[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by Lil bastard

The troubling thing is your inference that without an AECA rating, the company producing the oil is knowingly producing an inferior product and perpetrating a fraud against the consumer, or that their oil is automatically inferior without the rating. And I just don't buy into those concepts, especially in the given context.

In my world, it is good that this is troubling, as there are companies, and RP has demonstrated this for one, that make claims that their products cannot back up, and they subsequently have to withdraw or modify. Another way to put it is that they “got caught”.

Standards exist for a reason; if they are not upheld, you have no idea what you are buying. In the state where I live, some gas stations voluntarily participate in a state run program where a “mystery shopper” buys gas and tests everything from correct delivery volume to octane ratings. The testing body publishes their findings, which include the non participating stations as well. Last quarter, the results indicated that of the 6,000 stations sampled, 3500 (some participating, some not) where out of compliance. Most common issue: Short volume delivery (getting less than one gallon when the pump says one, a neat trick when gas was $4 a gallon), and octane levels well below indicated pump values. Interestingly, one station was actually selling 93 octane out of all of its pumps, regardless of price. In any case, my question would be that if you knew these standards existed, where would you buy your gas…………..?