REVEALED: The BEST and WORST stores to buy electronics in 2022
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Today's rising cost of living makes it more important than ever for us to get the most out of our purchases, especially our appliances, which we expect will go the extra mile. And by "extra mile", we mean that it will work well for many years to come.
So if you're in the market for a new appliance, maybe a new washing machine or a brand-new television, then you've come to the right place!
The CHOICE experts recently asked more than 5,000 Australians about their experiences buying electronics online and in stores, and if they were happy with the locations they went to.
Participants were asked to rate the selection of brands and products, price compared to the quality, customer service, delivery, and after-sales support for physical stores.
The same questions were posed to online retailers, along with additional categories for the website's usability, payment methods, and returns policy.
Here are what they have to say!
CHOICE asked more than 5,000 Australians how they felt about buying electronics online and in stores. Credit: CHOICE.
Best instore overall satisfaction – Winning Appliances
With numerous reviews praising its delivery service, selection of products and brands, and after-sales service, Winning Appliances won the coveted top spot. Customers praised Winnings' salespeople as being knowledgeable and helpful, and the company's customer service was also said to be a cut above the rest.
Retravision also had good after-sales service and good value for money. Bing Lee, on the other hand, didn't fare well against Winnings, Retravision, or Betta.
Worst instore overall satisfaction – Kmart
Kmart received consistent lower ratings compared to other stores in almost all categories, except for value for money. Many of the survey participants reported difficulty locating the customer service inside Kmart stores, and the budget retailer also received low scores for its selection of brands and products.
CHOICE has also made note of how some salespeople, particularly those from Harvey Norman, The Good Guys and JB Hi-Fi, push extended warranty offers to customers.
After researching their terms and conditions, the experts at CHOICE found that, in many circumstances, these offers were practically useless. That is why they advise shoppers to take a better look at the Terms & Conditions before they commit to anything.
"Our free consumer rights guides are helpful resources for learning more about extended warranties, along with what to do when you have problems with a product or service," they said.
You can file a complaint with the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) if you believe you were unfairly coerced into accepting an extended warranty.
Credit: CHOICE.
Now, let's move on to the best and worst online electronics stores!
Even though online shopping has grown in the past two years (mostly because of the pandemic), it hasn't yet surpassed shopping in stores as the most prefered way to shop, seeing that over 60% of Aussies still go to stores to buy our new appliances and electronics.
But if you do prefer the online shopping experience, here are what some customers have to say:
Best online shop for overall satisfaction – Appliances Online
Amazingly enough, Appliances Online won every online category in the survey!
Appliances Online received a great deal of positive anecdotal feedback from the CHOICE experts in recent years, and it is impressive that such a young company (it was founded in 2005) has made such strides in the past ten years.
Though it probably helps that its parent company, Winning Group, has been making appliances in Australia for more than a century now.
Worst online shop for overall satisfaction – Dick Smith and Kogan
On the opposite end of the spectrum is Dick Smith, which received a score that is 26 points lower than Appliances Online.
Dick Smith's trademark was recently acquired by Kogan, but consumers continue to use it despite this because of the so-called "halo effect" of brand loyalty that marketers like to tout.
Unfortunately, these customers are still receiving subpar service from Dick Smith.
When it comes to extended warranties sold in online stores, safe to say, the CHOICE experts were pretty "disappointed".
"One of the things we were disappointed to see is how many extended warranties are being sold online using pre-selected checkboxes – a deceptive web design, sometimes also called a dark pattern," they said.
Apparently, most online retailers (even Appliances Online) have pre-selected checkboxes that customers usually "ignore" on their websites. This leads to them having to pay for additional "extended warranty services" without their knowledge.
"While it's not against the law, at CHOICE, we think it's dodgy practice for any industry to use these sorts of deceptive practices to try to impose additional expenses on consumers," they went on to say.
"It's particularly galling when the extra expense is for an extended warranty, a type of product that often just sells you rights that you already have for free under the Australian Consumer Law."
Only three online retailers—Amazon, David Jones, and Myer—do not push unnecessary extended warranties to unwilling customers. Meanwhile, JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman pester you about the extended warranty on every page but don't automatically check the box.
