Australia's Biggest Banks and Retailers Among Winners of this Year's Shonky Awards
The Consumer Advocacy Group Choice has unveiled its 2025 Shonky awards, singling out Commonwealth Bank for charging low-income customers $270m in unfair fees. The bank is the latest recipient of a "special prize" from Choice, following previous wins against major supermarkets and Qantas.
When ASIC caught several major banks charging low-income customers excessive fees this year, CBA stood out for refusing to issue refunds despite being asked by Choice. However, the bank later claimed it would issue refunds on a case-by-case basis, although details of these repayments remain unclear.
Choice's CEO, Ashley de Silva, expressed concern over Temu's failure to commit to Australia's voluntary safety pledge and its failure to comply with mandatory safety standards for button batteries in children's products. De Silva highlighted the case of an eight-year-old girl who suffered burns after wearing a Temu hoodie that caught fire due to noncompliance with safety regulations.
In another Shonky award, HCF was named for sneaky pricing tactics designed to confuse Australian energy retail customers. The health fund closed its Premium Gold policy and then launched a more expensive Optimal Gold policy at 34.6% price increase. Choice estimates that this move could have saved customers as much as $65 million per year.
The Shonky awards have become an annual staple, shining a light on Australia's worst products and services. Over the past 20 years, Choice has delivered major wins for consumers through its award-winning initiatives.
This year's awards serve as a reminder of the importance of consumer advocacy in protecting vulnerable populations from unfair practices by large corporations. With the Shonkys, Choice continues to push for change and ensure that consumers receive fair treatment and transparency from businesses operating in Australia.
The Consumer Advocacy Group Choice has unveiled its 2025 Shonky awards, singling out Commonwealth Bank for charging low-income customers $270m in unfair fees. The bank is the latest recipient of a "special prize" from Choice, following previous wins against major supermarkets and Qantas.
When ASIC caught several major banks charging low-income customers excessive fees this year, CBA stood out for refusing to issue refunds despite being asked by Choice. However, the bank later claimed it would issue refunds on a case-by-case basis, although details of these repayments remain unclear.
Choice's CEO, Ashley de Silva, expressed concern over Temu's failure to commit to Australia's voluntary safety pledge and its failure to comply with mandatory safety standards for button batteries in children's products. De Silva highlighted the case of an eight-year-old girl who suffered burns after wearing a Temu hoodie that caught fire due to noncompliance with safety regulations.
In another Shonky award, HCF was named for sneaky pricing tactics designed to confuse Australian energy retail customers. The health fund closed its Premium Gold policy and then launched a more expensive Optimal Gold policy at 34.6% price increase. Choice estimates that this move could have saved customers as much as $65 million per year.
The Shonky awards have become an annual staple, shining a light on Australia's worst products and services. Over the past 20 years, Choice has delivered major wins for consumers through its award-winning initiatives.
This year's awards serve as a reminder of the importance of consumer advocacy in protecting vulnerable populations from unfair practices by large corporations. With the Shonkys, Choice continues to push for change and ensure that consumers receive fair treatment and transparency from businesses operating in Australia.
The Commonwealth Bank's $270m in unfair fees is absolutely outrageous - who do they think they are? It's like they're trying to suck every last penny from vulnerable Aussies. And what really grinds my gears is that CBA refused to issue refunds despite being asked, it's like they were trying to cover their tracks 
. An 8-year-old girl almost dies from a hoodie that catches fire, and what does the CEO have to say about it? "Oh well, accidents happen"? No, mate, this is not an accident, this is negligence 
. We need more consumer advocacy like Choice is doing, to hold these big players accountable for their actions. Anything less and it's just business as usual, which isn't good enough 
. I think it's just a bunch of corporations trying to save face by acknowledging their own mistakes instead of actually fixing the problems. CBA getting slammed for charging low-income customers all those bucks is no surprise - what did we expect? But now they're just paying lip service with that half-baked promise to refund some money... meanwhile, the real victims are still stuck with the higher fees 
. And Temu's safety issues? That's not a Shonky Award-worthy failure on their part; it's more like a major red flag 
. We should be celebrating businesses that put people first instead of just handing out awards to those who've done everything right... which, let's face it, is no one 
. And those sneaky pricing tactics by HCF? Come on! 
. Choice's doing a great job holding these corporations accountable, but it's sad we need an award to shine a light on this stuff 
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. I mean, can you imagine if your bank was doing this to you? You'd be livid 
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. A 9-year-old girl suffered burns from a hoodie that caught fire because of their noncompliance 
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Commonwealth Bank needs to get its act together, charging $270m in fees from low-income customers? That's just wrong, period. They're basically preying on people who can't afford to fight back. And what really takes the cake is they refused to give refunds at first but then claimed they'd do it on a case-by-case basis... yeah right 
But come on, ASIC did warn them about it multiple times and Temu just didn't listen. It's not like it was a minor mistake... that hoodie literally caught fire! 
. I just hope more people start speaking out against unfair practices in Australia 
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. But at least Choice is doing something about it and holding them accountable 
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