I just now heard on a local radio talk show, Government Motors is going to a new kind of motor oil because it is environmentaly friendly, and if you don't use that new kind of motor oil in your Government Motors vehicle, it will void the warranty. cuhulin
Government Motors Motor Oil
Apr 22, 2011
12 Replies
Must be some kind of a conspiracy... something evil... ;)
JT, on his radio talk show, wouldn't lie about Government Motors 'Mystery Oil'
I just now saw this article at
formatting link
cuhulin
gotta be a joke... that would be a "tie-in sales provision" which ought to be a violation of the Magnuson-Moss act.
nate
It's a new standard, anyone can make the oil that meets the standard. GM is just forking themselves off away from everyone else to a degree.
And of course GM gets a royalty from each sale of "their" proprietary standard. When a new car was recently bought, I did not consider looking at GM.
formatting link
cuhulin
It's extra virgin olive oil. And it's not just ANY extra virgin olive oil, it's special Fiat-badged extra virgin olive oil.
--scott
Old TV commercial I used to see on TV, I don't remember what brand name of motor oil though.
What kind of motor oil are you using, Earl? Earl says, Motor oil is motor oil! cuhulin
Yea... what kind of a country would allow a company to develop a new product and profit from it... sheesh..
You dont know that they did, in fact, develop a new product.
As Nate mentioned, there are laws to prevent tying one product or service to another, as IBM found out some years ago. Although normally restraint of trade issues are not rigidly dealt with anymore.
There have been enough reasons in the past not to buy GM products. This may be a minor one, but they DO add up.
I think Magnusson Moss has to do in particular with warranty issues (of which this could specifically apply) while Sherman and Clayton address "tying" of the purchase of one product to another.
I questioned the practice of forcing a person to buy rental car insurance, in practice, to renting the car that was common a couple of decades.. They didnt exactly force you to buy the insurance BUT they would tell you that if you brought the car backed with a scratch, a nick in the mirror, or whatever they had the right to put the entire cost of the car on your credit card. I guess "the law" finally got close enough that this practice has disappeared.
Several manufacturers have their own oil spec. My VW uses VW 502.00 oil or warranty is voided. It's not unheard of. There are plenty of 502.00 oils to choose from. If GM is using it, you can bet most oil makers will want to have a product that meets the spec so they don't lose a big potential market.
Join the Discussion
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Didn't find your answer?
Ask the community — no account required