As bargain hunters face a slightly different Black Friday experience this year, shoppers are warned that the deals they find online are not as good as they first thought.
Black Friday is traditionally Thanksgiving Day in the United States, and stores are seeing prices drop in electronics and clothing – encouraging shoppers to kick off their Christmas shopping.
What is a consumer group? One of the biggest shopping days of the year is compiling a list of products found on the Internet in its Don’t Buy list.
Black silver encourages shoppers to take advantage of cheap electronics, fashion and toys
The company says it is putting thousands of products through “rigorous and independent laboratory tests” in an effort to understand what products fail to do.
Which? Its non-purchase status is that you should not buy a product no matter how good the discount.
This year, the list includes everything – which one? Considers a “complex” vacuum cleaner to be a dangerous baby mouthpiece.
Which? The Baby Dawn Premier True Pressure stairway, which was available for 29 on Amazon, failed its “fatigue test” – part of EU safety standards – meaning it could endanger children.
Manufacturer Baby Dawn replied: “Which security gate is mentioned? Recently tested by DUVSud in Germany and Bureau Veritas in the UK without any feedback. Have surpassed the European standard for sanctions (EN 1930).
“Baby Dan immediately sent the security gate in question to prove our point … for a new test.”
Lots of people flock to the shops on Black Fridays
A £ 29 Russell Hobbs Luna 23221 2-slice toaster is also on the company’s buy list, saying it makes “light and random snacks” with a slider “hard and hard to move”.
The Peco VCS5125 AB vacuum cleaner also appears on the list.
Got it on AO.com for £ 69 (£ 4 more than 2019), which one? Calling it “complicated”, adding the filter “did a bad job of catching small particles while testing”.
Which? People are warned to avoid:
- Maxi Cozy Perry Car Seat (John Lewis 5 225): The shell was too small to protect older children during group testing
- Bush 60185FFWTD Fridge Freezer (Arcos 0 290): Fresh material is “too slow to cool” to a safe temperature, which helps bacteria, which? Says
- Hyssons 65A7100FTUK LED TV (Charismatic PC 4 999): Which? It claims to have the worst picture quality seen in years
- Marshall Major III Wireless Bluetooth Headphones (Charis PC World ஸ் 49): Which? Says the sound quality is not good and “they were judged uncomfortable”.
Shoppers are expected to trade Macy’s stalls for websites on their sofas this year
Natalie Hitchins, what? The head of home products and services said: “We’ve found poor-quality products for sale this Black Friday, so you don’t have to dive straight in when it looks like an attractive deal or you could be a fool.
“Save money and time by knowing clearly not to buy these products. To catch a quality product that lasts the test of time, go beyond the special offer and look at independent, complete test results.”
