Dollar General sued over obsolete oils

[Tom NJ]

At last, a class action law suit has been filed against a retail outlet for selling obsolete motor oils on shelves alongside quality oils. I sure hope this catches on and other law firms follow suit against the hundreds of stores across the country that practice this deception.

This has been a pet peeve of mine for over 30 years, ever since I learned what an SA oil was in 1981. Calling these products "Motor Oils" when no manufacturers recommend them for their motors, and positioning them on shelves with modern motor oils is downright deceptive to consumers. Back label small print caveats such as "Read your owner's manual" or "for use in older cars" is insufficient. Even the clear and specific warnings on the Dollar General back labels in my opinion do not excuse the clear attempt at deception from the front labels, especially since most people never read the back labels. Worse yet, these products appear to be aimed at lower income folks who tend to buy by price.

Interesting that PQIA wrote an article on the Dollar General oils just two months ago back in October, making all of the same points mentioned in the law suit. Perhaps the lawyers are reading PQIA's site.

The API states clearly that oils rated SG and earlier are obsolete and not suitable for engines built in the last 22 years, which is probably over 99% of the cars on the road. Indeed SA is for engines built before 1930! I realize there are some valid uses for such oils, but automobile engines are not among them, so why call them motor oils and sell them mixed in with legitimate modern automotive motor oils?

The answer is clear to me.

Dollar General law suit

PQIA article on Dollar General oils

Tom NJ

 

[wemay]

EXCELLENT!

 

[Lolvoguy]

SF eh, seems good enough for my old BMW

Anyone know where I can buy a case of this fine motor oil?

 

[doitmyself]

Just a few weeks ago I found some off brand, SA oil sitting on the shelves of our local Dunkin Donuts/Sunoco store.

Is there a system in place to report this?

 

[eljefino]

There are a few (couple?) states that have a dept of weights and measures or a dept of agriculture (!) that has jurisdiction over motor oil.

 

[TFB1]

I don't consider any correctly labeled product to be a problem, if consumers can't read the label and/or owners manual, isn't the oil mfgr problem... These same consumers likely have their noses stuck in a smart phone all their waking hours... Would not want me on that jury...

Now for oils that are undoubtedly bogus, no problem with nailing their gonads to the wall...

 

[KGMtech]

Okay, but I'm not so convinced these stores sell safe cooking oil let alone motor oil.

Some of the stuff these stores carry makes me wonder how there could be any money to be made by the time it makes it to the store shelf?

 

[Tom NJ]

What such stores/marketers are doing is, in my opinion, immoral, unethical, deceptive, disgusting, greedy, and just plain wrong. Unfortunately, it is not illegal. Perhaps the best place to start is with local newspapers and TV shows with consumer protection advocates to do a feature story. State Departments of Weights & Measures usually have domain over motor oils but may need clear tangible violations such as misstating the SAE viscosity grade or product weight/volume. Nonetheless no harm letting them know.

Tom NJ

 

[Joe90_guy]

Here's the thing...

When you offer the big oil companies a low-tier cascade system for engine oils, they will typically want to see every grade of oil in that cascade from SG/CD right down to SA/CA. Now admittedly this isn't a US thing. I always found it ironic that in The Land Of The Free, it's almost Stalinist the way that oil grades move to the latest spec seemingly overnight. But everywhere outside of the US, yep, all those obsolete grade positions need to be covered. So if this kind of thing is so unethical for oil companies to do this in the US, why is it fine and dandy for the same oil companies to do it elsewhere?

 

[Joe1]

While I don't agree with the practice and question the morality of it, taking advantage of the uneducated consumer within the parameters of the law is a fact of life in a capitalistic society.

 

[splinter]

I'm boycotting Dollar General by never shopping there.

Never been in one but it's now a matter of BITOG principle.

 

[jmaster]

^

sometimes i wonder if bitogers would buy SA/SB oil if it were really cheap, say 25c a quart

 

[Branson304]

I've had an issue with this ever since I noticed Dollar General's severely outdated oils. You know people have topped up with this oil in vehicles that require much better oil than their ancient 1930s mumbo jumbo. They deserve a lawsuit. Sure, the customer should know enough about what their vehicle requires to purchase the correct oil, but this oil is so outdated that it should be CLEARLY LABELED on the front.

 

[Tom NJ]

Originally Posted By: TFB1
if consumers can't read the label and/or owners manual, isn't the oil mfgr problem... These same consumers likely have their noses stuck in a smart phone all their waking hours... Would not want me on that jury...


Blaming consumers is absurd. That's like blaming the baby antelope for being eaten by the lion. We can't all research and become knowledgeable about every product we buy - we have to trust and rely on the information provided on product labels. We all do it every day. Companies that prey on our lack of full knowledge in a specific area through clever and deceptive labels and product placement are predators. They seek out the poor and ignorant, the weakest of consumers, for their personal gain, and when the products they sell are downright harmful they are evil.

Most of these companies know exactly what they are doing and the potential damage it can cause. They proceed with full malice for personal profit. I can't speak for Dollar General as many retailer buyers are ignorant on motor oils, but someone in the manufacturing/marketing line must have known what they were doing.

Tom NJ

NOTE: While I am an unpaid advisor to PQIA, the opinions I express on this forum are my own and not necessarily those of PQIA.

 

[spackard]

Diesel is sold right next to petrol.

I'm a unfrozen caveman lawyer, your world confuses and frightens me. My simple mind can't grasp these things.

 

[AirgunSavant]

My local DG only has fresh oil- Only PYB and Peak with a STP straight 30 ND. I don't buy it because it's all $4-$5 a qt.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: jmaster
^

sometimes i wonder if bitogers would buy SA/SB oil if it were really cheap, say 25c a quart



Haha clean out their entire stock and add it to the stash!!

 

[MolaKule]

Quote:
I can't speak for Dollar General as many retailer buyers are ignorant on motor oils, but someone in the manufacturing/marketing line must have known what they were doing.


And this is part of the problem - education.

I agree, surely someone in the distribution chain knows about this problem and should be taken too task for this practice.

 

[Win]

Originally Posted By: Tom NJ
.... They seek out the poor and ignorant, the weakest of consumers, for their personal gain, and when the products they sell are downright harmful they are evil. ....


Good grief. Selling correctly labelled SA and SF motor oil is evil?

What about booze and coffin nails? Pot? Cokes? Twinkies? White bread? "HD" tv antennas? Ammunition? VW diesels?

Where do you draw the line at protecting people from themselves, especially when this is not even protecting people - it's protecting clunkers, at best.

 

[TFB1]

All these big alligator tears are yet to sway me, where are all the ruined engines these oils are supposedly destroying???

Again IF IT'S CLEARLY LABELED on container and contents match, I have no problem with any oil...

The lawyers likely grabbed this one as it's a angle they've never worked before...