LUKOil - how is this oil so cheap?

[Bomster]

Hi guys,

Would appreciate some wisdom from you on this topic!

I recently purchased a Volvo XC70, it has the D5 engine, so a 2.4L turbo diesel 5 cylinder. I'm just sorting out parts so I can complete a service when I came across this LUKOil which seems too good to be true in terms of price.

I initially planned to purchase Shell Helix 0W-30 Ultra A5/B5 https://www.carparts4less.co.uk/p/shell-helix-0w-30-ultra-a5-b5-4ltr-521773091, a name brand I've heard of, and seemingly good oil according to reviews I read. It works out at approx. £8.30 per litre.

Then I came across this LUKOil GENESIS SPECIAL A5/B5 0w-30 on eBay, https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LUKOil-G...L-QX-VOLVO-VCC-95200377-Approved/114592355454 . It's not a brand I've heard of, but after some quick Googling I can see they are a huge Russian oil company... and this oil works out at just £2.75 per litre. Firstly how can it be so cheap? It seems too good to be true. Assuming the site is legit (seems so, another Volvo owner purchased it, and all delivered, sealed etc), then am I foolish not to go with this option considering it's a quarter of the price?

I've read online that as long as the oil meets the correct spec, which in this case it does being A5/B5 rated, then it's fine to use. I just don't understand how it can be so cheap? Either the 'name' brands are ripping us off hugely, or this oil involves some serious corner cutting?

Would very much appreciate your advice on this guys.

Tom

 

[skyactiv]

I know a liter is slightly larger than a quart.
In U.S. Dollars, that oil is $3.73 a liter as on Jan 4th, 2021.
We can buy synthetic oil in a 5 quart jug for $13.99 in the USA.
Mobil has a cheaper synthetic available in 5 quart jugs for $18.99.

Harvest King Full Synthetic SAE 5W30 Motor Oil 5 Quart - HKS5Q

Brand May Vary

www.ruralking.com

Mobil SuperSynthetic 5W-30 Motor Oil - 5 Quart - 120886

Product Features: Mobil Super™ Synthetic is a full synthetic high-performance motor oil, which provides excellent high temperature protection even under severe operating conditions. Mobil Super Synthetic is designed to help provide long engine life and o

www.ruralking.com

 

[Trav]

Russian oil, not sure I would trust that as much as a good brand name.

 

[skyactiv]

Just learned we have Lukoil gas stations in the USA

 

[blingo]

Probably phased out, clearance sales only.

Lukoil Genesis Special A5/B5 0W-30 (VOLVO 95200377, API SL/CF, ACEA A5/B5, Renault RN 0700)

 

[edyvw]

Cheap oil, cheap exploitation cost, cheap labor, subsidized by state.

 

[wemay]

If you question the approval on the container, Volvo may have an approved oils web page and if this is on it, you know it's fine for use.

 

[Falcon_LS]

What's the country of origin? I know they're Russian, but over here all their products come from the UAE.

 

[SlavaB]

Lukoil is the VW oem oil supplier in Russia. Genesis is a really good and respected oil used in many European cars in there and other eastern states. Don’t let politics make your decision

 

[Kira]

Let common sense contribute to making a decision.
What country is Bomster in? Are other oils easily available?
He said the deal sounded too good to be true.
eBAY is known for counterfeit parts and back-tracing a purchase is difficult under the best of circumstances.

The Lukoil gas stations which opened in NY + NJ were ridiculously expensive. The company was said to be hand-in-glove with Getty; a lower priced fueler. Almost immediately the stations began evaporating (good riddance). Is this a real oil company or an outlet created for market experimentation?
Anything Lukoil is a big "stay away" for me due to what I believe are wild inconsistencies.

 

[SlavaB]

Let common sense contribute to making a decision.
What country is Bomster in? Are other oils easily available?
He said the deal sounded too good to be true.
eBAY is known for counterfeit parts and back-tracing a purchase is difficult under the best of circumstances.

The Lukoil gas stations which opened in NY + NJ were ridiculously expensive. The company was said to be hand-in-glove with Getty; a lower priced fueler. Almost immediately the stations began evaporating (good riddance). Is this a real oil company or an outlet created for market experimentation?
Anything Lukoil is a big "stay away" for me due to what I believe are wild inconsistencies.

No connection really between their oil manufacturing unit and the US gas station unit. To be honest, the gas station business in the states was more like a prestige point for their president. As someone recently said, these Russian companies are forced to share the consequences of Russia’s international decisions.
Now, their gas stations in the Eastern Europe are a masterpiece, both the building design and quality. I’m originally from Ukraine, always preferred their fuel to shell and other big names for the turbocharged Ford I had back in 2012 there.

