With the Black Friday sales well and truly underway, now is the perfect time to start Christmas shopping or buy a product that's been on your wishlist.
However, it's important to know which products are worth snapping up and which ones are worth dodging.
"While there are always good bargains to be had in the Black Friday sales, it's important to be aware of the dud products. Luckily, CHOICE experts have been testing all kinds of products for decades, from washing machines to toasters, and we're here to make sure you walk away with a good quality item," says CHOICE Editorial Director, Mark Serrels.
CHOICE has collated their top tips for shopping smart during the Black Friday sales and has revealed the products to avoid based on their testing this year.
Here are the top products to avoid in the Black Friday sales:
Samsung 64-inch LCD TV (QA65Q60DAWXXY)
CHOICE Expert Rating: 67%
High definition picture quality score: 52%
"Black Friday is one of the best times to buy a new TV, but we would recommend steering clear of this one. This Samsung TV received one of the worst scores in our testing, with its high definition picture quality underwhelming our experts. The sound on this TV isn't great either, and our experts noted occasional distorting during testing," says Serrels.
Art & Science Night & Day Adjustable Pillow Top mattress
CHOICE Expert Rating: 60%
Comfort score when new: 61%
"If you're looking to buy a new mattress during the Black Friday sales we recommend steering clear of this one. It's the lowest-scoring mattress in our tests, with our experts giving it a low comfort score of 61%. Our experts also expressed that there's a noticeable change in both body support and firmness over time," says Serrels.
We're on your side
In more than 60 years of making a difference for Australian consumers, we've never taken ads or sponsorship.
Instead we're funded by members who value expert reviews and independent product testing.
With no self-interest behind our advice, you don't just buy smarter, you get the answers that you need.
You know without hesitation what's safe for you and your family.
And you'll never be alone when something goes wrong or a business treats you unfairly.
Learn more about CHOICE membership today
Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
Marshall Minor IV earbuds
CHOICE Expert Rating: 55%
Sound quality score: 52%
"These earbuds are nothing short of a dud product. The battery life is poor, they're uncomfortable, cleaning them is difficult, and the microphone is low quality. If those results don't steer you away, these earbuds were also the most expensive ones we tested," says Serrels.
Acerpure Clean Lite cordless vacuum
CHOICE Expert Rating: 41%
Pick-up dirt from hard floor score: 10%
"We highly recommend avoiding this Acerpure product as it's the worst stick vacuum we've ever tested - it's so bad we gave it a Shonky Award this year. It bombed our hard floor assessment with a score of 10%, the worst performance we've ever given. It's also extremely flimsy, with the cleaning head falling off countless times. If that's not enough, it costs nearly $200! Although we've seen one major retailer slash the cost of this vacuum by 50%, it's still not worth it," says Serrels.
Here are CHOICE's top tips on how to shop smart during the Black Friday sales:
1. Compare prices
"If you have a particular product in mind, make sure you compare prices across multiple stores. There's a good chance the product is discounted more elsewhere," says Serrels.
2. Do your research
"We often find cheaper products perform just as well or sometimes better than our expensive products in our testing. So make time to research and check reviews before you purchase a product," says Serrels.
3. Be wary of extended warranties
"You might be offered an extended warranty when purchasing a product during the sales. However, these warranties often aren't worth purchasing, as they usually have the same or weaker protections than you already have under the consumer law. If you feel pressure to purchase an extended warranty, ask them what rights it gives you beyond the consumer law," says Serrels.
4. Look out for scam websites
"Fake websites have become far more common, so be wary when shopping online. Look out for unusual URLs, big discounts, poor spelling or missing information, which may suggest the website is illegitimate," says Serrels.
