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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

    While I was surfing the internet, I have found a jacket on an application called Trendule. The jacket was brilliant and colorful, so I have decided to order it. But unfortunately, after receiving the jacket, I have found it not fitted with me because the size wasn't correct. I have ordered 42, but I have received 43, so it was larger than me. I have decided to return it, so I called the call center and contacted them by email. They have accepted to return the jacket and getting back my money after 3 working days. They were very professional and I have felt like I'm dealing with a large company and that make me order again from them but another one. Being a professional with some application or some company make me very comfortable and I have learned that I have to ensure from anything that I would order online in the next times.

    Band 6-7

    The item that I bought is a stomach belt. It's a belt that supports the stomach and it helps to reduce weight. But the product which I bought, which I ordered was a plus size product. But they have given me a wrong size product. So, I asked them to return it and exchange it with the exact item that I ordered. But they had refused and said that they have sent the right product for me. But when I tried it, it was not fitting me up. So, I showed them that it is not fitting. Then they said we will consider this problem and forward this query to their concerned person and we will get back to it. So, I waited for a few days and they answered that come to their store and take your product from there. They didn't even consider to deliver my home because it was not my problem which is created by them. So, at least they should have this consideration of sending by post or not creating a problem for me. But I have gone there and collected my product.

    Band 6-7

    I bought a bed for my home but after purchasing the whole scenario come in my mind that the bed size is bigger than my room and then I decided to return that when I tried to return the shopkeeper was reluctant to accept it but after explaining my problem and on his insistence he accepted and he was very humble he also returned my money instantly I feel very relaxed after the return of my bed it was like I have put many kilogram of weight from my

    Band 6-7

    The thing that I really wanted to return was a t-shirt that I bought from my nearby shop. It was actually quite small when I tried it on in the shop itself, in the changing room. I thought it would be okay and somehow I bought it due to the design as I like the design. But when I came to my home and when I checked it in my home mirror, I was able to see that there was some damage in the t-shirt and it doesn't suit me well. So, I was like really thinking to exchange it as the store was having an exchange policy within 7 days to return the product. So, I was like asking my parents that I would really love to exchange the shirt and buy a new one instead of this. By the way, I like the color and the design it was having and the next day I went to return it with the bill and the store manager accepted it and they have given me a new piece which I checked then and there. It was okay and without any damage and it was having much more brighter color than the previous one. I really like the new dress, actually the same one but much more good looking than the old. It was good and I took it and when I came home and checked it after wearing in front of my mirror, I felt really good.

    Band 6-7

    It is truly said that mobiles play a very important role in everyone's life, no one can turn a blind eye to its importance. So today as per demand of my cue card, I would like to describe a thing I bought and I want to return it. So three months back, my old mobiles do not work properly, so I decided to buy a new mobile and I decided to buy online. I checked all websites and finally decided to buy both iPhone 13 on Flipkart.com and I checked its price, it is almost 45,000 and I decided to purchase and I fixed date and order purchased and I think it was one month delivery. So I was very excited for my new mobile and I also see notifications about my order. After one month I received my order, I am very excited to see our new mobile and I open it and when I check my mobile, I feel it is not real, it feels old mobile and so many scratches on my new mobiles and I really sad for this and I check my mobile and the mobile is really used, the website can scan with me, I see all websites are downloaded and so many other people's photos are here. I think the mobile is not real, so I think this is thing can I want both and I want to return. So all it all, that's it.

    Band 6-7

    So there was this one time when I was going to the restaurant. I saw a post related to Korean pants being sold. And at that moment Korean pants were the talk of the show. I mean everyone wants to have Korean pants which look really cool and stylish. So I went ahead and bought myself a Korean pants and when it arrived I tried it on but it was really thick and baggy which I didn't like at all. So I tried returning it back but the customer service didn't reply to it spontaneously so I just don't know what to say.

    Band 6-7

    Buying and returning things are a very joyful phase of everyone's life. As I will now introduce my fast track watch. It's been a very decent watch that I bought but after my suggestions from parents and my friends and my most effective suggestion was from my brother's side as the color of the watch is very dull that means it's not very bright. As my brother says that watch suits with bright colors. So the brother's suggestion hit my mind and I often thought that I will return the watch. I bought the fast track watch from the mall and returned it and have a new watch with bright colors. As I think the shopkeeper didn't say anything about that. They just simply returned the watch and gave me my blue color watch.

    Band 6-7

    On a fine Saturday evening, my mom asked me to buy some refined oils for our food purpose. I went to the nearby departmental stores and I have bought one. Unfortunately I missed to check the expiry date but I came back to my home. My mom noticed that and I got many scold for that and then I just went to return back the refined oil to the property owner. Unfortunately during that time, I don't have the manager there. There was only two sales persons accounting the billing and sales. But I asked the manager to come on my call and I clarified him why I was returning back the oil and I also forced him to take out all the expired stocks in the departmental stores eventually it will cause harm for many other individuals in my neighborhood. Politely they have accepted it and the next few minutes they have removed all and the new stocks piled up and I brought the new one back to my home. During that day, I felt really nice. I had a great sleep that remembering I saved many of the persons health on that particular day by not giving expired oil.

    Band 6-7

    Usually, I don't like to return products that I bought in online as it involves a large number of procedures. However, last time I got a bad experience from an online site. The experience was, I bought a pair of shoes from a flipkart last month and I think the pictures that was shown in the site was pretty good. And when I got the product, I opened the box immediately after the delivery boy go back. Then I found that the shoes are not in a correct size and also these shoes are not in a pair. One shoe is of another brand and the next one is the brand which I ordered. And it was cost around 10,000 K which was a huge amount for me. So, I don't want to waste my money for buying wrong products. And that was not my mistake. I ordered the correct product and the company cheated me by sending wrong products to me. I didn't find any defects on them. However, the brand and the size was not in a correct manner. And I just opened their customer care platform to claim return on the product. First, they didn't respond immediately. But I tried messaging them to return my product as soon as possible. I have to refund the money soon. However, the next day they reverted that.

    Band 6-7

    Okay, so there was a perfume that I've ordered. It was from the website that to a very popular website known as Flipkart and I ordered a perfume from that. It was quite expensive. And what I got on the day it delivered is just a real water bottle that that costs like 20 rupees I would say and I was devastated when I found that out. So I just called the customer service and I asked them to repeat that and I literally asked them that I wanted to return this item and they were very, very supportive. They returned it and placed a new order that the same day and I got delivery after three to five days besides I was devastated those days when.

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