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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 yesterday was father's day and I planned on buying something for my father which was a neck massager. It came but it turned out a bit disappointing than I thought it would. So I am planning to return it. I bought it from an online company called Amazon and checked that if return was possible or not. The return policy was there and I returned it today. The massager was black in color and I thought the neck massager was for your pain in the muscles but it turned out to be used for when your muscles are a bit sorrow like sore. Like when you come after a gym session and there is water retention in your muscles and you genuinely need to have a massager for loosening them up. But my father is someone who does not go to gym and I don't think his muscles are sorrow. Therefore, I am planning to return it.

    Band 6-7

    yeah recently two years back we bought a TV we bought a TV of 45 inches from LG company but I really wanted to return it because I don't like the video quality that that it is displaying and it has some poor connection issues and it doesn't have many smart features so that I really wanted to change my TV anyway I won't I could not return it to the service provider at the LG company because it has been two years but if there is any chance I will definitely return it and I will I will get a new 65 inches LG TV only with a smart features and especially Bravia LED OLED OLED because it has many features smart connections I didn't build OTT apps everything in a fingertips

    Band 6-7

    During my friend's wedding, I purchased a saree impulsively and I thought it would look good on me and I did not see the price tag and I just went there and bought it but after buying it, I regretted it so much because that saree didn't look good on me and it was not appropriate for wedding functions. It is an unnecessary and irrelevant spend for me and when I went back there for returning, they said that this was on sale so you cannot return it. I tried to persuade them that I can buy another thing from them instead of this but they stick to this notion that this is not a returnable item. So I did not have any choice and I have to keep the saree with me and it's been there in my wardrobe for last two years and I have never even tried it on again.

    Band 6-7

    I had purchased this beautiful pair of sneakers from an online store. The reason why I got attracted to it is because of the heel size. It had really big heels which I really liked in a pair of sneakers. After purchasing it, I found the size of the shoe was a size smaller than what I had expected because of which while wearing it had bruised my heel as well as my toes. Now on trying to return it back to the online seller, the seller bluntly refused me stating that the shoes were used and he could not take them back. I then realized that I was stuck with these pair of shoes which I could not return and neither could I wear them. Also I could not give them to somebody else as they had really large heels and I do not believe anybody else will like them. Thus I was stuck with these shoes. I had lot of resentment towards the online seller but also I took this as a lesson for myself that if it is something which needs a fitting, I should not go online to buy it but I should go to a physical shop, test them out and then purchase them so that even if there is an issue, I can physically go to the shop and explain my concerns to them.

    Band 6-7

    I am a huge fan of wearing different types of clothes of various brands and have a big collection of many clothes of various brands. For example, I have many t-shirts, jackets and jeans and shoes of many different brands. But last year I bought a jacket of H&M company from Delhi when I visited there with my father. That jacket was so well maintained and nicely made. It is a handmade jacket that I like very much and it has a beautiful texture and it has a little branding on its right side and a very aesthetic print on the back of the jacket. I liked it very much and tried it some days and it feels so comfortable to me. But when I returned to my state J&K after 2-3 washes, the jacket texture was completely gone and it is so weird and sticky and it is so weird to wear that jacket. Moreover, I tried to contact the company but they are not comfortably talk to me and continuously they talks about returning jacket through parcel or returning to their outlet. They do not provide any facilities of returning that jacket in the store of that same brand in Jammu. They are continuously saying me to return that jacket in Delhi to their original store from where I bought that jacket and I feel very stressed. But however, at the end I have to put that jacket with me and not return it.

    Band 6-7

    As I am very keen to shopping online or at the store, recently I bought a pair of shoes online from Flipkart and the parcel came after 10 days and when I opened the parcel, I seen that the box was really crashed from the one side and when I opened it, the quality of the shoes wasn't good as compared to the price of the shoes, so I didn't like it. Thanks for watching and don't forget to like and subscribe!

    Band 6-7

    So, Kanye West, the famous rapper, recently released a pair of new Yeezy 350s in a neon colourway. I found those shoes to be really appealing and interesting from the images available online. So, I decided to purchase the shoes for myself. They looked really good on the website, so I bought them. After a week when they arrived, I was really hyped up and excited for the shoes, but when I opened the box and really saw the shoes for myself, it felt like it was not up to the mark. Furthermore, the colour of the shoes was really hideous and not that appealing to the eyes. So, it was a waste of money in my opinion, as I did not enjoy the shoes. Although the shoes were comfortable, but they looked really ugly and hideous. And a second pair of thing that I bought online was a pair of wallet. Second thing that I bought online was a wallet. So, I bought a wallet thinking it was, you know, good quality material, original leather and brown colour. But as soon as the wallet arrived, it was not brown. It was some sort of greyish colour, which I did not really like. And second the wallet was not made out of leather. It was made out of PU leather or fake leather. So, the quality was not up to the mark for the price. And so, I returned the shoes and the wallet. After returning it, I felt really good because I would have not liked to use those products on a daily basis. They would have just been a waste of money in my opinion.

    Band 6-7

    Something that I recently bought was maybe about two months ago. It was a skirt from Savannah. It was a very pretty skirt. It was an off-white skirt with beautiful roses and stems and leaves and wonderful design work on the lace of the skirt. I was very eager to wear it. I wanted to wear it for a church service but I ended up getting the product very late. Maybe two days before the event and when I tried it on, I was absolutely disappointed because of how loosely the skirt was fitting me. It wasn't the fit that was shown in the picture. It wasn't what I expected and I was very disappointed. Not just because of the fitting but also the fact that the Indian fashion industry doesn't cater to all body types and heights because I am a 5'10 tall girl and I find it really hard to find clothes that fit right for my height. So I am hoping that in the future, the Indian fashion industry will broaden their reach or widen their horizon to more different types of body types and heights of people.

    Band 6-7

    Recently I have bought one microwave from online application called Amazon. The application was very good whenever you want to purchase electronic appliance. So I want to purchase a microwave. I purchased it on around two months ago and that was a Samsung microwave with a lattice technology. As I bought it, I viewed all the reviews on the online platform available and I read thoroughly regarding the applications of the microwave, how to use it and how this latest model was working. As soon as I received the parcel, I see that the color that I have ordered was not appropriate. I ordered black colored one and they sent me the red color one. So I eagerly want to change it because I want the black one that was suiting with my home appliances. So I want to change it. I wrote the feedback and applied form for the return policy, but I received the email that you can't change just because of the color, but the feedback was clearly stated that you can change anything you want. After that, I called for the customer care and they have told me that within one to three months, they will change my microwave and we'll get my difference soon as soon as possible. So I think it will be easier. But I am thinking that next time I have to purchase things from the offline store so I can go there and change it or refund, I will get a refund very easily.

    Band 6-7

    A few months ago, I bought a pair of wireless earbuds that I really wanted to return. I had been researching for a while and finally decided to buy them from an online shopping website. Because they were offering a good discount and the product had decent reviews, the main reason I bought them was to use during my workouts and while communicating. I was especially excited because they claim to have excellent battery life, noise cancellation and high quality sound. However, once they arrived and I started using them, I was extremely disappointed. First of all, the sound quality was very average and the bass was not almost non-existent. I immediately contacted Customer Care as service and asked to return the product. Unfortunately, since it was an electronic item, they had no written policies after it opened. This experience taught me to be more conscious and to read the written policies carefully before buying anything online, especially electronics.
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