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Italian phrases for taking back a faulty product in Italy

Bring the item and the receipt, lo scontrino. Say what’s wrong and when: “Ha smesso di funzionare ieri.” Then say what you’d like: “Posso cambiarlo?” or “Posso avere il rimborso?”. If you get stuck, ask politely: “Posso parlare con il responsabile?”. What happens next depends on the shop and the product.

Try it · about two minutes

The kettle you bought last week has stopped working, so you take it back to the shop and ask what they can do.

Sound on: the shop assistant speaks Italian. You choose what to say back, and Frasa tells you why it works.

How does the conversation usually go?

  1. Shop assistant

    Posso aiutarla?

    Can I help you?

    You

    Vorrei fare un reclamo su questo prodotto.

    I’d like to complain about this product.

  2. Shop assistant

    Qual è il problema?

    What’s the problem?

    You

    Ha smesso di funzionare ieri.

    It stopped working yesterday.

  3. Shop assistant

    Ha lo scontrino?

    Do you have the receipt?

    You

    Ecco lo scontrino.

    Here’s the receipt.

  4. Shop assistant

    Vuole il rimborso o il cambio?

    Refund or exchange?

    You

    Posso cambiarlo?

    Can I exchange it?

  5. Shop assistant

    Aspetti qui, per favore.

    Please wait here.

    You

    Nessun problema.

    No problem.

  6. Shop assistant

    Ecco il suo scontrino.

    Here’s your receipt.

    You

    Grazie per l'aiuto.

    Thanks for your help.

Which Italian phrases do you need?

  • Vorrei fare un reclamo su questo prodotto.

    I’d like to complain about this product.

  • Non funziona.

    It doesn’t work.

  • Ha smesso di funzionare ieri.

    It stopped working yesterday.

  • Ha smesso di funzionare dopo soli due giorni.

    It stopped working after two days.

  • Ha lo scontrino?

    Do you have the receipt?

  • Ecco lo scontrino.

    Here’s the receipt.

  • Vuole il rimborso o il cambio?

    Refund or exchange?

  • Posso cambiarlo?

    Can I exchange it?

  • Posso avere il rimborso?

    Can I have a refund?

  • Questo articolo è ancora in garanzia?

    Is this item still under guarantee?

What is worth knowing in Italy?

At the counter

  1. 1

    Say what’s wrong and when it started.

    It stopped working yesterday.
  2. 2

    Have the receipt ready, or say you paid by card.

    Here’s the receipt.
  3. 3

    Say what you’d like: an exchange or your money back.

    Can I exchange it?

Ask, then listen

What the shop can do depends on the product and on the shop. Ask your question calmly and hear the answer before you decide.

Questo articolo è ancora in garanzia?

Is this item still under guarantee?

Keep the receipt

Keep lo scontrino, and the box if you can. If you lose the receipt, a card payment may help the shop find your purchase.

Ho perso lo scontrino, ma ho pagato con la carta.

I lost the receipt, but I paid by card.

Questions about this situation

Which Italian phrases matter most here?
“Vorrei fare un reclamo su questo prodotto.” (I’d like to complain about this product); “Non funziona.” (It doesn’t work); “Ha smesso di funzionare ieri.” (It stopped working yesterday). The full list is above.
Can I hear how they sound?
Yes: press the speaker next to a phrase to hear it, recorded for the Frasa app.
How can I practise this conversation?
Press “Start the conversation” above to play it through and choose your replies, with a note on why some fit better in Italy. Frasa, an iPhone app, lets you save these phrases and rehearse them out loud.

Related situations in Italian

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Practise these phrases in Frasa

Frasa is an iPhone app for the conversations in front of you. Save phrases like these, rehearse them out loud, and they come back until they stick.

AI-generated. May be inaccurate.