R.O.I. or B.S. (Case 2)

Here we go again…another vendor trying to sell me a load of BS! This one is somewhat complicated, so to keep it brief I will highlight only the important aspects of the proposal. Like the previous ROI or BS post I will not cite the manufacturer’s name, and will reserve my comments until after I have received input from the fleet community.  

Now, this little gem comes from the domain of fuel treatment manufacturers. You know, the kind that is supposed to add 20% to your fuel mileage, yet you never heard of their product before. They make several claims and have cited specific agencies to back them up. The proposal is several pages long, with the claims repeated on nearly every page. The documents are somewhat well written, but the graphics layout could have been easily done on a home computer.  However, it should be noted that the documents I received were printed on previously used paper, or in other words, there was information on the reverse side of the paper that had absolutely nothing to do with the product in question. I’ve heard of many methods used to save money and trees, but never on a formal sales brochure. So with that said, let’s start with the details.

Manufacturer claims:

1. Comprised of environmentally safe biodegradable petrochemicals
2. Will not harm engines, or engine parts
3. Increases horsepower by 5%+
4. Cetane boots of up to 8 points, improving ignition quality & reliability
5. Fuel stabilizer reduces contamination & improves oxidation and thermal stability
6. Does not void the manufacturer’s warranty
7. Works in all diesel and gasoline engines without modification
8. Does not contain alcohol, methanol, isopropyl, MBTE, sulfur, or metal
9. EPA registered, Patented, California CARB approved, MSDS listed
10. ISO 9002 compliant
11. EPA, SAE & Field Tested for over 7 years & 300 million miles
12. Cost effective @ $0.10 per treated gallon
13. Pays for itself with just 2-3% of fuel savings
14. Typical ROI is 300 to 800%
15. Dosage rate = 1 gallon : 640 gallons of fuel
16. Proven to increase fuel economy by 5 – 20%

Additional fuel savings claims: They provide a list of several companies (by name only) who claim an increase of fuel savings from as low as 10.98% to as high as 41.30%

 Personal References: They provide only the given (first) name and initial of the last name, with no address or contact information.

 Now here is the challenge. What would you do to confirm that their claims are legit? What questions should you ask yourself? How could you validate the product’s registration with the Official Government Agencies listed, and what does that registration mean in regards to the manufacturers claims?  What additional documentation would you ask for?

 You need not respond with a lengthy reply. Just pick a specific topic or claim and add your thoughts as to how you would determine its validity?