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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

    Every item which I buy, you know, after I buy that item, I wanted to return as soon as possible because in India, we usually go shopping with our family and my parents used to force us to buy some things like dresses which I don't like. So, like, I have to buy that item for our parents' happiness. I can't even buy a torn jean which would be a fashion at that time but in Indian households that are, you know, that has become an inappropriate clothing if I want a torn jean. So, I couldn't buy that. Even if I go separately for a shopping, I don't want to buy that item. Like, if I wear it and it would be nice to me, it would suit me but still I couldn't buy that because my parents will never allow to wear that kind of item. So, every item I bought will be, you know, worth of dissatisfaction. So, I have never bought an item that satisfied me.

    Band 6-7

    I am very fond of shopping and I love shopping online nowadays. Few days back I bought a top from an online site and when I received it, it was not really good. Stuff was not good and also the color is not suiting me. Then I tried to return it and I went to the page from where I ordered it. Then I found out that I am not able to return it because there is no return policy with the product. That's why I was unable to return it and I feel very bad after it because this is such a waste of money. I don't want it, I don't like it then why should I take it. I want to return it but I am not able to return it. I feel a lot of wastage of money for that thing.

    Band 6-7

    Being a shopaholic, I used to purchase a lot of things from supermarkets, malls and also from social media. But today I am here describing a thing that I bought recently and I want to return it. I am talking about my Apple Watch. I think for me it's a waste of money because the Apple Watch is very common and there are not a lot of features in the watch. So I want to return it and I recently purchased that watch from a mall of Apple and I was very disappointed by the Apple company because I think that Apple products are the best but one day one of my friend Akhil came to me and he showed me his Samsung watch that is pretty well and full of lot of features and I was surprised to see that that watch is half of the rate of my watch and mine watch is not that efficient and good. So I went to the Apple store near the supermarket and I am trying to get refund because Apple give a policy of one year return so I think that's the first experience that I return the Apple products.

    Band 6-7

    I really wanted to buy a beach colored formal pant for a very long time, so I decided to buy a beach colored formal pant for a very long time, and after surfing through different e-shopping websites, I finally found one that felt suitable to my taste. So I had ordered that pant, but when I received the pant, the quality of the pant was not up to the mark. Additionally, it was see-through and the color of the pant was also not very bright as I thought it would be. In addition to that, there were no buttons on the pant, whereas I wanted a button and a chain with the pant. Moreover, the photo that was uploaded on the website of that particular product was not the same that I had received. So later on, I tried to return it to the seller, but the seller did not accept the return. According to the seller, the image that was given in the website and the product that I received was same and there were no variations. So the seller ultimately did not accept the return and I was quite upset because it was a waste of my money and also time and I was very frustrated at the fact that the seller just did not accept it.

    Band 6-7

    Very recently I bought a foot massager that was just to help me with my pain, the leg pain which I usually get during the night time. So I bought it, once at the shop I was really satisfied with the features of the item but as I bought it home I somehow felt that it was not really easy to use, like the plug in and you know it was not wireless and I felt that if I want to carry it to some comfortable place where I don't have any plug in facility it would be quite difficult to use it. Also it needed to be charged every 2 hours which was quite a hassle so therefore I just thought of returning it. The return process was not very easy because it was a non-returnable item however I tried my best to persuade the store and they accepted my request and I was able to return it. As I came back home I still was thinking did I really made a good decision of returning it. Maybe I would have made it, I would have tried using it, charged it, no problem in that. However then I was really happy because I found something of my own choice, I got another machine which was really easy to use and it was not that, it required charging every 2 hours, it could work for like 12 hours, you can use it, it was wireless, very easy to use and it was a good decision.

