📙 Part 2: Describe a product you bought, but returned in the end

This episode's vocabulary

Planner (noun) - a document or software program that helps you plan something.

To have your eye on someone/something (idiom) - to be thinking about getting or intend to get something or someone.

Ruled paper (noun) - a writing paper printed with lines as a guide for handwriting.

To inundate (verb) - to give someone so much work or so many things that they cannot deal with it all.

Parcel (noun) - an object or collection of objects wrapped in paper, especially so that it can be sent by post.

Impatient (adj.) - easily annoyed by someone's mistakes or because you have to wait.

To get cracking (idiom) - to start doing something quickly.

To put up with something/someone (phrasal verb) -to accept or continue to accept an unpleasant situation or experience, or someone who behaves unpleasantly.

To refund (verb) - to pay back money received or spent.

Timely (adj.) - happening at the best possible moment.

Thrilled (adj.) - extremely happy about something.

Prompt (adj.) - (of an action) done quickly and without delay, or (of a person) acting quickly or arriving at the arranged time.

Questions and Answers

R: Well, it was Christmas recently, so I decided to wait until after that to buy my usual diary planner, just in case someone surprised me with one. And since no one did, I went ahead and ordered one online. It was a very fancy one that I'd had my eye on for ages. I'd actually seen it in Italy earlier in the year, so I was quite excited to get it. It came with an app, a narrow-ruled paper and pages for every day of the year, plus some extra for notes and financial planning. Anyway, I placed the order with the understanding that it would arrive the following day. Of course, I'd forgotten it was that time of year when the post office is inundated with gifts and returns and parcels. So it was naturally delayed. Normally, this wouldn't have been an issue, but I was quite impatient to get cracking with writing everything I needed to write in it. So I just went and picked one up from the local newsagents. It was about two-thirds of the price and roughly the same format. So it wasn't exactly a disaster that I had to buy this one. I actually shouldn't have had to return the original diary, since I tried to cancel the order multiple times, but apparently I was too late for Amazon's automated service, and the thing arrived regardless of my wishes. I did try and find a new owner for it, but no one's very interested in having a diary that you write in these days. So I sent it back using the local post office. As if it put out that I had to put up with the delay and then to be sent it, even though I tried to arrange otherwise. But it was hardly a disaster like I said, and I was refunded the money rather quickly. If it had arrived in a more timely manner, I'd have been thrilled, but at least I'll know I'll need to be more prompt with my order next year.

M: Do you often return things?

R: No, not really.