An airline pocketing $75 million in expired flight credits, a pet insurance policy that can stop covering an illness after 12 months, and a washing machine that takes more than a day to complete a wash and dry – these are among the findings in CHOICE’s 2026 Shonky Awards, with some of Australia’s biggest brands singled out over products and practices the consumer watchdog believes are giving customers a raw deal.
Now in their 21st year, the awards have named seven businesses across six categories, including Virgin Australia, Ticketmaster, Ticketek, Petcover, Hisense, Sony and Quest.
Some of the findings raise serious questions about money already spent, insurance protection and the true cost of everyday purchases.
Virgin Australia has received a Shonky Award after counting $75 million in expired COVID-era flight credits towards its 2026 profits.
The credits related to flights cancelled between April 2020 and July 2022, when pandemic restrictions disrupted travel across Australia. Customers had until June 30 this year to make replacement bookings, although the airline extended the deadline for taking those flights to May 27, 2027.
CHOICE argues passengers should have received refunds rather than risk losing money for flights they never took.
“Expiring credits should be automatically converted to refunds and consumers shouldn’t have to chase them,” CHOICE senior policy and campaigns adviser Bea Sherwood said.
“Virgin’s unfair credit policy means countless people will never see their hard-earned money again.”
Virgin defended its handling of the credits, saying more than 93 per cent had been redeemed and customers received repeated reminders and extensions.
For passengers still holding unused credits, checking the booking deadline and investigating refund rights could prevent an expensive surprise.
Petcover’s Economy pet insurance policy attracted particularly strong criticism.
According to CHOICE, customers receive a new policy every 12 months rather than a conventional renewal.
That means conditions their pets experienced during the previous year can be classified as pre-existing and excluded from future cover, even when the owner stays with the same insurer.
CHOICE also raised concerns about the policy’s broad definition of pre-existing conditions, which can include illnesses displaying similar clinical signs.
The watchdog says chronic conditions are limited to 12 months of cover under the policy.
“You can forget about pre-existing conditions, this barely covers new conditions,” CHOICE pet insurance expert Daniel Graham said.
For owners of older pets requiring ongoing treatment for arthritis, diabetes or other conditions, the exclusions could prove particularly costly.
Switching insurers may not solve the problem either, as previously diagnosed conditions can also be excluded under a replacement policy.
Before purchasing cover, owners should establish whether chronic conditions remain covered beyond the first year and how previous symptoms affect future claims.
Concertgoers and sports fans have also come under scrutiny from CHOICE over ticket pricing.
Tickets for a John Farnham tribute concert sold through Ticketek reached $1650 for premium packages.
Meanwhile, some NRL supporters buying through Ticketmaster encountered seats priced at $175 when regular seats just one row and one bay away cost $125.
The more expensive seats were marketed as “In Demand Tickets”, with prices adjusted according to supply and demand.
CHOICE criticised dynamic pricing and premium ticket categories that can make popular events considerably more expensive.
Ticketmaster rejected suggestions its prices automatically rise as customers join an online queue, saying event organisers set prices and can review them during sales.
The watchdog wants stronger protections against excessive ticket pricing, particularly when customers face pressure to secure seats before they disappear.
A Hisense washer-dryer has been singled out for an energy-efficient setting that takes an extraordinary amount of time.
The Hisense 8i washer-dryer combo carries an eight-star energy rating for drying.
But CHOICE found the Eco drying program used to achieve that rating takes approximately 13.5 hours for a full 8kg load.
Add the nominated washing program, which runs for more than 12 hours, and the combined cycle exceeds 25 hours.
Hisense says its energy ratings comply with Australian government testing requirements.
CHOICE acknowledges the manufacturer has not broken the rules, but argues the rating system allows companies to nominate programs that bear little resemblance to everyday household use.
“If a consumer regularly uses a different program, their actual energy consumption and in turn household savings could differ greatly to what they had originally expected when purchasing based on the Energy Rating Label,” CHOICE laundry expert Denis Gallagher said.
CHOICE wants program times displayed more prominently on energy labels, allowing shoppers to compare running costs with the time required to complete a load.
Sony Interactive Entertainment received a Shonky Award over the ownership of digital games and movies.
CHOICE says customers purchasing digital content are buying a licence to access it rather than permanent ownership.
The watchdog highlighted a licensing dispute involving approximately 500 StudioCanal films in Europe and the UK, where customers faced losing access to titles they had previously purchased.
Sony’s licensing conditions make clear that software is licensed rather than sold, meaning continued access can depend on agreements and account conditions.
For Australians who have gradually replaced DVD collections with digital libraries, the distinction matters.
A film purchased online might appear no different from one sitting on the shelf, but the rights attached to each can be very different.
Physical discs generally provide greater independence from online accounts and changing licensing arrangements, although they can carry restrictions of their own.
The final award went to Quest Protein Chips, which CHOICE found carried a substantial price premium.
A 32g packet cost $6.50, equivalent to more than $20 per 100g.
Compared with similarly flavoured Doritos, CHOICE calculated the Quest product was 886 per cent more expensive by weight.
The comparison isn’t nutritionally identical. Quest chips contain substantially more protein, at 56g per 100g compared with 7.5g for Doritos.
But the nutritional comparison revealed another surprise.
A 32g serving of Quest Nacho Cheese Tortilla Style Protein Chips contains 327mg of sodium, compared with 115mg in an equivalent serving of Doritos.
CHOICE also highlighted packaging warnings that the product is unsuitable for children under 15 or pregnant women and should only be used under medical or dietetic supervision.
In its wider investigation, CHOICE found foods marketed as high-protein cost an average of around 50 per cent more per 100g than standard alternatives.
For shoppers looking to increase their protein intake, everyday foods such as eggs, yoghurt and legumes may offer better value.
The six awards highlight different problems, but the financial consequences can be substantial.
Expired flight credits can mean losing money already paid. Pet insurance exclusions may only become apparent when an animal needs expensive treatment. And ticket pricing or digital licensing conditions can leave customers paying more than expected or receiving less than they assumed.
CHOICE chief executive Monique Perry has called for stronger consumer protections, particularly around pricing practices.
The Shonky Awards reflect CHOICE’s assessment of questionable products and services. They are not findings that the businesses involved have necessarily breached consumer law.
Consumers concerned about a purchase can contact their state or territory consumer affairs agency, while eligible insurance complaints can be taken to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority.
Checking expiry dates, policy exclusions, product specifications and the final price before paying could save considerable money and frustration.
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