Choice said The Good Guys, Harvey Norman and JB Hi-Fi were revealed through secret shopper campaigns of misleading the public.

The campaign revealed 70 per cent of the 80 stores covered have misleading information on consumer rights and 91 per cent tried to sell poor value extended warranties that were little better than what was covered by consumer laws.

The stores also argued that if a product was more than two years old the consumer would have to foot the bill for any repairs.

Choice editorial director Marg Rafferty said the organisation was shocked by the results.

“Consumer guarantees mean retailers must help customers if a product breaks within a reasonable period of time, even if the manufacturer’s warranty has expired,” Rafferty said.

“When asked about consumer rights outside the manufacturer’s warranty period, stores tried to sell us extended warranties which are not much more than a sneaky sales tactic to squeeze more money from concerned customers.

“Existing consumer rights provide all the protection you need against faulty products, so it’s incredibly disappointing to see these big retailers pushing poor value extended warranties onto consumers during a cost-of-living crisis.”

The Queensland Government said consumers should stay aware of their rights, especially when shopping online.

Attorney General Shannon Fentiman said major sales like Black Friday have shoppers chasing a bargain and sometimes this can mean they were caught out by impulse buying.

She said online buyers should check reviews of retailers and look carefully at products because some businesses did not provide automatic refunds if you simply no longer want the item or you selected a wrong size or colour.

“Check you are dealing with an Australian business when shopping online by looking for an Australian Business Number, physical address and contact details on their website,” she said.