“The Shonkiest of the Shonkys: 2024’s Worst Offenders Revealed”

Every year, CHOICE does us all a favor and calls out the products and companies that have truly outdone themselves in the art of failing customers.

They're not scams per say, they just look like one when you squint.

And this year’s Shonky Awards do not disappoint.

From vacuums that suck at sucking to insurance that needs its own insurance, these winners represent the absolute low bar in consumer offerings.

And let’s kick things off with a big one:

1) Meta – Scams in Your Social Feed

Meta—the tech giant behind Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp—is raking in ad money from scammy sources faster than it can try (and fail) to kick them off the platform.

The result? A massive 76% of social media scams were reported on Meta’s platforms.

With resources at its disposal that could probably buy a small country, you’d think Meta would be better at protecting its users from the wave of scams washing through our feeds.

NIB – Health Insurance with Extra Costs for Single Parents

When you’re paying for health insurance, you expect it to, you know, support you, right?

Not if you're a single parent. NIB’s health insurance makes single parents pay nearly double what it costs a couple to add a child to their policy.

So, if you’re navigating the challenges of raising a kid solo, NIB thinks it’s fair to hit you with extra costs.

Daily Juice Co – Green Juice Minus the Greens

Green juice. You’d think it would have something green in it. But for Daily Juice Co., “green” is apparently a colour, not an ingredient.

Their “Daily Juice Green Mix” is fruit juice coloured with “Colour (141)”—just food dye with a leafy name.

It’s the green you want but none of the veggies you’d expect. It’s like calling a lollipop a fruit salad because it’s vaguely fruity.

Acerpure Clean Lite Cordless Vacuum – The Stick Vac That Couldn’t

For $199, you’d think the Acerpure stick vacuum might actually work, right? Well, in CHOICE’s testing, it barely managed to pick up dust. Even if it got a few crumbs, it would clog almost instantly. Add to that its cheap, flimsy build, and you’ve got yourself one of the worst stick vacs ever tested.

GroundingWell Grounding Socks – For “Earthly Energy,” Just Plug In

And finally, we have GroundingWell’s “grounding” socks.

For those looking to reconnect with the earth without the hassle of, you know, going outside, these socks claim to do the job by plugging into an electrical outlet. They don’t even function well as socks, and their health claims are flimsy at best.

So, there you have it. The Shonky Awards 2024—a little heads-up on what to avoid next time you're shopping.

Because sometimes the worst offenders aren't hiding in the shadows; they're right on the shelf, ready to disappoint.