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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 I want to talk about Amazfit smartwatch that I had bought 6 months ago. I was very interested and I was searching for about the features and its ability to track live footsteps, its heart monitoring and even how we can control the music and get notifications on wrist. So I finally decided to give in and just buy the product. I received the product in about 3-4 days after placing the order and I was quite excited and once I started using, at first it took me a lot of time to get used to its UI. It was not very user-friendly. So basically I was fiddling with the watch more than being motivated. Its fitness tracker was fine and quite helpful in my workouts. But during my workouts while changing songs or tracking its live activity, it was very hectic and it consumed a lot of time and I was spending more time on the watch rather than my workout sessions. Then after a week or so, I decided to give it another go and thinking that maybe I had to give it a time to adjust to its UI. So I then started searching for its other options, maybe there is a game or different settings or any interface changes that I can apply. So it is according to me but there was none. So after 2-3 weeks, I was fed up of using the watch and decided to return it. It was quite a hassle, the customer experience was not so great. But after sending 5-10 emails, I was finally able to return the product and when I received my money, I was quite relieved and decided not to go for any impulsive buying.

    Band 6-7

    So I want to describe about a thing that someone gave me, that is a book named Atomic Habit. One of my close friend named her gave me that to enhance my productivity and to change my mindset and it really does work very well. I always admired him to be like how someone can be that much smart and think out of box and be productive always. So I once just asked him like how you be very chill and be productive in your life. So he suggested me a book and so he gave me a book named Atomic Habit and I really enjoyed that book. When I started with learning that book, I am a bit overwhelmed because starting was not too much interesting but when I just kept reading, it really changed my whole mindset and that book really consists a lot of information about how you can improve yourself 1% each day by repeating your habits and focusing on your life. So when I finished book, I decided to give it to him back and I feel very thankful and say thanks to him.

    Band 6-7

    So, one thing that I have always yearned to have is a smart watch and I bought it when I wasn't earning or working so that costed me a fortune and when I bought it I was really mind blown of all the features it served. For example, it would track my heartbeat and my steps that I walked in a day and I could text, I could use the galleries to view photos and I could also use it to attend my phone calls. But my excitement was short lived because I realized that the advantages, sorry the disadvantages it served over the advantages since it occupied a lot of space because I had to handle it through my phone and it used to drain my phone's battery and also took up a lot of space and I wanted to return it but I couldn't because my close friend who owns a watch shop persuaded me into buying this watch. So I couldn't go and return it to the same person because that would disappoint her. So I just learned to live with it and I learned that I shouldn't be jumping into something when I'm not capable of enjoying it or buying it and to not stretch out more than my limits. So I just use it now when it's a necessity but I don't think anyone should be doing that because you should always learn to live with what you have.

    Band 6-7

    I bought shoes online when they came when they were delivered I got the wrong size so I decided to return it but they were irresponsive they didn't text or call back which was very frustrating and I couldn't return my shoes I bought white sneakers online for a party that I had to go to but then when they were delivered I realized I ordered the wrong size so I decided to return them when I decided to return them they were very irresponsive didn't text or call back which was very frustrating which wasn't a good customer service they had to provide I was happy with the feedback I wasn't happy with the the whole process of returning it was very inconvenient and disturbing so I had no other option to just give it to someone else why waste money so had to give it to someone else but my party was the day before the day after the delivery so I had no other shoes to go with which was very frustrating and annoying

    Band 6-7

    so I am fond of shop buying clothes and jewelry, accessories, bags, shoes and I usually prefer online platforms like Myntra, Flipkart and Ajio and these are the apps on which you can find really amazing fashion trends and other their quality is quite good and you can also find international brands so I usually prefer Myntra and Ajio on which I can find amazing things but recently I've bought a western dress which is a bluish color and it's embroidered from its neck and the bottom but the fit is not good and I really wanted to wear this on my birthday and but due to the fitting I regret after the fit is not good looking on me so I return it but after 2-3 days they exchange it and then I really satisfied with the fit and the look and I enjoy that wearing on my birthday party and yeah this is the experience that I first time experienced on online shopping

    Band 6-7

    When I was studying in college, I was told to order a churidhar, which was so amazing. I bought it from a online site, named as Misho. When I was seeing that, it was very gorgeous and looked very beautiful. But after the delivery, I opened it and tried a trial. But after opening it, I was disappointed. Because the material of the churidhar was not well-protected in the site. It looked like an old material, and there were also damages. The colour, which was shown on the site, was very different from the churidhar, which was delivered. I tried to return it, but I don't know what happened to it.

    Band 6-7

    I bought a long sequin dress for my birthday. I was really excited on wearing it. And as soon as I bought it, when I came to my house, I wore it and saw and I realized that it was tight for me, even if it was the exact size. I was really sad and disappointed because that's the exact kind of dress I would ever want to wear on my birthday. I went back to the store.

    Band 6-7

    There is this one time that I bought a bag from a very popular website called Amazon and this bag was a Chanel bag and it was a really premium bag with a great features. It had multiple pockets and it had multiple sections to keep our things moreover it was in a very good deal and discounted price which is why I went ahead and bought it from this famous website. But when I really opened the set I didn't really like the pattern and the way it was stitched with the material of the bag looked very old fashioned. It didn't really suit my style moreover the bag had lot of greasy marks which did not make me feel very comfortable having it with me which is why I really wanted to return it back but owing to the price of the bag for which I bought it I felt very guilty because it was priced really high and I really wanted to keep the bag for the brand value and for the price with which I got it but the design and the way I received the bag was very disappointing to me which is why I wanted to badly return the bag and finally I returned the bag because I wanted to get something which is use worthy than having a discounted bag which I wouldn't use because of its flaws.

    Band 6-7

    Few days before I bought a dress that I really like, I bought this dress online just while scrolling on Flipkart I found out this dress and as soon as I looked at the dress I really liked that dress so I decided to purchase and then but after when I got the parcel I really didn't like the dress because it was damaged therefore I decided to retain it and even packed very properly furthermore I called to customer care I informed that I want to return this dress moreover I mentioned the all OTPs to the address but it seems like they were not willing to return it therefore I again called them and finally I got a mail they can change it this way I got a lot of stress while getting this dress it was really bad experience as a result I have decided I will never ever buy it again

    Band 6-7

    Few days back, I bought a set of knives from an online website called Razor. But as soon as I received the delivery and I opened the package, few items were missing in it. I was so shocked, I straight away took out my phone, opened the app and called the customer support services and explained them every issue that I faced. I complained about there are some missing items in the order and I want to return it as it was not in the best quality as I was expecting. The problem I faced while returning it, they asked me a lot of details about it and they were trying to defend themselves as it is not their mistake on the front end and you should be responsible for the quality purposes as you know the brands. But later on, however, tried returning it through telling them and explaining them the issue is from their ends not mine and somehow it was returned and they prepared for interfering as soon as possible.
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