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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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    Talk about a toy you liked in your childhood
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    Anonymous student Band 8

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    It Ends With Us is a book I read recently. It's by the author Colleen Hoare. It's mainly a story about two teenagers, Atlas and Lily, and how they just handle their life going through high school, adolescence, and just domestic violence at home. Both of them come from very, very different families. However, they have one common determining factor between them, which is domestic violence. The abuse that they've seen their moms go through is just insane, and they connect through that on a different level. They're actually in the same high school, but they never speak to each other until Atlas actually crashes into an empty house next to Lily's villa. When Atlas is homeless and he doesn't have anywhere to go, he just comes and breaks into the house next to Lily's, and Lily helps him with all the daily necessities like clothes and food, medicines and stuff. Furthermore, their friendship blossoms into love, but it doesn't really fructify as Atlas has to leave. This book really gave me a lot of knowledge about domestic abuse and how to deal with it.

    All Answers

    Here are all the answers by real-users practicing speaking for IELTS Cue Cards on our IELTS Prep App.

    Band 6

    Well, recently when my exams got finished I got bored in my home. I called one of my friend and asked for a movie. Later on we decided to walk around and do some window shopping and moreover I found a store named Home Center. There were many decoration items like vases, painting, lamps and suddenly I caught my eye on a wooden floor lamp but that was the only piece which was for the store only and I had to book it online. When that classic antique and tall matte finished wooden lamp arrived at my home through home delivery I got very amazed and I opened it suddenly but somehow I found out that it was already broken. However, I tried to replace it but it was not an option. Later I tried to contact with the call center and they asked me that I can return that. In contrast I initiated a return but somehow the period got over and I could not return that lamp. I even think that how pricey it was and I feel that why I got that lamp because now I could not return that and I really wanted to because I feel that I had wasted my parents money on such a quick decision without even thinking twice that what are the later consequences could be.

    Band 6

    Once I was roaming around with my friend in the market of Cannot Place which is located at Delhi, we visit to a store of H&M which is a very beautiful store of clothes, there I found one dress which was red in the color, when I tried that dress that was looking super amazing, however I bought that dress with me and when I bought it at my home my mother checked that dress and it was defected, that dress was torn and after the two days I go back to that store and request for the return, they said ma'am it is not available in our stock you can purchase any other dress, but I was very fond with that dress, I love that vibrant colors and beautiful look, so I denied them to return and I requested them to please stitch that dress very perfectly so that I can wear it on my event which is on 25th of the March and that day it was 20th March, so they told me that we can't stitch those dress we can only exchange or we can return, so I request them to please exchange my dress with some other red dress, so I found one of the red dress and I exchanged that, after that I feel very low and very you know irritate.

    Band 6

    Now something that I really wanted to return was a t-shirt and a pair of clothes, so like one day, a few days ago, I was scrolling through an online shopping website, I found it on Instagram, so I decided to visit it because it has great reviews and many people have bought from it and it is a very popular online shopping website, so I was watching and scrolling through the website and I really wanted to buy a t-shirt and a pair of shoes during that period, so I was finding if I would find a good pair of shoes or a t-shirt, so I searched for a long time, so then at a moment, I found a good t-shirt, it was very beautiful and appealing, it was exact the same I wanted to buy and there was also shoes, they were very affordable and so the delivery time was about 2 days, so when they reached to me, these are the things that people should try wearing it, when they came to my home, I tried wearing it but they were of different size and even shoes were not fit for me, so I tried to call customer care service but they did not pick up and so it was a very problem for me and I felt very awkward at that time that it is a very popular website and if your customer buys something different size then he should pick up, so I decided that I will not buy anything again in future from any online website.

    Band 6

    I recently bought a calligraphy pen from Deccan Pen Store in Abbots. It was a beautifully crafted Japanese made calligraphy pen. But the problem with the pen was it was not up to the mark because of the bad craftsmanship and quality of the materials used. Primarily I thought the pen was of high standard mark but due to the lack of maintenance in the departmental store, the pen had lost its quality. Because of it, the person who sold the pen, the Japanese manufacturer who sold the pen was at the stake. So I went to Deccan Pen Store to return it but their attitude was very bad and afterward it felt like a big scam which has happened to me. So then I went to consumer forum to report that issue. So after I went to consumer forum to report it.

