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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

    Nowadays I have been a shopaholic person when I was a child I didn't shop too much because I didn't know anything about clothes if I want to wear any attire I just ask my parents to bring that and they always brought me things during my college days I have heard about a lot of websites that sell good materials to their customers then I installed one of the applications called Myndra actually Myndra is a clothing website where we can see a lot of collections including ethnic as well as modern wear two days ago I had a birthday party so I ordered one jumpsuit from there when I see that dress on the website it was so elegant and beautiful but I got that dress within 24 hours it doesn't look like that picture that made me so upset and nervous then I thought that I should replace that cloth in future I also decided to not order any kind of dress from online to be honest I didn't have much time to go to a shop

    Band 6-7

    It was last year when my husband wanted to buy a bicycle for his nephew. At that time we were searching for a good bicycle and we went to different shops. So we got one from that shop, I mean we bought one cycle from that shop and we returned to home. At the shop the cycle looks very good condition, it seems to be in a very good condition and we got, we thought we got it for less price after speaking to the owner. But after coming to home, when my, when our nephew started his riding on the bicycle, suddenly the chain got struck and we were unable to clear that chain from the cycle and the brakes were also not in a proper condition. So we thought okay, let it be returned to the shop. So we went to the shop and spoke with that owner, but he didn't agree with us. Finally he came to argument and he spoke in a very bad language. My husband literally got into fight with that shopkeeper. At last finally we succeeded in returning that cycle. So after that my husband felt very bad and I suggested my husband that so whenever we want to buy a new bicycle or anything, we have to check thoroughly and then only we have to buy or else if we keep on returning things like this, that won't seem good.

    Band 6-7

    Due to the development in technology, there are plethora amount of sources available where we can buy multiple type of things. Here I would like to talk about one thing which I bought recently and I want to return it. Talking about a dress, now a days Raksha Bandhan is coming so that I want to buy a dress and I decided to visit a local market. About one week ago I visited a local market in Vadodara and I brought a dress, a lemon color dress which looks very pretty and it was beautiful but I am in a hurry so that I do not wear, I do not check it properly and when I come back at my home and I have a time to sew it, I sew it and wear it to try it once. On that time I realized that the dress have a small hole in front so that I want to return it but after that I visited that shop again and I told them I want to return it because of the damage. They told me that you should not return it because we do not have a return policy. I feel very bad so I feel that I should take care about it and I should sew it when I bought it. The return policy is not the good way, that's why I feel that it is not good.

    Band 6-7

    Recently, my parents and I were decluttering our house and we started with the kitchen. So we were planning to declutter the whole kitchen and take out all the old containers and boxes that were used to stock up our dry groceries and we were planning to buy new containers. So I went on Amazon online and searched through different containers that we can buy and found a few good ones, transparent ones with black lids and I ordered around 8 of those but when they arrived, they were not of good quality. The mouth of the containers were having rough edges and the lid was also not enclosing properly. So the quality was not as good as expected. Therefore I had to return those containers but there were slight issues regarding the procedures of the return as the seller of the containers has to accept. So there were slight complications of it but eventually I was able to return those and buy even better good quality containers which now we have used to fill.

    Band 6-7

    I bought a pressure cooker from Amazon online and actually I am disappointed because the cooker was not working properly and I am desperately want to replace it and get my refund but the company does not respond. I am thoroughly feeling very bad because when I started cooking, the cooking does not work well and there is some problem in the cooker itself. So, what it is damaged, so I now want to, I was very eagerly want to return that one but the company is not responding. Actually, I regret to bought that cooker but now I can't do anything because they are not responding back. I lost my money because of a useless product that I bought.

    Band 6-7

    I have bought some clothes for myself and for my family members. The thing I have noticed on the clothes that all the clothes were not fitting properly to my family. So everybody noticed some different issues. I have noticed that the clothes were defective. My father noticed that it was not fitting well to his body. My mother looked very carefully towards it and saw that there are some defects in the material. So I went to the store and I tried to replace it as soon as possible. But at that time they were not very responsive. I was very worried as this cost a lot for me. So they were trying to neglect that the clothes were proper. There is more defect. There might be some issues during travelling or taking out. So they were blaming on me. I tried to mail on their official website. Still they were not able to reply me properly. I have tried to mail continuously for multiple days to their managers as well as to the main office. I have also tried to connect to the main headquarters so that I can get the proper solution according to my requirement. I have tried these things for more than a month. Finally I got some results and I got replaced from it. At that time they were very sorry about it that the service was not good.

    Band 6-7

    Last month, I bought a new smartphone. I purchased it from a mobile shop in my city. It is a Samsung phone with a big screen and good camera quality. And it because my old phone was very slow and the battery did not last longer. Also, I needed a better phone for my online classes and video calls with my family. I saved my money for many months to buy this phone. When I finally bought it, I felt very happy and proud. The phone works really well. I can take clear photos, watch videos and use apps smoothly. This was an important purchase for me and I use the phone every day. I feel that it was a good decision and totally worth the money. And good decision, I buy the phone.

    Band 6-7

    It's not something new to me that I am buying something and afterwards I'm not able to return because there is no option of return so it's quite often that I used to do this mistake and recently I bought a lip balm which was very costly it's around 1500 for a lip balm and I really feel guilty about it that I bought it. When I went to the website for return there was no option of returning so I was not able to return it. It was really good, the item was really nice, it was very hydrating and it gave a tint effect on your lips when you apply it but obviously it's a very much costly that for a lip balm I am investing 1500 this doesn't make any sense because a normal lip balm is to come around 200 and I am buying this in triple price of it so yeah and afterwards I felt really guilty that I'm not paying for my lip balm my father paid for my lip balm and I really don't want to say them that what I bought because I really told them that I bought a cream or a sunscreen like that stuff for that this amount is and afterwards if they are gonna find that they're gonna be very upset because it's not a normal thing for us to buy a lip balm for 1500 because neither my mom brought so much pricey items nor I do but mistakenly I bought this and I really don't think I was gonna do that again

    Band 6-7

    Recently I bought a gym pant for my gym sections but it wasn't according to my expectations. The material and the quality of the product was really not satisfactory. So I really wanted to return it but due to my hectic schedule I had no time to go to the app and give a return. So I absolutely forgot about that and I kept it here without even throwing the cover out. After a week I realized that the time to return it was over and I had to use it but I didn't use it as a gym pant but rather I used it as a normal pyjama set pant or a nightwear pant. So it was really sad for me because I wanted a gym pant for my gym session as it was more comfortable to use but I ended up wasting money and it was of no use which really made me awful.

    Band 6-7

    I actually bought a hair straightener which is like a comb. I was amused by the way they presented it to me when I went to the shop. It was so good. The way it made the frizzy hair look straight was such a pleasure to watch with your naked eyes. I bought it immediately and then I realized I was scammed. I really wanted to return it but the shop said no refunds available. It's hard to accept the truth that I was fooled by them. This straightener was not actually working and it never made my frizzy hair look straight. My frizzy hair always looked frizzy and when we try hard to make it look straight it only lasted for a half an hour and then my hair was back to normal. I didn't expect it to be that way and I immediately started writing reviews to that shop saying that the way you presented and the way I have it in my house it's not the same. The one you showcased me was so good that I immediately felt the urge to buy it and after buying it it's not worth the hype.

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    Students Enrolled

    review count

    2,411 Reviews

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    See Course Details