Which? reveals products to avoid on Amazon Prime Day
A dire air fryer, feeble fridge and one of the worst TVs ever tested by Which? are among the flawed products being sold at discount prices this Amazon Prime Day, according to new research from the consumer watchdog.
Each year Which? puts thousands of products through rigorous, independent laboratory tests to separate the best from the worst. Those that fail to perform and should be avoided at all costs are labelled as a Which? Don’t Buy.
Which? is warning consumers about the Don’t Buy products on sale at Amazon, to help them avoid being saddled with poor-performing products after this year’s Prime Day sales event.
The first Don’t Buy discovered by Which? on Amazon is the Total Chef TCAF03 (£69.99). Which? testers were disappointed with this air fryer. It was not particularly energy efficient or fast, and has one fatal flaw – it cooks bad chips.
Also on Which?’s Don’t Buy list was the Fridgemaster MC55265AF (£329). Which? testing found that this fridge had high energy use, unstable temperatures and lacked the power to chill fresh groceries quickly, which can give food-spoiling bacteria more time to multiply.
One of the worst TVs ever tested by Which? is the Hisense 32A4EGTUK (£159). The sound is distorted, tinny and unnatural, and to make matters worse, the body of the TV rattles badly. The picture is fine if nothing’s moving, but the detail is lost in dark contrast and smearing motion.
For those looking for a new vacuum, the Tower VL100 (£129) is ineffective, struggling with carpets and useless with pet hair. It’s also bad at retaining allergens, so it’s not the best option for people with dust-related allergies.
Another product that’s worth avoiding, claims Which?, is the Candy CDPH 2L 1049W-80. This lacklustre slimline dishwasher was found to be noisy, difficult to load and failed to remove food from crockery when tested by Which? Experts.
Meanwhile, the Salter EK4383 (£58.68), a blender described as “a waste of space” by Which? Testers made lumpy drinks, a horrible racket and had a badly designed dial which made it difficult to use.
Which? is advising shoppers not to rush into any purchases this Amazon Prime Day without doing some research first to make sure they are getting a genuinely good quality product at an outstanding price.
The consumer watchdog’s retail experts will be updating advice pages with the best deals on products that have performed well in Which? testing round the clock this week.
Says Natalie Hitchins, Which? Head of Home Products and Services:
“There’s a huge range of deals on offer during the Amazon Prime Day sales, but some may have been on sale at the same price or cheaper previously, while others are just terrible products that will leave you with a serious case of buyer’s regret you wishing you hadn’t bothered.
“If you’re in the market for an impressive product at a bargain price that genuinely offers outstanding value for money, there are deals to be had, but we suggest you dodge these Don’t Buys and seek out reliable reviews and independent testing that you can trust.”
