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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

    I mostly do not buy something or certain things from online stores most importantly if we do not have any reviews attached with them because we cannot check the quality and also if the items are not from a renowned brand or a company that I have never heard before. But this one time I was scrolling through Instagram reels and I saw a cute jar which I found which I wanted to have and I made an impulsive decision to just buy it even though I could feel that it is a little costly and there were no reviews and no quality check or anything so I ordered it and it came after around 1.5 months and when it came the quality was not that good and my mother said that you could have bought a better one from the local market with a cheaper price. So that was one thing I really wanted to return but because of the not so good written policy I did not return and I do use it sometimes but I always have a regret of buying it.

    Band 6-7

    I have recently bought a dress online from Amazon, which I really want to return as it was nowhere same as the photo I saw in my phone, the color was really dull and the design was not also as same as the photo and I tried to return it but unfortunately there was no return.

    Band 6-7

    Recently, I purchased a jeans from an e-commerce store and the delivery was pretty quick as I expected. When the jeans arrived, I was literally happy but then suddenly it turned into a sorrow moment because the jeans were fit terribly tight. It is not matched, the size measurement of the jeans is not matched with the size chart on that particular e-store they have mentioned. However, after receiving the jeans, then and there I have tried the jeans and I decided to return it back. So I contacted the e-store via toll-free number of them and they initiated a written request. So in that, I have to hand over, that initiated request shows that a certain timeline where a delivery guy will come to my house and he will pick the jeans up. So as usual, I fixed that time, I fixed the slot for the delivery and the next day, the delivery guy came in the afternoon and he wanted to see the receipt before initiating the request, before collecting the jeans back. So I said, why do you want to see the receipt? Because it's already the person who has initiated the request, it's me. So technically, the item belongs to me. But anyways, without arguing further, I straight away showed him the receipt, the invoice actually. Then he accepted the returns, he took the jeans back.

    Band 6-7

    I ordered a product from Zara which was a t-shirt normal basic t-shirt when it arrived sorry when I first saw it on the website it looks so attractive and decent elegant but when the product arrived it was not satisfactory because I expected a good cloth good cloth product from the Zara and actually I ordered a cotton one but I got the lycra one so I was and also it was stoned from there was a little spot which was stoned and when I requested them for return they forcefully told me to that I will not be able to get the refund they will change the product and give it to me or I have to buy something else on behalf of the that product but they'll not refund me and at that moment I wasn't in that state of mind to do any more shopping from Zara because obviously I expected more from them and they didn't satisfy my needs so I tried to request and reach out to them by calling by email or any way of communication but they didn't respond to me properly so it was the worst experience for all Zara

    Band 6-7

    Well, when I was in my 12th class, I started raising money for my own expenditures through doing earnings by online platforms. I was having a limited earning by which I can also buy a mobile phone for myself. So, after a few months, I bought a mobile phone for myself. That mobile was of the Chinese company, also the Vivo. It was having a lot of features and after researching about it on the internet, I got to know that it's having good battery health which would be beneficial for me as I have to attend my online classes and also to do the homework on the few platforms which were very good for my studies. When I bought that mobile phone, I was having very interest to use it and I was using it on daily basis. But after using it for about 1 or 2 weeks, I noticed that it was not having a good battery health and this was a negative point for that. So, I had made a lot of efforts to return it back but as I was not having all the papers complete of mobile phone as I bought it online, it made me a lot of difficulties to return it back. But after getting help through my friends even from my parents, I was able to return it back. But when I returned it back, I was feeling awkward as I was getting a think that it would be also beneficial thing for me to keep it with me as having a low battery health would make me to manage my time of the mobile and screen usage which may be a major problem.

    Band 6-7

    Last month I have bought a new mobile phone of realme and my phone name is realme 12 pro max and I am using it from last 30 days I just don't like the phone quality because every time when I use it just hang and it create a nuisance whenever I speak to someone on call now I just message the company that I want to return my product but they deny my claim because they told me that they have policy returning policy of 15 days that is we can only return phone within 15 days after 15 days we can't return that phone moreover I just was depressed and I was very feeling bad because I have no other options rather than using this phone and my parent just called me a lot because it was only my choice that I wanna buy this phone and I have no other option left rather than using this phone so I just wanna say that

    Band 6-7

    Recently I had purchased a robo-cleaner for my home. My expectation was that the robo-cleaner will help my house to keep it clean and tidy. But to my surprise the product turned out completely opposite. The robo-cleaner had navigation issues and it could not operate on itself. So I desperately wanted it to be returned. Since this purchase was made from an external website, I tried looking for return options. But to my surprise I could not find any. I reached this issue to the customer support and they mentioned that since the shipping is done from an international location, the return is not possible.

    Band 6-7

    I once bought denim jeans from one of my favorite brands called the off-duty. I always have very high expectations from the quality, the fit and the comfort that this brand of jean provides. As a curvy girl, I have never had jeans that fit me perfectly but this was one of the brand whose fitting used to always be on point. On my birthday, I had ordered a pair of jeans which came in and it fit me right on the thighs but the waist turned out to be way loose and there was no way even if I had gotten it altered, it would have fit me at the end of the day. Therefore, I decided to return the jeans. When I contacted the customer care, they had informed me that since this jean had been purchased on a discount coupon of 10%, there was no way they were going to provide me a refund on this. Therefore, they suggested that they would give me a store credit. I went ahead with it and I got back Rs.1500 and also the money got credited to my off-duty account and not as cash. Therefore, I still do have the coupon with me and I can still purchase any item off the shop anytime soon probably for another year for the same price of Rs.1500. Overall, my experience was a little disappointing. Nevertheless, I still find off-duty to be one of the best brand for purchasing jeans personally for me.

    Band 6-7

    Recently I purchased a riding jacket which was made by Rhinox. Riding jackets are a special kind of jackets which are used during bike rides. It protects your body during accidents and any mishaps. I was really excited to use the jacket but when I used it I found out that it was a size small and I require a medium size. So I wanted to return it. I reached out to the customer service and they said that I have to wait for a week to get any kind of response. After a week or so I received an email which says that I had to contact the HOD or you can say I had to contact the regional manager. I was provided with the phone number and email address. I tried contacting the manager but they did not receive my call and they kept me on hold even after receiving my call. It was really frustrating. So what I did instead was I took the jacket to a nearby shop, a nearby auto parts shop. They also deal with riding jackets. So I made a deal where I just exchanged it with a larger size.

    Band 6-7

    I am not a person who shops a lot in online but recently I ordered a footwear from an online platform. The quality of the footwear was really good but I didn't like the fitting of the footwear. The front strap was very broad and it doesn't suit to my foot. So I think of returning it and when I checked to return the item I was shocked because I didn't notice the return time or return and exchange. I didn't notice anything about the return policy. So there is only return policy for damaged product. So I felt very bad because I didn't have the ability to return it. So I decided to keep it myself. Then I realized that if we shop from online we need to analyze all the details about the item and read reviews about it and check for all policies that are available in it. Then always we need to go for it. Otherwise we will lose our money and shopping online is bit confusing because of the items that in online are very different when comparing to different platforms, different online shopping platforms. So we compare all the platform fee and all then we go for the very little or very less money item. From that time I realized that we need to choose the quality item by reading the reviews and we need to analyze it.
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