Consumer Advice on Buying Shoes Reading Answers

Jan 28, 2023

Consumer Advice on Buying Shoes Reading Answers is a general reading topic and a discussion about the steps which are to be followed by the customers if they find a faulty shoe after buying it and wants to return it. The given IELTS topic has originated from the book named “Instant IELTS”. The topic named Consumer Advice on Buying Shoes Reading Answers has a total of 8 questions. A single sort of question, as involved in this topic is, True/False/Not Given. The candidates should thoroughly read the IELTS reading passage to recognize the synonyms and identify the keywords and answer the questions below. IELTS reading practice papers can be taken into consideration by the candidates in order to score a good score in the reading section in which similar topics like Consumer Advice on Buying Shoes Reading Answers has been included.

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Section 1

Read the passage to answer the following questions

Consumer Advice on Buying Shoes Reading Answers

If you have a problem with shoes you've recently bought, follow this four-step plan.

Step 1

Go back to the shop with proof of purchase. If you return faulty shoes at once, you have a right to insist on a refund. It is also likely that you will get one if you change your mind about the shoes and take them back immediately. But, if you delay or you've had some use out of the shoes, the shop may not give you all your money back. It depends on the state of the shoes and how long you've had them.

If you are offered a credit note, you don't have to accept it. If you accept it, you will usually not be able to exchange it for cash later on. So, you may be left with an unwanted credit note, if you cannot find any other shoes you want from the shop. The shop may want to send the shoes back to head office for inspection. This is fair and could help to sort things out. But don't be put off by the shop which claims that it's the manufacturer's responsibility. This isn't true. It's the shop's legal duty to put things right.

Step 2

If you don't seem to be getting anywhere, you can get help. Free advice is available from a Citizens Advice Bureau (get the address from your telephone book), or froma local Trading Standards Department. Again, consult the telephone directory under County, Regional or Borough Council. All these departments have people who can advise you about faulty goods and what to do with them.

Step 3

Most shops are covered by the Footwear Code of Practice. If the shop you are dealing with is covered, you can ask for the shoes to be sent to the Footwear Testing Centre for an independent opinion. The shop has to agree with whatever the resulting report says. There is a charge of £21. You pay £7 and the shop pays the rest (including postage).

Step 4

As a last resort, you can take your case to court. This is not as difficult as it sounds. The small claims procedure for amounts up to £ 1000 (£750 in Scotland) is a cheap, easy and informal way of taking legal action. The relevant forms are available from your nearest County Court or, in Scotland, the Sheriff Court. You can get advice and leaflets from the Citizens Advice Bureau. Alternatively, some bookshops sell advice packs which contain the relevant forms.

Section 2

Solution And Explanation

Question 1-8

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text? In boxes 1-8 on your answer sheet, write:

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this statement

Question 1. If you return unwanted shoes straightaway, with a receipt, the shop will probably give you a refund.

Answer: TRUE
Supporting sentence: If you return faulty shoes at once, you have a right to insist on a refund.
Keyword : return, faulty, shoes, refund
Keyword location: paragraph 1, lines 1-2
Explanation: The first two lines of paragraph 1 explains step 1 about returning shoes to the shopkeeper. The customer has been requested to visit with the purchase proof. If by chance, they have received the faulty shoes, they have the right to claim a refund. They can also be likely to get a new shoe by returning the faulty one by the change of mind. However, if the customer makes delay to return it or use it prior to giving it, the shopkeeper may not refund the whole money. Hence, it is a TRUE statement.

Question 2. You are advised to accept a credit note if you are offered one.

Answer: FALSE
Supporting sentence: If you are offered a credit note, you don't have to accept it.
Keyword : offered, credit note, don't, accept it
Keyword location: paragraph 1, lines 6-7
Explanation: Lines 6-7 of paragraph 1 suggests that the customer are not bound to accept a credit note at the time it is offered to them. By chance if they accept the credit note offer, they might not be able to exchange cash by returning the shoe. Hence, they may be left with an unused credit note, if they cannot find a suitable new shoe for buying. The staffs of the shop may be able to send the shoes for inspection purpose to the head office quarter. Thus, it is a FALSE statement.

Question 3. The factory is responsible for replacing unwanted shoes.

