Choice Shonky awards 2026: From ticket sellers and Virgin flight credits to a 25-hour laundry cycle

Australia’s worst products and services for the year have been named by consumer advocacy group Choice

Concert tickets that surge to $1,650, an airline pocketing $75m of unused flight credits and a washer/dryer cycle that takes 25 hours have all made the dishonour roll in consumer advocacy group Choice’s annual Shonky awards.

Now in their 21st year, the Shonkys spotlight Australia’s worst products and services as decided by Choice.

Choice awarded Virgin a Shonky gong for imposing strict deadlines on customers to use credits issued for cancelled flights between 2020 and 2022, amid Covid-19 travel restrictions. Customers had to book their trips by 30 June this year, and had to use the credits for flights taking off before 27 May 2027.