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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 327 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

    The one thing that I bought recently is my Laptop from a mobile accessory store. Actually when I purchased it, it was in a good condition. But when the days passed by, like around one month, the laptop started working improperly. Then I tried to approach the...

    Band 6-7

    So, this was around 6 months back, when I had just transformed my body. After working out a lot, I had lost like 35 kgs. And with that progress, I had lost around 2-3, reduced my t-shirt size by 2-3 sizes. So, I had gone to buy an expensive t-shirt to reward myself. And once I bought that, I checked myself out in the trial room, where the t-shirt was fitting me perfectly. But after I took it home, I tried it on, it was still fitting me. And then after I washed it, the t-shirt size had shrunk and it was really tight on me. The t-shirt was fitting really tight. It was like a compressed t-shirt. But fortunately, the tag was still intact in the t-shirt. So, I thought I can return it to them. Thus, it was really expensive. So, I wanted the t-shirt to fit me well and so that I could dress well in a party or in an occasion where I needed it. So, I went back to the store to return it. However, they got to know that some washing had taken place for the t-shirt, even though the tag was intact. Because the tag was kind of scrubbed out because of the washing in the machine. So, they refused to take it back and that expensive t-shirt was stuck with me. I really felt sad because it was a very expensive t-shirt. So, I am not one with deep pockets that the t-shirt set me back for a whole month of pocket money.

    Band 6-7

    I had recently bought a saree from a popular e-commerce website. This website is where I usually shop for my regular outfits and this was the first time I was trying to buy a saree. In the website it was clearly mentioned that I could return my outfit within 15 days if I was not satisfied with the product. Usually I receive the right products at the right time from the particular e-commerce website but on that day of delivery I forgot to record the video of opening the package and when I opened I found that my product was not the one which I ordered and it was a faulty one. I tried to click pictures of it and place a return request on the e-commerce website. Within two days the delivery person from the e-commerce website visited my house to take up the package but when I showed them my product they were completely disagreeing with me that the product which I am trying to return is not the product I received. So there was an argument between me and the delivery driver which I regret because I am a person who completely hates argument but since I had the pictures I tried to convince the delivery driver that this is the product which I received and I like to return it. Hence after a long conversation I was able to return it. It felt awkward but nice.

    Band 6-7

    Hello, online shopping is one of the most convenient modes of shopping in our world now and I believe it is evolutionary in spite of the fact that I have had some bad experiences with it. One example is when I bought a back cover for my phone. It was Poco X2 model and I searched it online to see if there is any cool design for the back case of my phone and I am a huge Batman fan, both its comics and movies, so I wanted to buy one with the bat logo and I got a mesmerizing looking back cover with the bat logo, you know, and when it arrived to my doorstep and I opened the box, I was surprised because the case was nothing like as it was displayed on the website. The charging point was displaced and the portion which covered the buttons like the sound, buttons for the sounds and the power button were completely disabled and it was quite hard to move them, so I just simply wanted to return it only to know, only to find out later that this was not assured product and you cannot return a product that is assured and has been opened by you. I felt really disappointed afterwards.

    Band 6-7

    A couple of months ago, I really wanted to buy these Adidas sneakers that I saw online. When I viewed these shoes on the website, they actually were a pair of all-black sneakers with a faux leather finish. I really loved the way it looked and I thought it would be a great fit for me. I thought I could use it as a semi-casual shoe that I could wear it when I go out I always wear it every day to my office. I purchased the shoes on Amazon after a couple of days for about Rs 3,500. I thought it was a good deal. The price had come down from Rs 5,000 in a span of 5 days. After I bought the shoes, the parcel arrived at my doorstep after 5 days. When I opened it, I was rather disappointed to see that it didn't look like how it was on the website. The finish was a little bit off. It didn't really feel like a faux leather finish. It felt rubbery and the way it looked was cheap. I thought it could even be a first copy that they had sent me. It didn't fit me well. It was a tad bigger for my feet. That's the reason I planned to return this shoe. I posted a complaint on the website as well and I booked a return. After a couple of days, this person from Amazon customer service called me and enquired me what was the problem I had with my shoes. I explained it to him that it looked nothing like what it looked on the website. Then someone from Amazon came in to take my shoes for the return.

