General Listening Quiz

What are some reasons why you would return merchandise to a store? What return policies do stores have in your area?

“go to the dogs” = become worse and/or decrease in quality
“Don’t shop there! Their business is going to the dogs, and when I tried to return a faulty radio, they refused my request.”

“blow one’s top” = get very angry suddenly
“I almost blew my top when the store said they wouldn’t give me my money back.”

Listen to the recording and answer the questions. (See transcript)

Here are some words and expressions that appear in the recording:

• refund (noun, also verb): return money to a payer, pay back
  – I asked for a refund because the radio didn’t work properly.
• obvious (adjective): clear
  – The pants had obvious defects, and that is why the clothing was on sale.
• shrink (verb): decrease in size
  – That sweater will shrink if you put it in the dryer.
• stitching (noun): fastened or joined by sewing
  – I decided to return the pants because the stitching was poorly done.
• merchandise (noun): products
  – That store deals in used merchandise, so you might find some good bargains.
• allow (verb): give permission
  – Customers are allowed to return merchandise within 30 days of purchase.
• fine print (noun): small writing
  – Be sure to read the fine print on any contract before you sign your name.
• ad (noun): advertisement
  – The ad says that the holiday sale will last through this weekend.
• ridiculous (adjective): silly, stupid, or unreasonable
  – You paid $100 for that shirt? That’s ridiculous. You could buy the same thing for $5 down the street on the corner.
• rip off (adjective, also verb): the act of stealing
  – That vendor ripped you off. That watch isn’t real gold at all!

Create your own conversations involving returns, refunds, and exchanges. Use some of these words to prepare your ideas: stained, cracked, chipped, damaged, broken, and torn. Then, use infinitives (e.g., It needs to be fixed) or gerunds (e.g., It needs repairing) to suggest solutions.

Imagine that you want to buy a computer from two online retailers. Two examples could be Amazon.com and Buy.com; however, before you make your purchase, you want to check the return policies for each company in case there is a problem with the computer, and you need to return it. Choose two companies (which could include the ones mentioned above or your own choice) and use the internet to find out specific information about their return policies. Do they accept returns for any reason or only if the product is defective? Within what time period do you have to return an item? Who covers return shipping costs?