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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

    Around a month ago, I bought two large books of my favorite series because I wanted to read them. However, when they arrived, they ended up being the wrong size and slightly damaged. I decided I wanted to return these via the app. So I went on the application to try and return the items. When I went on the application, I noticed that it said no returns. It hadn't said this when I had initially wanted to buy it. So then I contacted the owners and the sellers of these items. They informed me that it was always no returns and that I just have to keep the books. This frustrated me highly and I wanted to get rid of these books as they would not fit in my bookshelf. Then I tried to sell them, but I wasn't able to get any buyers. Additionally, this made me sad as these books would go to waste at the back of my cupboard unseen and unused. If there were some people who would want to buy these books, I would immediately sell it to them. However, in the last month, I haven't received any buyers.

    Band 6-7

    As we all know there are a lot of things that we bought in our daily life as it is necessary for all the human beings, now as per my cue card, now I will tell you about that thing that I bought but today I really wanted to return it. So it was an iPhone which I purchased last month from Apple store near my home town and it is a totally I think that a false decision I made in my life, it was like a gift because my parents promised me to give a iPhone if I got a good marks, I really want to return it because of the reason that there are a lot of technical problems which I faced during the using of mobile phone, so it was the first and foremost is the screen or display that is a really worried and frustrated me while I using it, so I think that the exegrated questions or I think that who recommended me to about iPhone, I think that he was a selfish person because there are a lot of money I wasted on this, I returned it because of the reason that it gives me a not a good response which I really wanted from that, so I really feel guilty when I wasted a lot of money on this because I purchased it worth around 1,50,000.

    Band 6-7

    So an item that I recently bought was a pair of basketball sneakers which was from a Nike store located under the metro station of the place Chatarpur. I wanted to return those shoes because when I bought them and tried putting them on for a basketball game, I felt like the cushion was a little bit stiff and I wasn't feeling the level of comfort that I have in my previous purchases. When I tried to return it, the first thing the salesman argued was if I didn't buy it after trying on at the store, but since it was bought by my mother, so I couldn't check the comfort then, which also made me question the experience that a huge brand like Nike would be asking. Moreover, I did try to talk to the manager about the return, but in addition to the questioning that was done by the salesman, the manager replied with a disappointing tone that they won't be able to return the product since it has already been sold, but my argument to that was purely in terms and conditions of the product that it is still under a warranty.

    Band 6-7

    The one thing that I bought that I still would want to return would be my tab, a tablet. I was a naive kid when I had that one wish that I could get a tablet. So I pursued my parents, I cried, I got stubborn about it and forced them into buying me a tablet. So then I started using it and I realized that I didn't need it. However, I had to prove it to my parents that no, the decision that I've made is fine. However, furthermore, I stopped using that tablet and it's still lying on my bookshelf, never been used and has been a wasteful purchase.

    Band 6-7

    a while ago I bought a black dress which was a sequin dress and had silver linings on it. I found it very beautiful so I bought it off the Amazon site and when I received it I was very disappointed in the dress because in the picture that was shown to me while I was buying it was shown that it was a knee-length dress and it looked very immaculate and amazing however when I received it it barely even covered my entire upper body it was way too small to fit me although I had ordered a large size and this dress was also very fit on me also very tight on me and its length was way too less to even be called a dress. When I tried to return the dress I found out that it had no return and no exchange policy which I had not seen before so I was very disappointed that I could not wear the dress and I could not even return it then when I could not return it so I turned to the only option I had which was I cut the dress as I'm very good at making DIY clothes I cut the dress myself and I made gloves out of it which were very beautiful

    Band 6-7

    the item which I needed to return was a protein powder which I bought from Amazon three months earlier and I was looking to buy the product just because of the customer reviews was really great as compared to the other protein brands which shown in the website and it just had a 4.3 rating as compared to others and also the price was really great so I was just going for the product and eventually it came within one and half days because I was having a prime and then after two three days I just opened that product and when I tried to consume it it really tasted stale and then I was pretty much disappointed with that and I was not able to do anything but just to dispose of the product and later I just heard from my friend that Amazon do help with the refund if the product is even non-returnable and then I approached Amazon customer service by the way and then they told me that the item needs to get some photos and well need an investigation of two three days as it's a high value product then I helped them with the details and waited patiently for two three days and after that I approached them back within their preferred time and then I was offered a refund or a replacement since I was not happy about the product I went for refund instead so that I can purchase the item elsewhere and then within one and half days the refund has been processed to my account I was really thankful to Amazon because even I had a bad experience with such a product Amazon customer service was really great at the moment I was being happy about the issue and I just share to all the friends that we can truly rely on Amazon other than other online websites which we are having because their customer service policies are

    Band 6-7

    The thing that I bought was an earphone from an online shop. After buying that earphone, I just used it for about one week. And one of the earphones got repaired and it's not working properly. And its mic is also not working properly after two weeks. Then I tried to return to the customer, to the online website. And they are showing that you have to return it in seven days. So I have used it for about two weeks. So its expiry date has finished for returning. So it's a loss of money for me and I'm not using it right now. Actually I bought that for an emergency that I'm attending a class at that time. An online class regarding robotics and automation, which was provided in my college at that time. So the class was at 8 p.m. at night. So a lot of chaos are there in my hostel while I'm staying there. So I just bought that to attend that class. After using that earphone for 2-3 days, it started some kind of glitching sounds inside that. But I didn't mind that mistakes and errors. But after two weeks, one of the sides did not get charged. The valetry got beat. Actually that's a loss of money for me. And the site name is I think eBay. eBay is a fake name for eBay.

    Band 6-7

    Recently I am very fond of wristwatches, so I am a person who always scroll in social medias. When I like something I always search for pages or shops that sells these things. Recently I had seen an Instagram page where they sell these watches which is not that expensive which is affordable range of watches. So I have seen a beautiful watch, it's a company watch by SILFINGER and I like the color, the combination and everything. So I ordered the watch from them but when I got the watch I wore it for one day, the next day onwards the time was very slow. So I tried to fix it many times and it didn't work. So first day onwards there were problems with the watch and I tried to return, I contacted the person, he didn't reply, I left a message, that time also I didn't get any reply from them. So this incident made me very, I was very depressed, so it made me think that before buying anything online I have to double check things, I have to go through the reviews and all. So it was a very bad experience for me and it taught me a lesson to think twice before buying anything from this kind of Instagram pages. So next time whenever somebody ask me I will also give them the advice to think about twice before buying things or to ensure the, and ensure it's safe.

    Band 6-7

    Recently, I had bought one churidar through online session, that is really worth for me because it is very cheap, very comfort and everything but I could see that there is more damages in that item, so after that I planned to give return, so there is, I couldn't find any options regarding this return, but even though I had, I loved that piece and I loved that churidar that much, I loved that piece, that is why I ordered again, but I don't know what to do through this my period.

    Band 6-7

    Something that I really want to return is this set of white pants that I bought a month ago. I was so excited and elated when it actually arrived but to my dismay it was too tight for me from my waist and therefore I decided to eventually return it. But I tried contacting the company through their website but they didn't respond. In fact I even tried mailing them but it was to no avail. It just made me realize that the company wasn't a very good company and I even have written a bad review in their google reviews but at the end what I've realized is that it was a waste of money to spend so much on just a pair of white pants and what I've learned from this is that I should always be frugal with money and do my due research. That is something I regret that I didn't do much research about it before buying it.
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