned my product in 2 to 3 days. So it was a bit time consuming experience but the dress was lovely. According to the dress, the dress was lovely, beautiful, elegant but it did not fit me.

    Band 6-7

    Today I would like to describe a thing that I buy online and returned it. It was a pair of shoes. My friend suggested me to buy that because I am looking for shoes and there was a sale on shoes and there is a lot of variety available on the website and it was branded shoes like Nike Adidas and some other. So I decided to buy a pair of Adidas shoes which was in black color and the logo is in white color. I placed the order and it was nearly 1500 and after one week I received my order and when I opened the order I was very disappointed because the shoes are fake, the logo of Adidas is fake because it is not double D, it is double A and I know that the famous brand of shoes Adidas does not make such a mistake. So I want to return it and I make a request for returning. After 2-3 days the delivery boy came to me and I returned to it and I got my refund. It was quite

    Band 6-7

    I would like to return a laptop that I purchased from Flipkart. It wasn't working very efficiently because there are some keyboard issues when I was trying to type something on Microsoft Office. There are some digits are not displaying on the keyboard. So I decided to return it to the Flipkart return hub center and it was a very awkward moment for me because they were not able to accept it because it's a third party seller item and it was difficult for me to get the refund for the laptop. So I contacted the seller and seller gave me some opinions to take it to the repair center and I think it is very much not convenient for me to take it in the repair center which has a warranty card. So I decided to return

    Band 6-7

    I worked and shopped online and it was a horrible experience. When I tried to return it, I tried to return it because it was very damaged but when I tried to return it, they wouldn't buy it. They said it was not an option and I gave them a negative feedback. So, I think it is really irresponsible of those people to not consider this returning feedback and not accepting these refunds and things. I really would like it if they change that policy of theirs and allow their customers to return products while still being comfortable to shop with them. A store should have these basic decent policies where they can offer their customers proper care and if anything is damaged, their customers should be able to return it to them without feeling obnoxious and very bad about themselves. They should try not to make them feel very bad and like they have done something wrong. It is actually just something that is not useful which needs to be returned because they find it not good. So, if they had to change one thing about their store, it must be the return policies of them. This issue needs to be addressed.

    Band 6-7

    No audio text available

    Band 6-7

    So a couple of days back I bought a crystal ball from Amazon.com which is one of the most popular sites in India. So this crystal ball was basically consisting of reindeer picture inside, not exactly picture but illustration of reindeer which is placed on a enlightening lamp which when turned on with the help of an adapter glows. So basically it was an art piece that you can use to add as a decorative piece in your room especially during the night time. But why do I wanted to return it although I bought it for my team lead to show my gratitude on his birthday. It was really beautiful when I looked it in the pictures that was provided by the sellers on Amazon. But when it arrived I was having different opinions because I was lightning struck by the fact that it was so small. I expected the illustration of the deer to be far better looking. It was kind of blurry in there. Additionally the reviews were also fake. I came to know that after I bought this because the review said that the ball also rotated but in originality it was just a still light lamp. So instead of reindeer I chose another seller and another product for my team leader. The second one was also crystal ball but this time I bought it from a different seller which was more reliable. So I bought one that depicts kind of a solar system containing of all the planets and sun which came as I expected. So it was also not a rotatory one but it satisfied my needs as it was far more meaningful.

    Band 6-7

    So, recently I bought linen pants. I wanted to buy linen pants for quite some time and then I finally found one good looking pants and I bought them. The material was of good quality also, which helped in picking up those. Linen as a material also provides ease in movement and it has a very breathable quality to itself, making it very summer friendly. So, after buying it, it shrank, it shrank like from full length to a cropped length, making it look very out of place whenever I would wear it with anything, so it became a hassle for me to go on with that pants and I really wanted to return it back. But since I had already washed them once, the company did not issue the return. They had a policy where clothes once used, washed or not carrying the company tag are not eligible for return and now I am left with.

    Band 6-7

    I bought one book for preparing for my JEE entrance examination, which is an engineering entrance examination. So, in order to crack that entrance examination, we need to work and we need to study really hard. So, for that I ordered one book, which is having a PYQ, which is previous year questions. So, I ordered that book, but that delivery boy mistakenly gave and delivered the wrong product for me. It is not a book what I ordered. It is a book which was ordered by someone, but he delivered to me mistakenly. So, I called back to the customer service and I complained about this problem. I wanted some book, but that guy delivered the wrong book and it is not mine. So, I told all this kind of stuff to the delivery, that the customer supports. So, they agreed to me and the delivery boy came to me and he gave my book, what I ordered. I got that book and also I explained the situation to him and he understand that and he get the book back, what he delivered wrong and he gave the back to the customers who ordered that particular book and I think it was a best experience for me and sometimes I feel frustrated because I ordered a book for the emergency purpose. I need that book to prepare for my exam, but two days was gone because of these issues created by the delivery boy and after everything was solved, but the two days was lost. That issue, in order to solve this, it takes two days to solve the issue, but everything is fine now. I got the book. I am preparing well.

    Band 6-7

    so the product I wanted that I bought but I really wanted to return was my G-Shock watch digital watch which was in fireball edition I'm a big fan of fireball series so I wanted to buy that watch I went to the store and I bought that watch which was orange in color since it was a dragon small edition I was completely lost in it and I just bought it but later I recognized that orange color watches can't be matched with every

    Band 6-7

    In Edinburgh, I visited there as a research student for 3 months. I bought a shoe from an online store called Temu. From there it arrived after 5 days and it was actually really low quality material, made up of really low quality material. And it was not also my size. So the size I chose was 9 and accordingly in India I am able to perfectly fit in that shoe size. But in UK it was smaller. So I had to return it back to the site and for that I did some online procedures. In India actually there is a process of returning items. The person comes to your home and collects it from there. But here I have to go to a special service where I have to actually post it so that it can be returned. It was for the first time so it was free of cost for me. And also going there was a really bad experience. I went there and there was a shopkeeper who was actually very rude to me. And I was really confused because I was doing it for the first time. I asked him many details about how to do it and he answered very rudely. But after all at the end I was able to return it and I was able to get all my refunds. After returning it I actually felt really good but also like I have that bad impression of the shopkeeper and really bad experience while returning it.
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