The Yeah, Nah Awards spotlight businesses that have excelled at letting consumers down. It’s accepting public nominations until 30 June.
Acting head of research and advocacy, Jessica Walker, says the Yeah, Nah Awards Are about recognising the worst products and services in Aotearoa and putting pressure on poor-performing brands and companies to lift their game.
“Been ripped off, lied to or burned by a business? We want to hear about it,” says Walker.
“The Yeah, Nah Awards give people a chance to get those grievances off their chests and, more importantly, demand that businesses pull their socks up by calling them out for their bad behaviour.”
Walker reflects on last year’s awards, noting the ‘winners’ received awards across a wide range of issues, like shrinkflation, greenwashing and overpriced products that underwhelm.
“New Zealand consumers put up with a lot,” she says.
This year, the Consumer NZ team has noticed an increase in issues like dodgy sales strategies and manipulative marketing ploys.
“It seems everyone has experienced the frustration of signing up to a free trial only to be stuck with a subscription they don’t know how to cancel.”
Walker warns of ‘mistake’ marketing, too.
“That’s where a company’s social media account makes an announcement that, for example, they’re going into liquidation or their number-one-selling product is being discontinued. Then, after their customers rush to stock up, they find out it was a hoax.
“That’s not on. That’s the kind of cooked behavior the Yeah, Nahs is here to call out.”
Who was bad enough to win last year?
“Last year, Pam’s Value cream style corn won the Less Isn’t More Award for containing less than half corn. We get complaints about shrinkflation all the time – it really grinds peoples’ gears.”
The advocacy organisation presented the Polished Turd Award to two brands of dog poo bags for their misleading claims about being compostable and “a more sustainable alternative”. Consumer’s investigation found it’s much more likely that the doggy doo and these bags are headed straight for landfill – rather than peoples’ backyard compost bins.
Air New Zealand won the Taken for a Ride Award for cashing in on demand during the school holidays.
“After analysing over 600 flights across an 18-week period, we found Air New Zealand’s flight prices go up significantly more compared with Qantas at times of peak demand. We think our national carrier could be giving families a better deal over the school break.”
One model of Bosch heat-pump dryer received the Avoid at all Costs Award from Consumer’s test team.
“Our test team slapped this dryer with a ‘do not buy’ label for creating an appliance that takes more than double the time to dry a load than other cheaper driers.”
Across the 178 businesses Consumer looked at over the last year, Westpac’s life insurance customers had the lowest level of satisfaction.
“Westpac’s life insurance customers expressed a 33% customer dissatisfaction rate, which works out at one in three customers reporting experiencing a terrible time. As a result, Westpac won the Grave Disappointment Award.”
Dob in products and services that have let you down by June 30!
Walker is keen to remind New Zealanders that the Yeah, Nahs are about complaining, yes, but they’re also about demanding better too.
“We’re not out here trying to ruffle feathers for the sake of it. Our members get trusted, independent advice about the best in class – from recommended products to top-performing services.
“Ultimately, you deserve to get good, fair, honest value from the things you spend your money on – whether you’re buying the essentials or the nice-to-haves. And that’s what the Yeah, Nahs, and Consumer NZ, are all about.”
Walker says her team will be accepting nominations from the public via Consumer’s website until Monday 30 June: https://consumernz.cmail20.com/t/i-l-fhjijlk-ijjdkdttjk-n/
“You might have a real bee in your bonnet about your favourite brand of oats having recently shrunk in size. Or it could be that online subscription you’ve been trying to cancel for months now.
“Whatever bewildering, baffling, doozy of a time you’ve had, tell us, and our team of experts and investigators will determine which nominees are worthy of the most quintessentially New Zealand expression of dissatisfaction: a Yeah, Nah.”
Winners will be announced in November 2025.
Notes
A team of Consumer investigators will determine which nominees are bad enough to be good contenders based on the awards’ judging criteria.
To be a contender for a Yeah, Nah Award, a product, business or service must meet one or more of the following criteria:
Failing a standard
Stinging customers with hidden charges
Using false claims or broken promises
Selling products or services that aren’t up to scratch or good value for money
Using unclear messaging that causes consumer confusion, frustration or just plain outrage.
