The Shoddies have returned, spotlighting the companies, services and products that fall far short of expectations.
Thirteen ‘winners’ were selected from nominations by Which? experts across various fields, then evaluated by an in-house judging panel.
Here are the most notable disappointments of 2024, ranging from steep price hikes to poor customer service.
‘Worst Telecoms Company – Virgin’
Virgin Media has been identified as the worst broadband provider, with customers particularly dissatisfied with its service.
Users face the dilemma of either accepting significant mid-contract price increases or paying high exit fees to switch providers.
Concerns have been raised with Ofcom about Virgin Media’s pricing practices, despite the company’s claims of transparency.
Virgin Media argued that these contract terms are widely used in the industry and that the company is ‘transparent’ about price rises.
This marks its second consecutive appearance in the Shoddies.
Worst Telecoms Company – Virgin. Virgin Media has been identified as the worst broadband provider, with customers particularly dissatisfied with its service
‘Biggest Flight Booking Letdown – Opodo’
Opodo, often offering the lowest fares on comparison sites, received a low customer score of 28 per cent in the latest Which? survey.
Complaints include a lack of customer service and unexpected charges for its Prime service.
Instances of overcharging for baggage and seat selection were also found.
Despite Opodo’s claims 90 per cent of the customers it surveyed are happy with the service, Which? Advised booking directly with airlines.
Biggest Flight Booking Letdown – Opodo. Opodo, often offering the lowest fares on comparison sites, received a low customer score of 28 per cent in the latest Which? survey
‘Most Shocking Price Hike – Norton Antivirus Renewal’
Norton 360 Deluxe, though highly rated in lab tests, surprises with its renewal pricing.
An initial subscription of £30 jumps to £90 after the first year, representing the highest renewal increase among tested antivirus products.
This steep price hike is the largest renewal spike of any paid-for antivirus product currently on test, making it excessively high.
Most Shocking Price Hike – Norton Antivirus Renewa.l Norton 360 Deluxe, though highly rated in lab tests, surprises with its renewal pricing
‘Grimmest Hotel Chain – Britannia’
For the 11th year, Britannia ranks as the worst hotel chain.
Its historic properties show significant neglect, scoring two stars on cleanliness and just one star room quality.
Fire safety issues were also discovered in two properties, though Britannia claims these have been addressed.
Britannia told Which? it had ‘investigated and addressed’ the issues at both hotels.
The said: ‘We invest heavily in fire safety at all of our hotels and will continue to do so.’
Grimmest Hotel Chain – Britannia. For the 11th year, Britannia ranks as the worst hotel chain
‘Most Unhelpful Energy Company – Scottish Power’
Scottish Power received the lowest satisfaction score in customer service research, particularly for how long it took customers to reach a helpful representative.
With two out of five stars for overall service and value for money, it stands out as particularly unhelpful.
Despite Scottish Power claiming to have been working ‘tirelessly’ to improve, customer experiences remain subpar.
Most Unhelpful Energy Company – Scottish Power. The company received the lowest satisfaction score in customer service research, particularly for how long it took customers to reach a helpful representative
‘Dodgiest Car Hire Company – Goldcar’
Goldcar continues to use aggressive sales tactics to sell unnecessary insurance, despite promises of reform.
Undercover investigations found similar issues with other companies, including Dollar and OK Mobility.
But it was Goldcar that remained the worst-rated by customers and the company continue to employ ‘pushy sales tactics’, attempting to coerce customers into purchasing ‘extra insurance’.
Dodgiest Car Hire Company – Goldcar. The company continues to use aggressive sales tactics to sell unnecessary insurance, despite promises of reform
‘Least Trustworthy Online Marketplace – Temu’
Temu, offering a wide variety of products at low prices, faces numerous controversies.
Issues include supply chain concerns, missing items and the sale of illegal weapons.
Unsafe electric heaters were also found on the platform.
Temu insists customer safety is a priority and said it ‘deeply regrets any concern or inconvenience caused by [identified] safety issues’, but significant problems persist.
Least Trustworthy Online Marketplace – Temu. It offers a wide variety of products at low prices, but faces numerous controversies
‘Dumbest Smart Product – Swan Alexa Smart Kettle’
This £68 smart kettle, despite its advanced features, fails in basic performance.
It’s slow to boil, overboils and lacks a limescale filter, making it unsuitable for hard-water areas.
It also requires a minimum fill of two cups, meaning energy is wasted every time you make tea for one person.
Dumbest Smart Product – Swan Alexa Smart Kettle. This £68 smart kettle, despite its advanced features, fails in basic performance
‘Biggest Rail Rip-Off – Train Ticket Machines’
Many UK stations lack full-time ticket offices, forcing passengers to use ticket machines that often don’t offer the cheapest tickets.
Shoppers found that tickets from machines were on average 52 per cent more expensive than those booked online.
Biggest Rail Rip-Off – Train Ticket Machines. Shoppers found that tickets from machines were on average 52% more expensive than those booked online
‘Unsafe Product – Peg Perego Viaggio Twist Car Seat’
This £425 car seat failed crash tests, with the support leg crumpling and the seat detaching from the base.
The car seat, which is designed for babies and children from six months to four years old, has been rated a 0 per cent Don’t Buy.
Peg Perego has paused distribution and promises an improved version soon.
Unsafe Product – Peg Perego Viaggio Twist Car Seat. This £425 car seat failed crash tests, with the support leg crumpling and the seat detaching from the base
‘Persistent Failure on Scams – Meta’
Scams and malicious content are prevalent on Facebook and Instagram, causing financial and emotional harm to many users.
Despite Meta’s claims of having systems to block scams, little progress has been seen.
Which? believes the company needs to enhance user protection.
Persistent Failure on Scams – Meta Scams and malicious content are prevalent on Facebook and Instagram, causing financial and emotional harm to many users
‘Design Fail – Nautilus Designs Ascot Mesh Office Chair’
This office chair is both uncomfortable and potentially dangerous, failing safety tests and providing poor ergonomic support.
Loose controls and non-adjustable armrests further detract from its usability.
Design Fail – Nautilus Designs Ascot Mesh Office Chair This office chair is both uncomfortable and potentially dangerous, failing safety tests and providing poor ergonomic support
‘Useless Cleaning Product – M&S Italian Lemon & Ginger Cleaning Spray’
While environmentally friendly, this £2 cleaning spray is ineffective against tough spills.
M&S’s other cleaning products also perform poorly, making them unreliable choices for effective cleaning.
Useless Cleaning Product – M&S Italian Lemon & Ginger Cleaning Spray. While environmentally friendly, this £2 cleaning spray is ineffective against tough spills