Credit: CHOICE.
What are your thoughts, folks? Do you agree with the list that CHOICE has come up with? Let us know in the comments below!
So if you're in the market for a new appliance, maybe a new washing machine or a brand-new television, then you've come to the right place!
The CHOICE experts recently asked more than 5,000 Australians about their experiences buying electronics online and in stores, and if they were happy with the locations they went to.
Participants were asked to rate the selection of brands and products, price compared to the quality, customer service, delivery, and after-sales support for physical stores.
The same questions were posed to online retailers, along with additional categories for the website's usability, payment methods, and returns policy.
Here are what they have to say!
CHOICE asked more than 5,000 Australians how they felt about buying electronics online and in stores. Credit: CHOICE.
Best instore overall satisfaction – Winning Appliances
With numerous reviews praising its delivery service, selection of products and brands, and after-sales service, Winning Appliances won the coveted top spot. Customers praised Winnings' salespeople as being knowledgeable and helpful, and the company's customer service was also said to be a cut above the rest.
Retravision also had good after-sales service and good value for money. Bing Lee, on the other hand, didn't fare well against Winnings, Retravision, or Betta.
Worst instore overall satisfaction – Kmart
Kmart received consistent lower ratings compared to other stores in almost all categories, except for value for money. Many of the survey participants reported difficulty locating the customer service inside Kmart stores, and the budget retailer also received low scores for its selection of brands and products.
CHOICE has also made note of how some salespeople, particularly those from Harvey Norman, The Good Guys and JB Hi-Fi, push extended warranty offers to customers.
After researching their terms and conditions, the experts at CHOICE found that, in many circumstances, these offers were practically useless. That is why they advise shoppers to take a better look at the Terms & Conditions before they commit to anything.
"Our free consumer rights guides are helpful resources for learning more about extended warranties, along with what to do when you have problems with a product or service," they said.
You can file a complaint with the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) if you believe you were unfairly coerced into accepting an extended warranty.
Credit: CHOICE.
Now, let's move on to the best and worst online electronics stores!
Even though online shopping has grown in the past two years (mostly because of the pandemic), it hasn't yet surpassed shopping in stores as the most prefered way to shop, seeing that over 60% of Aussies still go to stores to buy our new appliances and electronics.
But if you do prefer the online shopping experience, here are what some customers have to say:
Best online shop for overall satisfaction – Appliances Online
Amazingly enough, Appliances Online won every online category in the survey!
Appliances Online received a great deal of positive anecdotal feedback from the CHOICE experts in recent years, and it is impressive that such a young company (it was founded in 2005) has made such strides in the past ten years.
Though it probably helps that its parent company, Winning Group, has been making appliances in Australia for more than a century now.
Worst online shop for overall satisfaction – Dick Smith and Kogan
On the opposite end of the spectrum is Dick Smith, which received a score that is 26 points lower than Appliances Online.
Dick Smith's trademark was recently acquired by Kogan, but consumers continue to use it despite this because of the so-called "halo effect" of brand loyalty that marketers like to tout.
Unfortunately, these customers are still receiving subpar service from Dick Smith.
When it comes to extended warranties sold in online stores, safe to say, the CHOICE experts were pretty "disappointed".
"One of the things we were disappointed to see is how many extended warranties are being sold online using pre-selected checkboxes – a deceptive web design, sometimes also called a dark pattern," they said.
Apparently, most online retailers (even Appliances Online) have pre-selected checkboxes that customers usually "ignore" on their websites. This leads to them having to pay for additional "extended warranty services" without their knowledge.
"While it's not against the law, at CHOICE, we think it's dodgy practice for any industry to use these sorts of deceptive practices to try to impose additional expenses on consumers," they went on to say.
"It's particularly galling when the extra expense is for an extended warranty, a type of product that often just sells you rights that you already have for free under the Australian Consumer Law."
Only three online retailers—Amazon, David Jones, and Myer—do not push unnecessary extended warranties to unwilling customers. Meanwhile, JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman pester you about the extended warranty on every page but don't automatically check the box.
Credit: CHOICE.
What are your thoughts, folks? Do you agree with the list that CHOICE has come up with? Let us know in the comments below!
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