Qantas, Ecoeggs and EA Games were among eight companies named and shamed at consumer watchdog Choice's 8th annual Shonky Awards.
The awards give prominence to manufacturers, service providers and marketers for unsafe, unscrupulous or sneaky products or services.
Choice chief executive Alan Kirkland said the risk of receiving an infamous Shonky encouraged businesses to lift their game and put consumers first.
Qantas won for its Frequent Flyer program, which offers customers an internet tool that earns one point per valid search made (up to a maximum of 150 points per month) in exchange for Qantas monitoring the searches and sending targeted marketing.
"Courtesy of your Frequent Flyer membership, they know who you are, where you live and what you're into. While you can turn the toolbar off for more – ahem – sensitive searches, we still think it's a little bit creepy for not much reward," Choice said on its website.
Ecoeggs won for claiming its eggs were free range, despite having a stocking rate of 20,000 hens per hectare, which is more than 13 times higher than the voluntary code for free range.
Nuk Starlight Silicone Orthodontic Soother's dummy shield for babies up to six months old won for its design, which is small enough to fit entirely in a baby's mouth, posing a choking hazard. It follows Nuk winning the award in 2006 for a similar product.
EA Games won for its latest version of the SimCity videogame, which has proven to have so many server issues most gamers call tech support. In Australia this attracts a $2.48 per minute fee, yet is free for US consumers.
"This is another example of the big fat Australia tax we pay on many things IT-related, including hardware, software and electronic downloads," Choice said on its website.
Electricity retailer EnergyAustralia, formerly TRUenergy, won for discreetly announcing price rises on a two-sided flyer that was half-taken up by an ad for solar panels and did not detail how much prices would be going up.
"Don't want solar panels?" Choice said on its website. "Then you probably chucked the flyer straight in the recycling bin without looking at the other side."
Kleenex won for its Mansize tissues which reduced in size by 14 per cent and advertised the change with what Choice said was clever wording that avoided the size had shrunk and said the tissues were still "big, strong two-ply tissues you love, just in a smaller box".
Credit Repair Australia won for its claim it can solve financial problems and restore credit reports but charges a $990 nonrefundable administration and service fee and overstates its ability to remove default listings and other information about credit history that can't be removed.
Dairy Farmers' Oats Express liquid breakfast pack won for claiming it was a drink of milk blended with oats, banana and honey when the ingredients included banana extract, natural flavours in place of honey and only oat fibre.
Choice received 439 nominations for this year's Shonky Awards.
