B2 – Upper Intermediate
Store return policy is considered one of the most important factors in customer’s purchasing decision. Customers want the guarantee that they can return the product they bought with no hassles. Therefore, it is necessary for companies to set reasonable return policies. However, do customers really take the time to understand them?
Listen to this audio and read the transcript on store returns.
Discussion Questions:
- What is wrong with the sweater according to the customer?
- Why isn’t the customer allowed to return the product?
- Have you returned a product before? How did it go?
- What is the usual return policy in your country? Do you carefully read the terms and conditions in a return policy?
- Have you ever had any other problems returning products and getting a refund?
5 replies on “Store Returns”
1. What is wrong with the sweater according to the customer?
The sweater shrank when the costumer washed it the first time. In addition the sweater frayed and lost the original colour.
2. Why isn’t the customer allowed to return the product?
Because the policy of store was to give a credit on next purchase.
3. Have you returned a product before? How did it go?
Yes, I had. I returned a sometimes products, mainly about purchases done on the Internet mostly as a result of error in sizes. When I shop in a physical store normally I don’t need a return unless the thing would be stitched or faded.
4. What is the usual return policy in your country? Do you carefully read the terms and conditions in a return policy?
There are three ways of policies’ return: to exchange the item for another one, to get credit for next purchase or to get a refund.
Normally, if the purchase was done in a small store mostly it used the exchange or get a credit. However, when shopping in big center (mall) or online it used the refund.
5. Have you ever had any other problems returning products and getting a refund?
No, I didn’t have any problems returning products, perhaps sometimes certain delays in return but I finally got it. It was with a airline low cost.
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Discussion Questions:
1. What is wrong with the sweater according to the customer?
The customer tells the problem is the fabric is coming appart.
2.Why isn’t the customer allowed to return the product?
Because the returning period has passed
3.Have you returned a product before? How did it go?
I returned a lot of products and it is a question of how the clerk humor
4. What is the usual return policy in your country? Do you carefully read the terms and conditions in a return policy?
In my country the return policy depents of the item. Electronics, which is more often I buy, you have 7 natural days for returning. In meals you only can return just after the buy.
5.Have you ever had any other problems returning products and getting a refund?
I had problems with a electronic shop. I use the complains sheet and the shop had to get back to me the money.
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hat is wrong with the sweater according to the customer?
Once the customer washed the sweater it shrank a lot, which was unexpected for him.
Why isn’t the customer allowed to return the product?
Because the return period has been expired according to the store policy.
Have you returned a product before? How did it go?
As far as I can remember, I had different situations regarding the return of products. Mostly I had no problems
with neither the return nor the refund. However, sometimes it has happened to me that the return period had expired, like the man of the listening.
What is the usual return policy in your country? Do you carefully read the terms and conditions in a return policy?
I’m going to begin with the latter, I usually don’t read terms and conditions of any policy, and this is applicable to whichever purchased products or software. I guess they make these policies long enough to make you desist from reading them.
Have you ever had any other problems returning products and getting a refund?
The only time that I had serious problems in getting my refund was during the pandemic. I’ve purchased few flying tickets and the company was completely unwilling to enforce their own terms. I even have to become a member of a consumer association in order to reclaim my rights. Fortunately, after struggling with them for more than a year, they gave me what I was claiming. Actually, the gave me the expected amount of money minus their administrative costs(which
is totally unfair, btw)