Answer: FALSE
Supporting sentence: It is also likely that you will get one if you change your mind about the shoes and take them back immediately.
Keyword : likely, one, shoes, immediately
Keyword location: paragraph 1, lines 2-3
Explanation: The first paragraph explains that it is suggested to go back to the shop with proof of purchase of the shoe. If the customer return faulty shoes at once, they can obviously ask for a refund. They have that right. It is also likely that they will get one with their change of mindset. These lines proves that the factory is not responsible for taking return of the unwanted shoes. Thus, the above statement can be taken as a FALSE one.

Question 4. You can ask any shoe shop to send shoes to the Footwear testing centre.

Answer: FALSE
Supporting sentence: If the shop you are dealing with is covered, you can ask for the shoes to be sent to the Footwear Testing Centre for an independent opinion.
Keyword : shop, sent, Footwear Testing Centre, independent opinion
Keyword location: paragraph 3, lines 1-3
Explanation: The first three lines of paragraph 3 implies that majority of the shoe shops are covered under the Footwear Code of Practice. If the shop from where the shoe is bought is covered, one can undergo some steps. The customer can claim their shoes to be sent over the Footwear Testing Centre for an individual perspective. The shop management staffs are bound to agree with the resulting report. These lines makes clear that a person cannot ask all the shoe shops to send the shoes over the Footwear Testing Centre. Hence, the above statement is a FALSE one.

Question 5. Shops prefer to give a credit note rather than change shoes.

Answer: NOT GIVEN
Supporting sentence: So, you may be left with an unwanted credit note, if you cannot find any other shoes you want from the shop.
Keyword : left, unwanted, credit note, other shoes
Keyword location: paragraph 1, line 7
Explanation: The seventh line of paragraph 1 clearly states about the purpose of credit note as provided by the shopkeeper to the consumers. It goes under one of the steps which a customer can take if they find any defects in the shoes they have purchased. If the customers are provided a credit note, you are not required to take it. If they accept it, they often won't be able to later convert it to cash. If someone can't find any other shoes in the store that they want, they can be stuck with an unwelcome credit note. So, no relevant information has been given in the above extract to support the statement, hence it stands to be an invalid one.

Question 6. The customer contributes to the cost of having faulty shoes tested.

Answer: TRUE
Supporting sentence: The small claims procedure for amounts up to £1000 (£750 in Scotland) is a cheap, easy and informal way of taking legal action.
Keyword : claims, £1000, Scotland, legal action
Keyword location: paragraph 4, lines 1-3
Explanation: The first three lines of paragraph 4 explains that one can take the matter to court as a final resort. It's not as hard as it sounds to do this. Small claims court is an inexpensive, simple, and informal way to file a lawsuit for amounts up to £1,000 (£750 in Scotland). The pertinent forms are accessible at the Sheriff Court in Scotland or the County Court in their area. Thus, the given statement can be regarded as a TRUE one.

Question 7. The procedure for making a legal claim is easier in Scotland.

Answer: NOT GIVEN
Supporting sentence: easy and informal way of taking legal action.
Keyword : easy, informal, legal action
Keyword location: paragraph 4, lines 2-3
Explanation: Lines 2-3 of paragraph 4 clarifies about the court procedure regarding the faulty shoes in the country of Scotland. It is said that the customer can take their case to the court. The last resort is to file a lawsuit. It's not as difficult to achieve this as it may seem. Small claims court is a low-cost, straightforward, and informal venue for bringing claims up to £1000 in Scotland. The relevant forms are available at the County Court in their region or the Sheriff Court in Scotland. Hence, the above statement can be considered to be an invalid one, as no relevant information has been provided regarding it.

Question 8. Legal advice and forms can be bought from certain shops.

Answer: TRUE
Supporting sentence: Alternatively, some bookshops sell advice packs which contain the relevant forms.
Keyword : Alternatively, bookshops, sell, relevant forms
Keyword location: paragraph 4, line 5
Explanation: Line 5 of paragraph 4 implies that relevant and appropriate forms can be bought by the customers from their nearest country court of Scotland. From the Citizens Advice Bureau, they can be able to obtain leaflets. Optionally, advice packs with relevant information is available at the bookshops. Thus, the provided statement can be taken as a TRUE one.