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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

    So the purchase I regretted buying is my elliptical. So elliptical is basically exercise machine where it is purchased for gaining and lessening the body fat. So I purchased it for around 30K. So why I regretted is that after purchasing it I never did that, I never worked out in that machine. So whenever I saw that machine I feel like why did I buy this to hang my clothes over there. I just regretted for wasting my money. So I thought there was also a return policy for 2 months. So I just went to, I bought it from Decathlon, a nearby shop here, a budget friendly shop. So I first called them and just verified with them whether this is a, whether it can be replaced or it can be refunded. So they said like there is a refund policy for it. So I just went to the store for returning this product and also after reaching to the shop they just asked me why you bought this, because I only went and bought, so what is the problem, like then all they asked, I just told that I just want to return it because I am not doing it, I feel like I am wasting money over it. So after some arguments they agreed to get back the machine with, not for the original price, they gave only, they lessed 2000 of the initial purchase, so it was around 20, so for 28000 I returned that elliptical machine and after returning home I was much satisfied because I didn't waste any money except that 2000 rupees, so which is so good.

    Band 6-7

    Recently I have bought a Mixi grinder from an online store. My friend suggested me as she was having the same appliance in her kitchen and I have gone through the images online, I have gone through the reviews also and everything was an apple pie order. But when I received the same product it was not working properly and I was really depressed after using that because I bought it for my easability but I was not able to use it. I bought it as I was facing a really challenging task to balance my work and house life as I am living alone away from my house and I have to manage my kitchen also. So I bought it to save my time so that I can spend a little more time on working for my assignments or my work. So when I received it, it was not working properly so I sent the complaint online to the online store also but I did not receive any positive response for that. And after that I called them at the customer service number and told them that if you are not able to repair it, kindly replace it with the other appliance. Somehow they managed to do that. I gave them the address to pick up the damaged product and to replace it with the new one. They did so and after that I was really very happy because the new product that I received really saved my time and now I am really enjoying its working because it saves my time and just because of that appliance I can complete my kitchen work on time and the remaining time I can work on my preparing the work lessons.

    Band 6-7

    Something I bought that I wanted to return were this pair of boots. They were very expensive and I had to fight with my mother to get them. After I got them, I was trying to wear them very often. I... no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Try again. Something that I bought recently was this pair of boots that I really liked. I had seen it online and it was on my wish list since ages. I was very adamant about it that I wanted to buy it from a long time. I convinced my mom. She was not ready to allow me to buy those boots. But after a lot of arguments, we finally decided to buy it. But after I bought it, I was very happy and I used to wear it very frequently. As I started wearing it, I realized that it is causing me a lot of pain while walking and my heels had become swollen. Because the material that was inside, which really seemed comfortable at first, was not at all comfortable and it was poking me. And because of the long use of the heels, because of the long use of the boots, it started... my heels started swelling up. So I filed a complaint on the online site that I have bought it, but they were not ready to take it back as I had used it and I did not even have the price tag that it came with originally. Now I just have to keep the pair of boots and it is just going to be something that I won't be using. But it is still there. I was planning to give it to somebody, but I don't want anybody to have such a painful experience. So I think I'll just keep it with me forever now.

    Band 6-7

    So a few years ago when I just joined hostel, I wasn't really accommodated to the hostel food yet. So I wanted to buy a kettle. A kettle is a very essential appliance while you live in a hostel because it allows you to cook food, instant food mostly and it also lets you boil water whenever you need it. So I really thought it's a must have when I go to the hostel. When I came back home for Diwali holidays, I rushed my mom to the nearby store to get a kettle on a discounted price. We had Diwali sales going on at that time. After I purchased the kettle and when I went back to Chennai, I tried to cook Maggi with it and as soon as I inserted it into the plug point, there was a circuit. In my floor, most of the electricity in my floor stopped working because I tried to use a kettle and thankfully I didn't really get caught because we were not allowed to use kettle in our hostels. After I told this to my mom, she asked me to courier it back to her. So I did just like she said and she tried to return it but they weren't really ready to accept it because I already used the kettle. So then when I went back home the following week, I tried to go to the store myself and tried explaining it to them that I only tried to use the kettle once and off it goes.

    Band 6-7

    I think it will be my laptop, which I bought recently like 2 months ago. When I was buying the laptop, it was quite reasonable. It was quite reasonable, like with the specification as price. It was consisting of the specification of a processor of i5 with a GPU consisting of 2040 RTX. Which was quite good at that time, but I was not knowing that when I will go to college, the requirements will be more. So when I got to know about college requirements, it was about that you need a processor of i7 with a graphic card supporting of 4050, which is not in my laptop. And when I told the shopkeeper that I want to return the laptop, then he told me that it can't be returned. You can resell it, but you will get half of the price you bought it earlier.