    Band 6-7

    A few months ago I bought a smart watch online that I was really excited about but ended up wanting to return soon after receiving it. I purchased it from an e-commerce website during a festive sale because it was heavily discounted and I had been wanting one for quite a long time. The pictures and reviews made it look like a high quality gadget with great features like fitness tracking, hair rate monitoring, and long battery life. However, when the watch arrived, I was quite disappointed. The build quality felt cheap, the strap was uncomfortable, and the touch screen wasn't very responsible. It was not very responsive. When the battery drained within a few hours, it was totally opposite to what was promised in the description. I tried contacting customer support to report the issue but they didn't respond promptly. I felt quite frustrated because I had spent a decent amount of money on it expecting it to be reliable. Although I eventually managed to return it after a few days, the whole experience taught me a very valuable lesson to research more carefully before buying electronic items online. I wanted to return it mainly because it didn't meet my expectations at all and I felt a bit cheated by the authorities also. It was a really misleading product description. It definitely made me more cautious as a buyer.

    Band 6-7

    So lately, I bought a Michael Kors bag with my hard-earned money. I had this dream and desire of taking this bag from maybe two years. I really wanted to take a bag. So I saved a lot of money every month and got this on my birthday, my 22nd birthday. What happened is I ordered from a website, which was not really a good website, which had no good reviews. That was really bad of me that I didn't check about that earlier. Out of curiosity, out of happiness, I got that bag for 2000 less than the actual price. So what happened is it came before my birthday. I took it out and out of happiness, I opened it, I unboxed it and when I saw that it was not really the Michael Kors bag, but some MH bag. MK is the symbol of Michael Kors, but it was MH bag. It really disappointed me because I bought it from my hard-earned money. So I wanted to return it. I called the customer care and I took the picture of everything and mailed them as well. They didn't respond me. After many tries, they did respond me and told me it's your mistake. It's not us. You could have took a video while unboxing it. That really made me very sad and I had to keep it afterward.

    Band 6-7

    I brought a sneaker, a white coloured one, which has the brand of Polo, O.U.S. Polo. But, it was of a first quality, which means, it was not of a good quality at all. So, I just went to the website, to return it, and then I went and found out that the tag and all was on the shoe, to return it. Then, I went back and put the tail, tape, tag and all back in the shoe, and then later I requested for a return. They came after a week to take the shoe back, and then after another week, I got my money refunded. After that, I felt remorse or regret of buying from that website.

    Band 6-7

    Recently, I purchased an expensive pair of headphones. It's a Sony WH-1000XM6. It's a popular model and some say it is one of the best out there. Within a week of purchasing it, the hinge of the headphone broke. This disheartened me completely. I went to the service center to ask for a replacement and they said any physical damage was not covered under their warranty. Well, fair enough. But it was not my fault. The hinge failed like many other people on Reddit mentioned that theirs failed too. But nevertheless, I brought a replacement from Amazon. Later, down the line, I saw that the ear pads on my headphone started to have some wrinkles on it. This is not something that I would expect out of an expensive pair of headphones. Recently, I bought an expensive pair of headphones from Amazon. It was quite expensive, somewhere around $500. Within a week of usage, the hinge broke and it disheartened me completely. I immediately went to the service center and asked them to replace it but they said that any physical damage was not covered under their warranty. Fair enough. I bought the replacement from Amazon and fixed it myself. Then, after some days, it had some issues with the touch sensors. The touch sensors were working crazy. Recently, I purchased an expensive set of headphones from Amazon. It is a new Sony WH-1000XM6. Some say it is one of the best out there. It is one of the flagship models that Sony has launched. Within a week of usage, the hinge of the headphones broke. It disheartened me completely because... Recently I bought an expensive pair of headphones from Amazon. Some say it is one of the best out there and it is a flagship model that has been recently launched by Sony. It is none other than the infamous WH-1000XM6. Within a week of usage, the hinge broke. This problem was similar to that of the XM5s. It disheartened me completely. I immediately went to the service center and asked them to replace it. But they said that any physical damage was not covered under their warranty. Fair enough. So, I bought the replacement from Amazon myself and did the repair myself. After that, after quite some days, the touch sensors started to act crazy. And this started to act crazy and this is not something that you expect out of an expensive pair of headphones. It was quite expensive, somewhere around $500. And that was the turning point for me.

    Band 6-7

    The thing which I bought and wanted to return was my Apple Airpods which I got it in December 2023. Now when I opened the box and went on to register for the warranty for the product, I found out that the warranty was already active since last month and it felt like the product I got was returned by somebody else before reaching to me. So I wanted to return that and in order to return the item, I contacted the customer care services at Amazon from where I got the Airpods. I also tried and contacted Apple, the manufacturer, in order to get some more insights about who and when availed the warranty of the product. So I didn't got any satisfied response from either, so I visited the customer care service center of Apple and got the Airpods inspected whether it's been used or not. So after visiting every possible place and contacting every possible services, I found out that it was a technical glitch from Amazon and the product which I received was not used by somebody or not even being ordered by somebody. It was a fresh piece and this was clarified by both Amazon and Apple with some proofs. So I was satisfied and kept it.
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