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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

    I bought a watch last year during my birthday and that purchase was the worst purchase of my life that I really wanted to return. As I remember it was my birthday and my parents gifted me that watch and they have seen that watch online during a sale on Amazon and they were very attracted to that watch because it has many features, it had many features like heart rate monitoring, step monitoring and many sensors like activity sensors, swimming sensors and it was waterproof moreover but when it arrived it looks so different that I really wanted to return at the exact time when it arrived. After that I explored its functions and the functions were not complete as shown in the advertisement and that's the worst purchase I have ever made and that watch is not really looked like it was online like the screen size was typically less than which was shown in the advertisement and the functions were missing and the strap of the watch was somehow damaged and that's so disgusting for me and as I have saved my pocket money and gave it to my parents to buy me that watch it hurts so much to me and after that I requested a return and after seven days the delivery guy came and collected the watch from me and after that I felt very happy.

    Band 6-7

    I recently bought a dress for myself that is a Punjabi with dupatta from Amazon. I liked the dress very much. The color of the dress was peach and it attracted me to buy it as soon as I saw from the website. So I just bought it giving my details as L size and I got I ordered it the end of this last month and I just got that particular parcel in the first week of this month. I felt really overwhelmed to open that particular parcel because I really like that product and whenever I as soon as I opened the product I was happy but the size did not match me so I just wanted to return it. However I couldn't do that because they were arguing that the size delivered was correct only and it was my mistake that I have not put a correct size so because I like that product very much and I couldn't return it I kept that product with me and I gave it to my mother she in turn gave it to my cousin and she was very happy that size was fit for her and I am happy for this because at least that product will be used by somebody else known to me even though I didn't use that product so I am happy for getting that product.

    Band 6-7

    I wanted to, I would like to talk about a Bluetooth speaker which I bought in last month. I ordered a product on the online, it's a boat speaker, but I got a different product. It's some local brand which has no quality and the features of the Bluetooth speaker are very normal. I ordered the Bluetooth speaker choosing reviews and searching Bluetooth speakers online and comparing it to different products. I chose the best one, but I got a product that is very cheap. I contacted the customer care and they responded immediately and I explained about the situation. They asked me to wait for some time and after that they called again and informed me to upload the photos of the speaker. I then uploaded front and back of the image of the speaker. After that, I got an email regarding the speaker that my return request was approved. Moreover, I felt happy with the customer care because they gave me great support and their way of approach is very good. Furthermore, I got the, I returned the old product in the next two days. After returning a product in the next three days, I got my old product which is very good. It has a few features that are very good.

    Band 6-7

    I have recently bought a pair of earrings they are so pretty so nice but there's a problem with that earring one of the earring is colorless from the backside and it is broken too so that's why I want to return it and the salesperson in the mall was too polite he's so generous he helped me with the returning process

    Band 6-7

    Often in our daily life, we tend to buy something which is not very useful and we want to return to get our money back. I remember once buying a wireless headphones which were not mostly used by me but I bought it seeing the trend. Those wireless headphones were of Apple but it had a great latency in any video games so I didn't prefer wearing it while playing video games. I preferred wearing my wired headphones which were of boat and had a great audio sound quality and also the mic was really too good. When I went to the store to return the wireless headphones, the staff working there refused me and said that they have no return policy. I was really disappointed and sad and thought that I had wasted my money. I had then gave those headphones to my friend who really needed it because he used to travel and he didn't have a wireless headphones and the wired headphones made a lot of trouble as they mixes with his pockets and didn't worked very well and didn't go on a long range. The wireless headphones provided a long range up to 10 meters and could also have a great audio and calling features.

    Band 6-7

    So, I began this, I would like to share experience when I ordered books from online shop. I remember when I was studying in my first course at university, I bought a book called Why I'm Saved by Lea Thornton. This book is a Russian classic, considerably it contained two volumes. After I received my order, I was over the moon, but while looking through them, I realized some pages were missing. After that, I was completely disappointed, so the books were so useless and colorless that I could not read them at all. So, I decided to return them since I had a receipt and warranty from the online shop. They did not refuse my request and offered to exchange the books for once in better condition. I agreed to that, I sent them the books I had bought earlier, and they processed my request positively.

    Band 6-7

    No audio text available

    Band 6-7

    Well, there were several things I bought in my life, but now I'd like to tell about a thing that I bought and really wanted to get back. When I was 18, my parents gave me a laptop named SU, which has a great graphics card and big screen. But later I realized it is none of my business as I was a student and I was preparing for myself to pursue my Bachelors in Transformation IT and I found that it is not like I wanted to do. I wanted that. But from that, these days, I developed my interest in video editing and graphic designing and I use DaVinci Resolve and After Effects to create some effects and a beautiful GFX models. And these days I realized it is very useful to me and I am also studying on that laptop and I am very good to know that it is very useful to me and I will suggest anyone to have a laptop because it is a thing that any individual can easily learn and most of the universities and colleges require a good laptop which has great specifications and most of the individuals are buying those for their further studies and in my opinion, every individual should have to buy a laptop because it will benefit them in many ways like studying, making their career growth fast and so many things.

    Band 6-7

    When I was a kid, my mom told me to bring a kg of atta, which is used for chapatis or puri etc. But instead of bringing atta, I brought what we call rava upma maida, which has a similar texture and smell etc. When I brought it to home and mom opened the cover, she told me this is the wrong item. So I had to go back 10 km for that thing. And when I went there, the shopkeeper was not there at the moment. So I waited for a few minutes, after few minutes the shopkeeper came and then I told him that I have brought a wrong product. I was very nervous to ask because when I was a child, I had a fear to talk with elders.

    Band 6-7

    I have bought on music player that's from the Harbin Norman and when I bought it they display it was displayed on the showroom and and the salesman checked it and give it to me then I took it home and when I reached home and I tried to play that music player but it was not working properly at that time so it wasn't making a dodgy sound so I thought I should return this and then I decided to go back to the next day and but before that I have called them up and then said that I'm going to return the product and they said okay no problem you can bring it tomorrow so I went next day and I have given them this product and they were checked and they found yes I was right about the complaint and then they asked me that whether I want a new one or I want my refund so this I have selected a new piece which was working nice and yeah I bought that one and I went home and it was working very well so I was happy the way they have treated and I think the product works well afterwards and I used it for a long period of time and I still enjoy it sometimes nowadays
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