Letter of Complaint About a Faulty Appliance

IELTS Writing Practice — AI-Powered Feedback

Writing Prompt

You recently bought a kitchen appliance from a large store, but it stopped working correctly after only a few days.

Write a letter to the store manager. In your letter:

explain what you bought and when
describe the problem with the appliance
say what you would like the manager to do about it

Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses. Begin your letter as follows: Dear Sir or Madam,

Show Band 8–9 model answer

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to complain about a faulty kitchen appliance that I purchased from your city-centre branch last week.

On 10 July, I bought a “ChefPro” digital air fryer (model AF-500), which was on promotion at the time. For the first two days it worked as expected, but on the third day the control panel began to malfunction. The temperature display started flickering and then went completely blank, although the heating element continued to operate. As a result, I was unable to see or adjust the settings, and one batch of food was badly burned. I am now concerned that the appliance may be unsafe to use.

Given that the product has failed after such a short period, I believe it is either defective or was previously damaged. I would therefore like to request a full replacement with a new unit of the same model, tested in-store before I take it home. If this is not possible, I would be satisfied with a complete refund to my original method of payment.

I enclose a copy of the receipt and would appreciate it if you could respond at your earliest convenience.

Yours faithfully,
Alex Turner

Why this response works

This letter fulfils the task by addressing all bullet points clearly and in adequate detail. The purpose is immediately clear and maintained throughout, demonstrating strong coherence and a logical progression from purchase, to problem, to requested action. Paragraphing is effective, and referencing is accurate. A wide range of vocabulary (e.g. “malfunction”, “heating element”, “original method of payment”) is used naturally and precisely. Grammatical structures are varied, with accurate complex sentences and appropriate use of conditionals and passives. Errors, if any, are minimal and do not impede communication.