A muted recall of Samsung washing machines which means 58,000 households across Australia still have potential fire hazards in their homes has received a Shonky award for bad consumer practice.
Arnott’s claim that their tiny teddy biscuits have health approval and Ikea’s sale of plastic couches in the leather section are also among the recipients of this year’s Shonky awards, organised by consumer group Choice.
Eight companies and industries were announced as winners on Wednesday.
Samsung was awarded a Shonky, not for its faulty top loader washing machine, but for the way it handled it.
The machine caused more than 224 “incidents”,including 76 fires, but there are still 58,000 potentially faulty machines in homes across Australia.
“Samsung said they did not need to advertise on TV to alert consumers to the danger; we disagree,” Choice said.
“We think it is time for Samsung to end the spin cycle and advertise on television before someone dies in the dark.”
Arnott’s was scolded over its tiny teddy biscuits, a favourite of Australian schoolchildren. The company used the state government amber school canteen logo, which was supposed to help consumers make more informed choices.
They used the logo to give a “health halo” to tiny teddies which had hundreds and thousands in them.
“[Hundreds and thousands tiny teddies] are classified as confectionery and not recommended in the national guidelines for canteens,” the Shonky award brief said.
“We don’t think Arnott’s should be flogging confectionery to kids claiming it’s healthy.”
Arnott’s responded by saying the tiny teddies were compliant with the state government amber school canteen guidelines in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.
“Tiny Teddy Hundreds and Thousands/Choc Chip meet the nutrient criteria of this program which is: less than 600kj per serve, less than 3g sat fat per serve and more than 1g of fibre per serve. However, hundreds and thousands and choc chips are viewed as confectionary under this program,” a spokeswoman said.
“All state government school canteen programs are currently under review and Arnott’s will voluntarily comply with any changes.”
Ikea was also criticised for listing polyester and polyurethane couches in the leather sofa and armchairs section of its website.
“We think Ikea has real hide serving up plastic couches in the ‘leather’ section of its website,” Choice said.
The National Australia Bank won a Shonky for not passing interest rate cuts on to consumers, instead lifting rates on its “low” rate card from 12.99% to 13.99%.
Coca-Cola was criticised for giving an “unrestricted gift” to the Global Energy Balance Network, an organisation which claims it is dedicated to using energy balance to end obesity.
“We think funding an organisation that suggests we should keep drinking sugary drinks and just exercise more is a load of fizz,” Choice said.
Coca-Cola rejected the claim.
“The Choice Shonky Award is an inaccurate representation of the relationship between the Global Energy Balance Network and the Coca-Cola Company,” a spokeswoman said.
“The Coca-Cola Company has a long history of supporting evidence-based scientific research. We fully recognise moderation and diet play a pivotal role in managing health and weight, alongside physical activity.”
Kleenex’s claim that its flushable cleansing cloths for children disintegrated like toilet paper was lambasted.
Choice is campaigning to have the cloths removed from supermarket shelves, saying they do not disintegrate and that an estimated $15m of wipe-related damage is done to Australian sewer systems each year. Flushable wet wipes have been blamed for the rise in fatbergs clogging sewers in cities around the world.
A spokeswoman for Kleenex said the company was disappointed to be included in the awards.
“Kleenex Cottonelle Flushable Cleansing Cloths have been embraced by Australian consumers who want a flushable wipe that helps them feel cleaner and fresher than toilet paper alone,” she said.
“In a recent Kleenex Clean study of 853 Australian consumers, exploring the toileting and cleanliness habits of Australians, 66% of parents said they will encourage their child or children to use a wet wipe or moist toilet tissue to ensure their bums are as clean as possible.”
The Kleenex spokeswoman said the company was aware of some localised concerns from some regional water authorities and along with other makers of wipes products have been proactively engaging with the Water Services Association of Australia.
She said Kleenex recommends no more than two wipes at a time are flushed.
The organisation was careful to point out that not every Shonky winner was breaking laws or breaching regulations.
“We hope the Shonkys encourage consumers to look critically at the goods and services they use, question poor service, hidden costs and the fine print beneath claims that seem too good to be true,” Choice chief executive Alan Kirkland said.
Ikea and Samsung have also been contacted for comment.
