Consumer advocacy group Choice has announced its 16th annual Shonky Awards, naming five products and services as the worst in Australia. The awards highlight items that are overpriced, ineffective, or misleading, with one appliance estimated to cost $2000 over its lifetime for a task that can be done for nearly nothing.
Among the winners is Breville's FoodCycler, marketed as a way to reduce household food waste by over 80%. Choice home economist Fiona Mair found the device wasteful and expensive, noting that cheaper composting methods exist. Choice calculated the five-year running costs, including the initial $499 purchase, $86 per year in energy, and $223 per year for replacement filters, totaling $2000.
Another dud is the SmarterHome Bladeless Fan from Kogan, which scored 44% in lab tests. Choice expert tester Adrian Lini said the fan barely reached 0.04 cubic metres per second, while most other tower fans reached at least 0.3 cubic metres per second. The fan costs $150 but was outperformed by fans as cheap as $45.
Kiddylicious Strawberry Fruit Wriggles were also slammed for containing 68% sugar, more than Allen's Snakes, and costing $150 per kilo. Choice audience editor Pru Engel called it a “shonky sugar bomb” targeting toddlers with misleading marketing.
The Airline Customer Advocate was criticized as toothless, with Choice consumer rights expert Alison Elliott describing it as a forwarding service that cannot make independent decisions. Finally, buy-now-pay-later provider Humm was called out for dubious checks and balances, with Choice CEO Alan Kirkland saying the sector was designed to avoid safe lending laws.