    Band 6

    Okay, so recently when I had to travel for a business party in Mumbai, I went to a shop and bought a perfect black gown for me that was as per the theme, even though I have like literally done my research and went to multiple stores offline and online and then decided to buy that particular dress for the event. But after the event, I didn't feel like it is a perfect decision or it was a good call to go ahead with that. And I wanted to return it. But what happened when I tried to convince them to return for it, they literally denied they said they do not exchange or return the party wear dresses, because these are quite expensive and what people do is like they literally buy the dress, go for the parties and then return it. So they have do not exchange or return policy for particular these kind of dresses. But I was not really happy with that experience. So what happened basically is when I entered in the party, there was a slit in my dress. And because it was a business trip, the HRs were there who mentioned me twice, thrice and I cannot even count on how many times they have just interrupted me and asked to fix that thing. And the whole time rather than enjoying the party, I was just into that fixing that part of the dress, which made me really uncomfortable for the event also totally spoiled my mood because of the comments I was hearing about that. And because of this bad experience, I really have zero interest to take this dress with me for lifelong and I really wanted to return it.

    Band 5-6

    I have bought many things but I don't want to return them. One thing I remember last birthday I have bought a watch that I it was my dream watch it looks so pretty it was a pink color when I brought it and they show me a pink color watch I said pack this and when I returned home back I saw that it is of blue color they have misplaced the watch I feel so disturbed that why they had done with me this on that day I have important work I have to go on my meeting so on the following day I go back to the shop and asked the shopkeeper that you have given me a blue watch but the shopkeeper did not agree he denied that he had not given me a blue watch as well as the watch was not working I told him that watch is also not working he refused to return it so I asked her that I will complain customer services that you have to treat as per their rule you have to treat every person equally so he said I have treated you equally but you can't replace it but I said it is not according to my deal you have promised me that you will give me a pink one but you have so I think you should give me a proper one so after arguing 15 minutes he has tell me that yes they have replaced because it is quite expensive watch so they returned the watch successfully and gave me my mobile phone thank you

    Band 5-6

    I recently bought a pair of jeans which I bought from H&M which was really attractive it had it was according to the latest trend fashion trends but then I did not go for a trial and I when I went back home and I tried it it was not my right size so when I tried to return it the stores were not available they were not accepting the return and after quite some time I did try again when they did accept and I exchanged it for another pair of jeans which I did try and that did look even more attractive and I was overjoyed when I bought them yeah that is it well hello done done done

    Band 5-6

    Okay, so recently I have bought a magnetic charger for my iPhone. Understanding that it could be helpful and will be a powerful one to charge my phone rapidly. So the story starts when mom and I went shopping for some household things and I saw the magnetic charger and I was stunned by how it works actually and how beautifully it looked on my phone. But then we were not able to afford it at that time and later on when my dad again went to the same market to buy some other fruits or vegetables and he saw it and he was like oh no resulting getting the charger for me. Although when I started using it, it was not really helpful and it did not charge my phone in good as expected. Hence I want to return it but as a gift from my dad, I don't want to return it because I always like gifts the people give me. So that's how story it is that I really wanted it but now I do not want it and I really want to return it because it is not really helpful and just a wastage of money.

    Band 5-6

    The dress I bought from sector 15 I that dress I really wanted to return because the day I bought it from the market I didn't try I thought the size would be perfect to me but I knew my size perfectly so I was in a hurry I didn't checked it I hope it will be good enough to try moreover when I came back then I tried the dress I couldn't fit into it most tryingly I had to get into it but getting out of it was hell I couldn't survive I couldn't even breathe properly I was suffocating the chest the stomach area I was like I can't wear then I decided to return it to the vendor from there I bought but I was little nervous and scared what if he couldn't change the dress my money will be wasted because changing the thing return may be a complicated for them but then I get ready and move back to the shop the from where I bought the dress I tell the shopkeeper that I didn't fit into a dress the size is too tight I couldn't survive in it so change it for me the shopkeeper was very kind person he was very well mannered person he quietly asked okay which one do you like to return or exchange a dress and I say I want to return the dress because the for the event I wanted the dress I couldn't wear this dress so the event has already over so I don't want now dress he politely said okay I'll return your money so this was an incident that I had and he gave back me the money and I was like such a kind person and a good person he was he returned it and this is all the experience that I shared by returning and it was a pretty good I hope in future it some this happened I get the same kind of behavior by another person same

    Band 5-6

    Very recently I stumbled upon this trousers that I actually saw on Instagram and it was quite interesting to look at because it was very chic and cool and I thought I would really love it and I placed an order because since it was from an Instagram brand I had to place an order via Instagram and it was a very cool grey colored trouser and I thought I could use it later on for my internships etc and I was eyeing on it for quite some time because it was really great on the model and it looked extremely beautiful however it was quite pricey and I was waiting for a sale to come and it did and I grabbed the opportunity and got the trousers but as it reached me as a delivered to my house I realized how the fitting was not that great the trouser ended up being ill-fitted and also I didn't really like the color on me I just felt like the cool color really made me look more dull and so I really just felt like wanting to return it but also it was something that I purchased via sale and I was kind of regretting the fact that I was eyeing on it but couldn't really use it but at the end of the day it's about comfortability and fitting and I ended up returning it back to the seller but it's okay maybe I'll find another pair anywhere else which would be better for me and for my skin
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