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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

    Okay, so let me think. The one thing which I bought that I really wanted was a little toy which is known as cash register. It's a little plastic thing in which it's a whole get-up and a set-up of a real cash register. You do chang and the money pops out, obviously fake money. Moreover, it was very intriguing for me since I was a little kid and that was a huge big of a deal obviously for me. So I begged my parents to get it for me and it was a huge, huge, huge hassle, like a very big hassle to get them to buy that for me. One day after so many struggles, they just bought it for me because it was my never-ending cries. So, after I got that toy in my home, I played it for two minutes and then I understood that it's just a stupid little toy. It has a little number keypad thing, you enter money and then there is a little fake barcode object. You hold and just check the barcode just for show and then it's over. And then I cried that I didn't want it and it costed like around 50 riyals which is a lot to be honest in that era. So yeah, I was like I just want to return it and after I returned it, after my parents returned it, I felt really like self-satisfied because I didn't want to waste the money and I was happy that in the end I made the right decision even though it had

    Band 6-7

    Yes, I bought inline skates one year before and I wanted to return it because it has bad adjustment with my feet and also it was a little large against my feet so I wanted to return it but when I realized it, it was too late and I can't return it, I couldn't return it, sorry and recently I sold it on WheelX where you can sell second hand products and I sold it in exact amount as I bought so it was good experience and also the skates I bought was little old because it was one year old and I also want to buy new skates.

    Band 6-7

    Once a day, in my free time, I don't know what to do, then I open a shopping app in my phone and ordered a trouser for me. It is pink in color and about 7 and 6 days, the delivery man came and handed me the trouser. Yeah, the color was very nice, but the trouser was too short for me, short for me. Then, I took my phone and wanted to return it, but my mom told me, if it is short for you, then why you didn't give it to your siblings, then I thought about it. After all, as a consequence, I handed it over to my siblings.

    Band 6-7

    Something which I recently bought but and I really wanted a return what comes to my mind is actually a shirt, a flannel shirt which I bought online two weeks ago. I would start off the conversation by saying I'm not a person who really buys clothes or accessories online because I always prefer going to store and buying it from seeing it face-to-face. So I wasn't I'm not a type of person who would like to get things online because some might be fake, some sizes might not be accurate. So when I went to the shop the other day which is some three weeks back if I'm recollecting correct, I checked their dresses. I actually selected a particular shirt and when I checked the price it was kind of expensive. It costed around 100 dirhams for that flannel shirt for the particular shirt. So when I checked online it was my first order online so they told you can apply 30% off for the particular clothes for the same product which I checked online for when I checked when I went to the shop. So I thought yeah I'll get it on I'll get it from online 30% addition off is a good price good offer. So instead of just crying over spilt milk I just bought the shirt online but I actually made a mistake in selecting a size in which my size which I actually needed was a medium but what happened was I actually ordered a XL. It was of my negligence and as soon as the shirt got delivered which was delivered after four five days, since the day I ordered, I actually cut the tag off first because I really needed the shirt and I was kind of in a long period of wait to get it. I cut off the tag at the spot I got itself instead of this

    Band 6-7

    Honestly speaking, I prefer online shopping over offline shopping as it provides wide range of information and wide range of material to me for my shopping as the stock is wide. Recently, I shopped for a black colour t-shirt which costed for 500 to 600 and fortunately the delivery of the product was delayed by 2 or 3 days. However, when I received it, I was very shattered and disappointed. As I already mentioned, I purchased the black colour t-shirt but what I received was in yellowish colour which was extremely weird and hit the eyes of mine. Then I complained to the customer care services and again unfortunately, I did not receive any good services. I emailed them and even whatsapp them. After 5 to 6 working days, I received some feedback and services by them and as a result, I was able to exchange my t-shirt and it took me about a month to exchange that. At the end, I would say that there were some issues that lacked me.