    Band 6-7

    A few months ago, I was searching for some fog lights for my scooter. Then I came across with a website who sells these unique accessories. Then I decided to buy a pair of fog lights. I ordered from the website via UPI and got my delivery in the 8 days. So I was very happy while I got my parcel. Moreover, I felt very overjoyed, breaking the ice with the topic why I want to return it. Because I ordered for the lights which were 3 stage reflectors, but they accidentally provided me with 2 stage reflector. So when I installed it on my bike, it was not so convincing for me. That's why I took a decision to return it or I thought to replace it. But the site was not authorized, so I decided to return it and not get anything in return. So with that motto, I returned the headlights. I wrote an email to them, XYZ, please retake your item as it is not the proper one which you have sent it to me. From that point onwards, I packed the headlights as it was before and returned them via courier service. In 2 hours, they responded me with, thank you sir, we will return your parcel and we will repay your amount back.

    Band 6-7

    Usually, I don't shop for myself. It's my sister or my mother who try to, who shops for me. But at once, my parents were out of town and my sister too was with them. So, I was really bored of going out and buy a mobile cover which I was in need. So, I just went online and ordered a phone case that I liked from a local website which was recommended through a social media platform. So, it was of around thousand bucks which is usually a lot for a normal cover, mobile cover. So, when it was delivered, it was really in a bad condition. The old covers of mine was in a better condition than which I got. So, I just filed a complaint against the product on its website and I really wanted it to return. I sent them the proof that it was in a bad condition while I received the product. So, they accepted their fault and I had to return that mobile cover as I was really pissed off of getting such a worse service even after paying thousand bucks for a normal case.

    Band 6-7

    Well, I'm a makeup artist and in my industry to stay updated we need to have all the advanced tools that can help us to do our work faster, easier and efficiently. So I thought of investing in one of the key items for hairstyling that is Dyson Airwrap. So I brought that item from a Costco store which cost me 50,000 rupees and it's not a small amount to spend upon and I tried using them on myself and my clients but I realized it's a lot of effort. However, with the fluctuations in the voltage, in the current, with the fluctuations of the electricity, it doesn't used to work all the time at all places and I was having a hard time, you know, using it everywhere. So I thought of returning it but it was a huge amount and I couldn't use it because of the electricity fluctuations in my country. So I went to the store back and tried to return it although it was within the warranty period and there was no hassle in returning it but they did ask me for the receipt and the reason why I'm returning it and is there any issue with the product. They checked the product, they make sure they switched it on and see if it's in working condition or not. So I just told them that it doesn't work in all the electric city conditions in my country due to the fluctuations and sometimes it doesn't get switched on. So they happily accepted the return and there was no hitch in it and I've had a huge sigh of relief and when I saw that money reflected back in my credit card statement, it was like, oh my god, thank god they took it back otherwise it would have left a big hole in my pocket for sure and would have left me, you know, feeling sad that I've spent a huge amount on a product which I thought

    Band 6-7

    Oleh itu, saya membeli sebuah kasut baru-baru ini yang ingin saya pulangkan. Sebenarnya, saya membeli kasut itu untuk kerjayaan dan pakaian yang saya fikir tidak berpasangan dengan sebenarnya kerana kaki itu tidak berlaku kepada saya. Saya fikir ia boleh kelihatan baik kepada saya tetapi ia tidak. Jadi, saya berfikir untuk pulangkannya tetapi ketika saya pergi untuk pulangkannya, penjaga kasut itu telah ditinggalkan untuk mengambilnya kembali. Terlalu banyak kekacauan dan masalah berlaku di luar sana dan saya berusaha keras untuk membuat penjaga kasut itu faham tetapi dia tidak cuba untuk memahami perkara. Saya benar-benar memerlukan kasut segera dan kasut yang saya beli tidak berpasangan dengan sebenarnya.

    Band 6-7

    I am very fond of buying new sneakers. Whenever I see a new sneaker I usually want to add it to my collection. And recently there was a summer sale on Flipkart which offers a huge discount and in that offers that it included so many sneakers. But out of that I liked one sneaker which is of Jordan's and it cost me around 8000 rupees at that moment. And after sometime I finalized to order it because it gives me huge affection. I was so attracted towards that Jordan and I always wanted to try it and it was also in my budget due to its discount. And once I ordered it I choose payment option via card and I payment it online. And once I ordered it, it got dispatched on next day and reached my home after 3 days after I ordering the sneakers. When I opened the box and I literally found that it was a defective piece though its shoelace was broken and there was a cut on its sole. And I was disappointed by that and I called the customer service of Flipkart and they said that we will exchange this with the new one. And I said I want to return it and I want money instead of new one. So they said okay our worker will come and he will pick up your order and refund your money. And after he pick up my shoes from my home and I offered a refund and they said.
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