 

[OVERKILL]

A suggestion that someone set up and organized a factory to bottle fake oil into Lukoil bottles to sell for dirt cheap on eBay UK to enrich themselves is so ridiculous that it deserves a ridicule. Next thing, people will question if the new Lexus they bought at a dealership might be a fake Chinese clone

But there is in fact lots of fake stuff sold on E-Bay (though it's obviously not as bad as Alibaba). Counterfeit oil filters are probably the biggest automotive item.

An example article on these:

Counterfeit oil filters are putting engines at risk

Studies find bogus oil filters can cause considerable engine damage.

www.whichcar.com.au

 

[Rmay635703]

But there is in fact lots of fake stuff sold on E-Bay (though it's obviously not as bad as Alibaba). Counterfeit oil filters are probably the biggest automotive item.

An example article on these:

Counterfeit oil filters are putting engines at risk

Studies find bogus oil filters can cause considerable engine damage.

www.whichcar.com.au

There are still “fake” Chinese Pentium tillwmook 266mhz and 300mhz CPUs sold on eBay.

That’s what 22 years late?

 

[Astro14]

Ain't it a brilliant business plan: open a small factory to pour and package fake oil and then sell it super cheap.... on eBay in UK. What an assured way to become a millionaire. May I ask, what was your GPA in high school?

Kira makes a good point: eBay is full of counterfeit merchandise.

Frankly, to deny that, is to deny the truth, despite your sarcastic “logic”.

Are you throwing down your high school scholastic achievement as proof of the rigor of your logic?

Why not compare where you got your MBA? Maybe your PhD? How about you keep it easy, and just compare college major, and GPA?

I find Internet braggadocio distasteful, and let me remind you, that personal criticism of other members is not allowed on this forum.

 

[OVERKILL]

I know there are counterfeit products on eBay: sunglasses, clothing, perfume, spark plugs, etc. But not Sony TVs, Denon AV receivers or engine oils. Also there are no counterfeit automobiles sold on eBay either. Again, if you all would flex your grey matter, you'd see in a snap how idiotic it's to suggest that some one built a factory to produce and sell fake oil under some relatively unknown Russian brand on eBay UK, at dirt cheap price. Seriously, allow such a business plan to sink in your brain. LMAO

What's amusing here is that you think something obvious is slipping by the rest of us but it's so readily apparent to you. Have you considered that if somebody were to package and sell counterfeit oil that they could do so without actually producing said oil? It's very easy to just buy drums of cheap no-name oil, particularly if it's a Chinese operation, it could be God knows what bought from somebody else and put in repro containers with repro labels on them and peddled on E-Bay. That process is SIGNIFICANTLY less complex than producing counterfeit oil filters, spark plugs...etc.

But don't take my word for it, the BMW Middle East division actually wrote an article about it, this is an excerpt:

In 2015, the UAE’s Department of Economic Development conducted 26 raids across the UAE – in the emirates of Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain,which led to the confiscation of AED 31.3 million worth of fake parts. They comprised over 220,000 products ranging from engine oil, lubricants, air and fuel filters to brake discs and pads. Recently, the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, destroyed 165,000 counterfeit and fake items seized during raids including auto parts as well as intellectual property works.

A study that was recently conducted by the customs department in Saudi Arabia revealed that the when it came to the volume of fake parts in the local market, it had reached the level of 45 percent of the total parts available in the market and the outcome was an increase in number of traffic accidents due to the use of faulty brakes. Searches uncovered as many as one million fake items including brakes made from sawdust and cardboard. In the case of Kuwait also, the accident rate has increased due to higher usage of fake parts which are available at extremely cheap prices and come with no warantee.

Here's another article:

Europeans: Beware of Counterfeit Motor Oil – Insider Car News

www.insidercarnews.com

According to multiple reports, the authorities discovered the oil counterfeiting ring operating out of different “abandoned” warehouses in Russia and certain former Eastern Bloc countries like Belarus. They would use slave labor by taking advantage of undocumented immigrants, keeping the overhead low.

Somehow the group was able to get its hands on plastic canisters that looked just like the real thing. Using sophisticated printing equipment, they created labels that would pass the counterfeit oil as being officially from Castrol, Shell, Mobil and many other brands. They were able to counterfeit some OEM oil, which reportedly included big brands like Ford, Nissan, GM, VW and BMW, among others. Even the caps and cases were made to mimic the real thing.

And another:

Watch Out for Counterfeit Engine Oil in Russia

Mother Russia is the Eastern Europe`s “land of opportunity” and one of the most renowned countries for counterfeit products, starting with sports articles, mobile phones and moving on to the auto industry, where the counterfeit engine oil business has alarmingly increased over the past few...

www.automotorblog.com

 

[Kira]

Hello , and what a bright, cheerful day.
I'd like to chime in on this one......once.
Elevating a counterfeiting endeavor with the term "business plan" calls anyone's applied education into question.

The return on the manufacturing and distribution of the "banned oils" which the State of Ohio rightfully targeted, couldn't've been that much.
In fact, the report suggested these "1930's oils" were sold at gas stations where people discovered their level was low and HAD to buy. It also suggested low income people would most likely be the target.
Now there's a business plan for you.

