Please double-click on the English subtitles below to play the video.
00:08
Feifei: Hello and welcome to The English
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We Speak with me, Feifei…
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Neil: …and me, Neil. Nice coat you were
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wearing this morning, by the way.
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Feifei: Thanks! In this programme we
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have an expression which describes a
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certain kind of shopper who likes to
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return items they've bought and
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get their money back.
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Neil: What's wrong with that?
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Feifei: Nothing if there's a problem with
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the items, but shops, particularly online
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retailers, say they're losing lots of money
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because people are regularly returning
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items – possibly even after they're used
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them. They're called 'serial returners'.
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Neil: And this isn't about breakfast
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cornflakes, is it?
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Feifei: No, Neil. The 'serial' in this
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expression means 'repeat'. You might
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have heard the expression a 'TV serial' –
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it means there are many episodes.
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Neil: And that was a nice new coat you
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had on yesterday, by the way, Feifei.
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Feifei: Oh, thanks.
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Neil: Very different from the one you were
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wearing the day before that… and the day
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before that.
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Feifei: What are you suggesting, Neil?
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Neil: Nothing, nothing… shall we hear
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some examples of our expression –
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'serial returner'?
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Oh no, this customer has sent back an
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order for the fifth time this month. If we
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don't block these serial returners, we're
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going to go out of business!
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A: I buy about £400 worth of clothes
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every month.
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B: No way! You must be rich.
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A: Not really. I return about £300 worth.
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I'm one of those serial returners.
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And in business news, online clothes
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shops are introducing new measures
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to make it harder for so-called serial
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returners to get refunds on their orders.
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Feifei: You're listening to The English We
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Speak from BBC Learning English. In this
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programme, we're looking at the
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expression 'serial returner'.
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It's used to talk about people who return
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lots of items they've bought – usually online.
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Neil: So, as I was saying, you've had a nice
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new coat on every day for the last… well,
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month. Did you win the lottery?
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Feifei: No, there is a perfectly innocent
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explanation.
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Neil: Yes – you're a serial returner, aren't you?
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Feifei: Absolutely not! I just knew we were
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going to make this programme on the
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expression 'serial returner' and thought I
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needed to do a little… research.
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Neil: Ha! It's very important to do proper
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research, I agree.
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Both: Bye!
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Neil: Now, which one's your favourite?
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Feifei: The pea-green one with the furry collars.
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Neil: Are you going to keep it?
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Feifei: Nah – too expensive!
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