Ticket sellers, Virgin flight credits and a 25-hour laundry cycle: meet Choice’s 2026 Shonky award winners
Summary
Australian consumer group Choice named Virgin Australia, Ticketmaster, Ticketek and Hisense among the winners of its 2026 Shonky awards, which highlight products and services it considers poor for consumers. The awards focused on unused flight credits, ticket pricing practices and a washer/dryer marketed as highly energy efficient.Key Facts
- Choice said $75 million in Virgin Australia flight credits issued for cancellations between 2020 and 2022 went unused and returned to the airline’s bottom line.
- Virgin Australia said more than 93% of Covid-era flight credits were redeemed and that it extended deadlines and communicated expiry dates to customers.
- Choice criticized Ticketmaster and Ticketek for pricing practices it said could raise the cost of live-event tickets.
- Choice said top-tier tickets to a John Farnham tribute concert cost $1,650, while some NRL tickets marked “in demand” cost $50 more than nearby regular seats.
- Ticketmaster said event organisers set ticket prices and that prices do not automatically rise when more people join a queue.
- The Albanese government’s planned laws on unfair trading practices, due to take effect in 2027, do not prohibit dynamic pricing.
- Choice gave Hisense an award over its advertising of a washer/dryer as “super energy efficient”; the article says the cycle can take 25 hours.
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