    Band 6-7

    I have bought a pair of slippers or sandals. I have the best thought of using them very properly, but the quality and the size of the slippers is not up to the mark as shown in the description or the image. I thought of returning it because it lacks quality issue and perhaps of using that, I have returned it to the reseller through the online platform and they asked me about the review of the product and I have described my issues with the product I have faced. The main problem with the product is the lack of quality and the product is not well described as shown in the e-commerce website. So I gave the feedback to the reseller and he asked me whether to exchange it or to get the refund. I have opted for the refund and I did not feel the way they did not describe this sustainable product, which they have mentioned in the e-commerce properly. That's the main point I was thinking about after returning the product.

    Band 6-7

    One thing that I really wanted to return immediately after purchasing was a power bank that I had ordered a few months back. It's actually one of the most traumatic experiences of my life because the return procedure took months. So what actually happened was I needed to buy a power bank because I travel a lot for work and I'm often away from sources of electricity. So I thought it would be much more convenient to just carry a small power bank to assist me whenever I'm in need. However, upon ordering it from Amazon, I realized that the power bank that I had actually received was not a new product but actually an old used one that the delivery agent scammed me for. So immediately upon receiving it and on closer inspection, I realized that the power bank was already a little bit warm, which was a clear sign that someone had been using it a few minutes back perhaps. When I complained to Amazon, they did not help me at all. They kept putting it off for months. They kept telling me that we are doing an internal inspection and we'll get back to you. But they never actually got back to me and each time I would call them, it would lead to explaining the entire situation again to a new customer serving agent. So at the end, what actually happened was I ended up going to social media and posting about it because I had lost all hope.

    Band 6-7

    The product which I bought, which I felt I should have returned back was a Puma sneakers and the issue was the size because my foot size is 11, UK 11, but unfortunately the the shoes happens to be narrower. I have a flat foot so it is quite uncomfortable to wear the shoes and walk. I tried to, I tried for a replacement and it was successful, was successful but unfortunately the person who who should have come and replaced my shoes came at an uneven time and that that kind of frustrated me because three two three times we two three times he came at an uneven time and he never called called me or he never bothered me if I was there or not he just he just came like that and I have complained to Puma and they said that my chances have been exhausted and only thing they can do is to return the product finally I tried to return the product unfortunately I got that shoes for a lower price I thought increasing the size of the shoes would solve the problem but unfortunately that wasn't the case

    Band 6-7

    I bought a pant a month ago in an offline store and I really wanted to return it. When I first tried it, it was very, it was having a very perfect fit and it was a very good looking pant. But when I came home, my mother saw the pant and the back pocket of the pant was torn. She further, she scolded me very seriously and after when I went to return it, the shopkeeper told they don't return my money. Instead, I need to buy a product in the same money. So, I bought a shirt to compensate that money. The shirt was very good and it was having a best fit for me and I came home with that shirt.

    Band 6-7

    feeling that I wasted. Shopping is my favorite thing. I buy many of things in my daily life. Today, I would like to talk about something that I really wanted to return is laptop. Recently, it was my birthday and I used to take gift for myself. So, I bought a laptop of Apple company. I wanted to return it because when I came home and opened the laptop and I saw there was none of the technology and it was only having back-to-back technology. So, I want to return it and it is very expensive. It was costing around 1,50,000 and now I am feeling bad that I have wasted a lot of money and I feel that I should return it. When I went to the Apple company for the return policy, they declined it because they said you have not taken the insurance policy. And I was feeling very low at the time that I have wasted my father's money and even they are not. And then I have put complaint for the Apple company that recently only I have buy it, please return it so that I can take any other thing from your company. Then I prefer that I can take mobile phone or any other thing which will be useful for me and which will be beneficial for me. That's why I want to return this. And after few days when I put a complaint letter, they accepted the letter and they said that some deduction of amount will be there but your laptop will be returned and we will accept your return policy. So, I was very grateful and happy when they said they will return.
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