When I was young I thought vending machines were ridiculously labor intensive and couldn't possibly be smart. What that industry shows you is, "cash-flow is king". It doesn't matter how small it may seem to you.

Occasions of counterfeiting are opportunistic and primarily executed by insiders.
Clothing industry people get fake labels made and sew them into cheap garments. I can show you where you can have fake labels made. I've seen people AHEAD OF ME ON A LINE touching up their designs.
Bootlegged movies are said to come out of studios' back doors. The fuzzy ones shot from theatre balconies are not the norm.
"Setting up" a factory wouldn't be involved.

Bottling plants are everywhere. Labels are easy to make. My uncle was highly successful at bottling soap products. He actually enjoyed traveling around the country negotiating prices for runs when a bottling line was open.
"All you have to do is ship the glop to them"; not just a quote I'll always cherish, it's part of my education.

Likely sreginkcuf and my uncle are vastly more intelligent than I.....but my uncle wasn't so irritable.

 

[Wolf359]

It will surprise you but not anyone else here that there are factories in China that make nothing but counterfeit products. The possibilities are endless.

Yeah, they sell kits so you can make your own counterfeit 10000 mah 18650 batteries. All you do is dig out batteries from old laptop battery packs and you use the shrink wrap that comes in the kit. Of course real 18650 only go up to around 3000.

And if your going to sell counterfeit oil, I suppose you just buy some of that fake oil that got banned by several state attorney generals and then make a copy of an oil label and slap that on it. Or find a contract manufacturer that doesn't care, they get paid whether you sell it or not.

 

[4WD]

Just learned we have Lukoil gas stations in the USA

I saw their stations/stores all over Romania … one of the largest Russian companies

 

[PimTac]

Yeah, they sell kits so you can make your own counterfeit 10000 mah 18650 batteries. All you do is dig out batteries from old laptop battery packs and you use the shrink wrap that comes in the kit. Of course real 18650 only go up to around 3000.

And if your going to sell counterfeit oil, I suppose you just buy some of that fake oil that got banned by several state attorney generals and then make a copy of an oil label and slap that on it. Or find a contract manufacturer that doesn't care, they get paid whether you sell it or not.

It is mainly in the presentation. Labeling and design. For example, go to them with a jug of Mobil 1 or a Toyota filter and tell them you want your product exactly like that. They will do it. To the end consumer it all looks copacetic. Meanwhile the seller and Uncle Woo in Shanghai are happy as their pockets get fuller.

 

[Tikka]

Hi guys,

Would appreciate some wisdom from you on this topic!

I recently purchased a Volvo XC70, it has the D5 engine, so a 2.4L turbo diesel 5 cylinder. I'm just sorting out parts so I can complete a service when I came across this LUKOil which seems too good to be true in terms of price.

I initially planned to purchase Shell Helix 0W-30 Ultra A5/B5 https://www.carparts4less.co.uk/p/shell-helix-0w-30-ultra-a5-b5-4ltr-521773091, a name brand I've heard of, and seemingly good oil according to reviews I read. It works out at approx. £8.30 per litre.

Then I came across this LUKOil GENESIS SPECIAL A5/B5 0w-30 on eBay, https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LUKOil-G...L-QX-VOLVO-VCC-95200377-Approved/114592355454 . It's not a brand I've heard of, but after some quick Googling I can see they are a huge Russian oil company... and this oil works out at just £2.75 per litre. Firstly how can it be so cheap? It seems too good to be true. Assuming the site is legit (seems so, another Volvo owner purchased it, and all delivered, sealed etc), then am I foolish not to go with this option considering it's a quarter of the price?

I've read online that as long as the oil meets the correct spec, which in this case it does being A5/B5 rated, then it's fine to use. I just don't understand how it can be so cheap? Either the 'name' brands are ripping us off hugely, or this oil involves some serious corner cutting?

Would very much appreciate your advice on this guys.

Tom

Hi Bomster.
If you are on a tight budget and looking for cheaper oil then i noticed Mannol offer a 5w30 that 'meets' VOLVO VCC 95200377. It is a german company and adrvertises an Ester component. The UK supplying company seems well established too. £2.50 a litre. It is not approved by Volvo though if that is important to you. MANNOL 20L FORD 5w30 Fully Synthetic Engine Oil SL/CF ACEA A5/B5 WSS-M2C913-D 4036021167053 | eBay

It would seem you are uneasy about using the Lukoil? If so then bite the bullet and just get a Volvo approved one. I note that 'opie' stock the Motul 8100 Eco-energy 0w-30. More expensive, but as part of the overall cost of running a Volvo is it that expensive? What price your peace of mind?

I am lucky with my Jeep as my cheapest source of oil is the 'real' stuff from Mercedes dealer.