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Be sure to give the pickup selector switch a good workout. Make sure it is easy to use and doesn't slip off the desired setting or stick in dead-zones between settings.
Sometimes a guitar will have pops and crackles, or the signal just sounds weak or noisy. Sounds like a bad soldering job in the electronics. But before blaming the guitar, try a different cable, or the same cable on another guitar. Cables tend not to last and are usually the problem. Beyond that, it's probably just a bad solder joint. Unfortunately that's something you can't fix in the store before making a purchase. You'd likely have to purchase then fix, but there's no guarantees on it being easily fixable. Best to find a different guitar if possible.
Cheap guitars are often not shielded properly. All the cavities where the pickups and electronics reside should be covered in conductive tape or paint to shield them from external interference. This is most clearly heard as noise, loud hum, and out-of-tune radio noises. If you can hear actual radio stations or phone calls, that sucker ain't shielded properly. It is particularly evident as hum when near flourescent lights. It's not too complex to shield an unshielded guitar, but it can be a pain in the ass. If there's a better option on the shelves, just go with that. Note, single coil pickups tend to hum by nature, so a little hum on single coils doesn't necessarily reflect a shielding issue.