Small Claims Tribunal Listening Practice Test with Answers

Transcript for Small Claims Tribunal

Officer: Good afternoon. How can I help you?

Emily: Good afternoon. I'd like to lodge a claim.

Officer: Certainly. Name?

Emily: Emily Jane Applebee

Officer: Applebee. That's an unusual name. Sorry. What did you say your first name was again?

Emily: Emily Jane.

Officer: Now, Ms. Appleton. Could you please fill in this claim form?

Emily: I've never done that before. Can you help me?

Officer: Yes, of course. The first part is for your, the claimants' details. Where do you live?

Emily: Um, at 1, Yeronga Street Durham.

Officer: How do you spell Durham?

Emily: D-U-R-H-A-M.

Officer: Of course, I should know that. But it's just one of those names that sounds quite different from the way you spell it.

Emily: It is confusing. I've seen it spelled with two R's.

Officer: And what's the postcode for Durham?

Emily: 4105.

Officer: Good. And do you work?

Emily: No, not at the moment.

Officer: Okay, so no work number.

Emily: What about a home phone number?

Yes, I can give you that.

It's 7-848-3762.

Officer: 7-848-3762.

Right. Now, this part here is for the respondents' details.

Emily: Who's the respondent?

Officer: The individual person, company, or business that you're claiming against.

Is the claim against a landlord, tenant, trader, or driver?

Emily: Well, it's a company that sells home appliances.

Officer: So that's trader, then, just a moment while I write that down?

Emily: ABC appliances, actually.

Officer: Oh, now this part is really important. If the respondent is a company, you must have the company's full and correct name and registered address.

Emily: I've looked it up on the internet and it's ABC Appliances Limited.

Officer: Good. If we don't get this part absolutely right, you won't have a legal claim. And they're registered addresses?

Emily: Yes, I've got that written down here.

Just a minute. It's um... 17 Brown Avenue.

Officer: That's in Barden, isn't it?

I think I know the place. My wife bought a vacuum cleaner there last month.

Emily: Yes, Barden.

Officer: Have you got the postcode for Barden?

Emily: It's really similar to mine. Wait a moment.

I'd better make sure I get it right. 4065. That's it.

Officer: And what's the telephone number for ABC appliances?

Emily: Oh, um... 7-2-3-2-4681.

Officer: Good. Got that?

Now, in the third part of this form, we get to the actual goods or services that are in dispute.

I assume you made a purchase from them.

Emily: Yes, that's right. On the 3rd of February, 2011.

Officer: And did the goods have any sort of guarantee or warranty?

Emily: Yes, but only for six months.

Officer: So it was just a six-month warranty?

Emily: Yes, they offered me an extended warranty for three years.

But I would have had to pay extra for that.

Officer: Oh, I see.

You'll need to give a full description of the goods involved,

the nature of the defect or fault, and any other relevant particulars.

So, tell me what did you buy?

Emily: I bought a washing machine.

Officer: Yes, but what brand model and serial number?

Emily: The brand name was Mallard, and it was the Whisper model, serial number, just a moment.

I've got the warranty papers in my bag.

Yes, here it is, serial number XY303.

Officer: Great. Now I need to know how much you agreed to pay.

Emily: It cost a thousand pounds.

Officer: Did you trade in your old machine?

Emily: Yes, as a matter of fact, I did.

Officer: Okay. Now, what were you given for the trade in?

Emily: 250 pounds.

Officer: So, in actual fact, the purchase price you agreed on was 750 pounds.

Emily: That's right, and they delivered the goods two days later on the 5th of March, and picked up the trade-in at the same time.

Officer: Now, think carefully about this next question.

What did the respondents say about the quality of the goods or the way they would perform?

Emily: The salesman who served me at the appliance shop said,

the Mallard Whisper model has a much shorter cycle, so it uses less power.

Oh, and he added, and it will also use less water.

Officer: Is that true?

Emily: Well, partly, it does seem to use less water,

but both the wash cycle and the rent cycle go on for much longer than my old machine,

so I don't see how it can use less electricity.

But the sales assistant also said this model is Whisper-quiet.

Officer: And is it?

Emily: No, not at all. It's so noisy we can't hear the television in the next room.

Officer: Excuse me, I have to answer that.

Would you mind waiting?

I'll get back to you in a minute.

Questions for Small Claims Tribunal Listening Test

Questions 1-6

Complete the notes below. Write NO MORE THAN ONE WORD AND/ OR A NUMBER for each answer.

Small claims tribunal – Claim form

Claimant’s name: Emily-Jane Appleby

Address: 1 Yeronga Street, (1) ………………

Postcode: 4105

Telephone No. (home): (2) ………………

Respondent: (3) ………………

Trading name: ABC Appliances Ltd

Address: (4) ……………… Avenue, Bardon 

Postcode: (5) ………………

Telephone no. (work): 72324681

Date (of the transaction): 3/2/2011

Warranty: (6) ………………

Questions 7-10

Complete the notes below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/ OR A NUMBER for each answer.

Full particulars of claim

Good: (7) ……………… – (‘Mallard’ brand, ‘Whisper’ model, serial no. XY303)

Agreed to pay: (8)£ ………………

Good delivered on 5/3/2011

ABC Appliances picked up the trade-in on the same date.

Salesman said: Mallard Whisper model

• Uses less energy because it has a shorter cycle
• Reduces the amount of (9) ……………… used
• Whisper quiet

Complaint: the cycle is longer and the appliance is very (10) ………………