Describe a Problem While Shopping Online – IELTS Cue Card Topic

Introduction to IELTS Cue Cards:

Have you ever been asked in the IELTS speaking test to speak for two minutes on a random topic like “Describe a Problem While Shopping Online”? That is your cue card moment. Introduced in Part 2 of the speaking section, you will be given a topic, a minute to prepare, and then two minutes to deliver. Most cue cards draw on personal experience. The major concern is to assess fluency, coherence, range of vocabulary, and pronunciation. In this blog, the question appears frequently on this topic, that how you structure your response, which can make a big difference.

How to Answer the Cue Card?

To make your answer memorable (in the best way):

• Use the cue prompts: When did this problem happen? What did you buy? What problem did you face? How did you feel?
  
• Plan in your 1 minute: Note down bullet points.
  • Think about setting, sequence, problem, and resolution.
    
  • Be descriptive, like use vivid adjectives, specific details (brand, price, appearance).
    
  • Create tension: build up suspense (“I was thrilled when I clicked ‘order’ … but”) to make the listener invested.
    
  • Reflect: don’t just narrate; explain how it affected you, and what you learned.

This highlights that the use of lexical resources (rich vocabulary) and connecting your ideas coherently are essential. 

Read Also – Describe a Skill That You Can Teach Other People

Describe an Issue with Online Shopping ‑ Sample 1:

• When it happened
  About six months ago, during a flash sale, I saw a high-end digital camera being sold for an exorbitant price.
  
• What I bought
  I bought what was advertised as a “mirrorless camera, 30MP, with 4K video capability” from a popular e‑commerce site, attracted by the product photos and glowing reviews.
  
• The problem I face?
  When the package arrived, I opened it with excitement, only to find a bulky point‑and‑shoot camera of lower resolution, with the lens scratched, and some accessories missing.  The accessories listed for the product (battery charger, camera bag) were nonexistent. When I tried to reach customer support, they prompted me with generic, delayed email responses that were at times contradictory.
  
• Here’s how I felt about the experience, Learning! 

I realized deceived, angry, and even betrayed. I had trusted the reviews, the photos. The disappointment lingered beyond just the monetary loss. I began doubting online promises.

• Resolution
  Eventually, after persistent follow‑ups (and sharing my issue on social media), I got a partial refund and a replacement, though not the original specifications promised.

Describe an Issue with Online Shopping ‑ Sample 2:

• When it happened
  During the main holiday (New Year’s Eve), I wanted to order a festive party dress.
  
• What I bought
  A sleeveless sequined dress from a boutique that displayed pretty photos and assured express shipping.
  
• The problem I face?
  By paying extra for “express shipping,” the dress arrived five days late after the event. Moreover, it was the wrong color (green instead of red), and the sequins were loose. When I tried to return it, the site’s return policy was buried deep in small font, they charged a restocking fee, and said that because the dress was “used” (but it wasn’t), I would  get only part of my money back.
  
• How did I feel about the experience?
  I felt embarrassed as I was excited to wear that dress. Also, angry from misleading shipping promises to hidden fees, the entire experience felt unfair.

Describe an Issue with Online Shopping ‑ Sample 3:

• When it happened
  Just last week, I ordered a specialty chocolate box for a friend’s birthday, something hard to find locally.
  
• What I bought
  An artisanal chocolate set, with certain dietary labels (nut‑free, dark chocolate only).
  
• The issue I face?
  I ordered the black pair of noise-canceling headphones. They sent me bright red ones that are certainly not noise-canceling. I also checked the model number, and the receipt did not match the headphones I had ordered. I kept contacting to customer services, trying to get an exchange or refund, but every time I was given yet another wrong pair of non-noise-canceling headphones. No one has responded to my emails or repeated phone calls. They just kept transferring me with, “We are investigating”, but they never got back to me.
  
• How I felt about the experience
  Disappointed, worried (because of allergies), and annoyed. Mostly because I had trusted the product description and allergy labels, they felt arbitrarily placed.

Follow‑Up Questions:

After your cue card, the examiner may ask you related questions. Here are some likely ones:

1. What kind of customer service do people expect when they face online shopping problems?
2. Do you think that there are more negatives to buying online than positives? 

3. Have you ever not made an online transaction because of a negative experience?
4. How do physical stores fare for trustworthiness compared to online shopping?
5. What can online retailers do to lessen complaints from customers?

Tips to Excel in IELTS Cue Card:

• Use better vocabulary & lexical resources: eg, resolute, aghast, grievance, embellished, deceived, scrutinize, etc. This blog has listed many such helpful words.
  
• Use different tenses and a variety of sentence structures: eg, past simple, past perfect, conditionals (“If I had scrutinized the reviews afterwards,…”).
  
• Add emotional reflection: do not simply say “I complained”, explain how that made you feel and what you took away from the experience.
  
• Manage your time: Speak for the full 1‑2 minutes. Do not rush early and wait to collect thoughts if needed.
  
• Pronounce clearly, use fillers smartly like “Well…”, “Actually…”, “Fortunately…”, but do not overuse them.

Lexical resources:

S.NO	Words	Meaning
1.	Coherence	a balanced, pleasing, or suitable arrangement of parts
2.	Deceived	to make one accept as true or valid what is false or invalid
3.	Lexical	of or relating to words or the vocabulary of a language as distinct from its grammar and construction
4.	Aghast	struck with terror, amazement, or horror: shocked and upset
5.	Grievance	a cause of distress (such as an unsatisfactory working condition) felt to afford a reason for complaint or resistance
6.	Embellished	to make beautiful with ornamentation
7.	Scrutinize	to examine closely and minutely
8.	Persistent	existing for a long time or longer than usual time or continuously
9.	Conquer	to gain or acquire by force of arms
10.	Seize	to vest ownership of a freehold estate in
11.	Sequined	ornamented with or as if with
12.	Innocuous	producing no injury
13.	Arbitrarily	existing or coming about seemingly at random or by chance or as a governed or characterized by a sudden, impulsive, and seemingly unmotivated and unreasonable act of will
14.	Artisanal	of, relating to, or characteristic of a worker who practices a trade or handicraft
15.	Lingered	to be slow in parting or in quitting something

Conclusion:

Mentioning a problem while buying something online in your IELTS Cue Card is not just about sharing a story of a mistake; how you use your cognition, how you act, and how you gain insights. Dramatic storytelling, accurate vocabulary use, and reflection of personal feelings allow you to make what might seem an innocuous story a much engaging and score-worthy experience.

The lexical advice reminds us: how you use words sometimes matters just as much as the story you tell. So practice, be brave to share your own experiences, and seize that moment in the spotlight.

Speak your truth. Captivate. Conquer IELTS.