    Band 6-7

    Well, I usually do online shopping as I have always positive experience by using it. It's generally seen as convenient way of shopping. However, sometimes it may have poor risk and so here I would like to talk about one of the most frustrating experiences I ever had returning a purchase. As someone who loves finding bargains, I have always enjoyed the thrill of snagging quality items at a fraction of the original price. Whether it's clothes or home decor, I find myself on my ability to spot a good deal. But this time my instincts failed me. It happened a few months ago when I ordered a backpack for my daily use from an online shopping platform. Actually, one of my friend told me about amazing sale on daily use products and stationery on the respective shopping app. So, I decided to go through the deals and when I was browsing, I found a really good bag. So, after discussing it with my mother, I ordered this backpack. When the order delivered to me, I was so excited so I immediately unwrapped the box. What I saw next was really drove me up the wall because the color of the backpack was so different. However, I thought maybe some misunderstanding happened so I decided to use the bag. I found difficult to return the purchase but after two days the leather of bag was damaged. Not only the bag but the bag was not able to hold that much weight that I expected. I felt really frustrated at that time because even after sale it was really expensive which is very high price according to me to the condition of the bag. It taught me to...

    Band 6-7

    Last week I went to Zara to buy a top that I wanted to wear for my friend's birthday. I usually go for size S and that is what I did. It had a long queue for the trial room. So what I did was, I just had it built and I thought I'll try it on and if it doesn't fit me I'll get it returned. Sadly it did not fit me. It was a little loose on me. So I had to come back to return it and ended up wearing an old top on her birthday. So, the problem with the fitting was, it was okay from the top but the shoulder pads, it fit, it was very... It was like a tube top with two strings to be. It was a cherry red hot butter. And I wanted to pair it up with a black skirt.

    Band 6-7

    Here I would like to describe a dress material that I bought during my birthday. Actually, I bought it online. When I saw that product, it had a different color. But when I saw it in my actual situation, actually, it has a different color and appearance than what we have witnessed in the real. So, I was miserable about this product because it cost an arm and leg for me. Actually, I wanted to return it back to the store. But it doesn't have a return option for that product. So, I felt very sad and disappointed. But at that time, one of my cousins came and she liked that unstitched material very much. And she was willing to buy that product. And finally, she bought that product from me. And it was a blessing in disguise for me. Because even though it was not a good product at first sight, it became an excellent product for my cousin. And she could use it in her family.

    Band 6-7

    Yes, so I bought a pair of sneakers online about a year back and I feel that is something I really wanted to return. I have always been an impulsive buyer, if I find something online really good, I buy it. So the shoes were from Soul Store with the design of Spiderman on it. At first I thought it would look good, I really liked how creative the design was, but when I bought it, my mother used to call it kid's shoes, it looked like some kids would wear it. And after a few days, even if the shoe was comfortable, I started hating it too. So I decided to return it, but you know, since I have used it for about a week and the window for returning the product was closed, I was not able to return it. So what I did was, I just stored it away, nothing else I can do in this situation. And I feel that this was a waste of money for me, because it costed around 2000 rupees. So now what I do is, whenever I feel like buying something, I usually add it to my cart and wait for about a week, and if I feel buying it is not really necessary, I avoid it totally.

    Band 6-7

    One day I bought a mixie grinder for my own use. Because of my studies, I left my house and shifted to Chandigarh for preparation. I bought a hand bladder for my kitchen use and I bought the expensive one so that I got the most suitable hand bladder. But when I opened it, it was quite break and not start even one time. When I called against it, they not respond me so well. After some time, I called again and again but they never responded. So then I went back to their store and complained against their service to the owner. Then with apology, he returned my payment and gifted me a new hand bladder which is quite good and work very great. And now it really help me in my kitchen and I not to worry for grinding something. It not only grind onion and make a paste, it also helpful for making shakes. So during snack time, it really helpful and I make various type of shakes like banana shake, pineapple shake and also help to make cold coffee. I really like cold coffee and I think hand bladder is really suitable for kitchen purpose and everyone should buy a hand bladder for their kitchen. Because it's a necessity. During increase in technology, meanwhile hand bladder maintain a special space in kitchen.
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