NAD Recommends Shell VPower Discontinue Claims

[Solarent]

Link

Shell is obviously going to appeal this but here are the highlights:

• NAD determined that the testing could not support the “unbeatable protection against corrosion” claim and recommended Shell discontinue the claim.
• NAD also recommended that the advertiser discontinue use of its image comparing corrosion on steel rods, because the image did not reflect the potential corrosion consumers might see in their vehicles in normal conditions when using competing gasolines.
• NAD determined that the evidence in the record did not support the advertiser’s claim that SVPN+ provides “superior protection from wear,” because differences in the advertiser’s laboratory test results could not be reliably linked to the real world performance of competing gasolines. (They use a modified HFRR diesel lubricity test)
• NAD determined that the advertiser’s use of an image of two intake valves, one with “gunk” and one without, was not misleading as long as it discloses that the image depicted test results from a port-injection engine on SVPN+ and a LAC gasoline.

It appears the NAD seems to take issue with the comparative claims (like superior, unbeatable, etc) and that the stand alone claims are ok...

 

[Astro14]

And the NAD is whom, exactly?

 

[AirgunSavant]

In my neck of the woods Shell sells generic gas from wholesalers and all of my vehicles run poorly so I won't use it.

 

[E150GT]

I once got bit by the gasoline hype. I don't anymore. I only buy top tier brands and from newer gas stations with any brand name on it except citgo. I don't use mom and pop stations for gasoline. Ive had bouts of bad gas from them. I will still patronize the store part of them though if I need to. By sheer numbers, it is usually valero gas I get.

 

[Vern_in_IL]

I wish Shell would go back to the Original formulation! "V-Power" not this Nitrogen [censored]!!!


But I have to say, all things being equal Phillips66/Conoco and Shell have the best additive package. Citgo has improved, and Marathon is just [censored], still using the trademark "STP additives" [censored].

 

[Why]

Originally Posted By: AirgunSavant
In my neck of the woods Shell sells generic gas from wholesalers and all of my vehicles run poorly so I won't use it.


I can say with absolute certainty that this is false. No Shell branded gas station anywhere would remain a Shell station for long with this practice, and a franchisee would find themselves in court so fast their head would spin for allowing it.

Perhaps you got this impression by seeing an unbranded truck delivering the gas? Regardless of who delivers it, the driver at the bulk fuel depot would push the "Shell" button on the dispensing pump to mix shell additives into the bulk gasoline.

 

[Astro14]

When my neighbor owned a Shell station, I bought a lot of Shell. V-power for the turbos, regular for the truck.

But the Shell distributor kicked up their prices, to an uncompetitive level, forcing a change in franchises to SUNOCO.

So, I buy a lot of SUNOCO now...

 

[NHGUY]

Come to Shell.....for answers.

 

[Solarent]

Originally Posted By: Astro14
And the NAD is whom, exactly?


The NAD is the National Advertising Division - which is the consumer protection arm of the Better Business Bureau. They review complaints by consumers, competitors and companies for truth in advertising claims and then recommends actions to the National Advertising Review Board.

The NAD is the main watchdog for monitoring and policing advertising claims in the USA.

http://adage.com/article/news/advertising-regulation-nad-case-rulings-remember/149226/


Their main concern with Shell's case is to determine if they have credible evidence that they can make the claims they do. Based on their findings, it appears that Shell's evidence is pretty thin when comparing their fuel to others.

 

[RF Overlord]

In my 45 years of buying petrol, I can honestly say that I have never seen a difference in brands. In cars I really care about (that require premium) I try to buy name-brand from a busy station, but in my daily drivers I have just about always used the cheapest available and never had any issue.

 

[AirgunSavant]

You would be wrong then. Search threads on this as I live 100 yards from my local Shell station and am polluted here by others as they have taken over the area. I also talked to the owners and documented the facts. The gas I get here is from a generic farm fueling service and it is garbage... proven... my local Shell station never saw a Shell tanker in the 9 years its been here. Fact!
They also don't advertise as a TT station like the local Valero does........

Originally Posted By: Why
Originally Posted By: AirgunSavant
In my neck of the woods Shell sells generic gas from wholesalers and all of my vehicles run poorly so I won't use it.


I can say with absolute certainty that this is false. No Shell branded gas station anywhere would remain a Shell station for long with this practice, and a franchisee would find themselves in court so fast their head would spin for allowing it.

Perhaps you got this impression by seeing an unbranded truck delivering the gas? Regardless of who delivers it, the driver at the bulk fuel depot would push the "Shell" button on the dispensing pump to mix shell additives into the bulk gasoline.

 

[Why]

Originally Posted By: AirgunSavant
You would be wrong then. Search threads on this as I live 100 yards from my local Shell station and am polluted here by others as they have taken over the area. I also talked to the owners and documented the facts. The gas I get here is from a generic farm fueling service and it is garbage... proven... my local Shell station never saw a Shell tanker in the 9 years its been here. Fact!
They also don't advertise as a TT station like the local Valero does........

Originally Posted By: Why
Originally Posted By: AirgunSavant
In my neck of the woods Shell sells generic gas from wholesalers and all of my vehicles run like c-rap so I won't use it.


I can say with absolute certainty that this is false. No Shell branded gas station anywhere would remain a Shell station for long with this practice, and a franchisee would find themselves in court so fast their head would spin for allowing it.

Perhaps you got this impression by seeing an unbranded truck delivering the gas? Regardless of who delivers it, the driver at the bulk fuel depot would push the "Shell" button on the dispensing pump to mix shell additives into the bulk gasoline.


176 pages of results...I will take your word for it, but this is not how it works typically. Gasoline is a commodity manufactured to a specification based on EPA and industry standards. You or your engine have no idea whether a molecule of gasoline came from an Exxon, Shell, Valero, or Marathon refinery. What makes gasoline proprietary is the additives...absolutely nothing else.

 

[Vern_in_IL]

You do realize that the only difference in the fuel is the add pack, right?

It's all the same water in your clothes washer, then comes the concentrated detergent that totally changes things. That is the difference in gas, the add pack.

 

[RichardS]

Shell gas here is usually the least expensive TT fuel (sometimes no more than bulk gas), unless the Sunoco gets in a battle with the Racetrac across the street. Then they might be a few cents cheaper.

With the 0.05-0.15 $ discount through fuel rewards, about 95% of the gas I burn is Shell with B.P. close behind. I buy non-TT maybe 3x a year when it's 0.20-0.35$ less a gallon.

I don't subscribe to all the hype of their V-Power, since neither of our cars require 93, but they've been my go-to since 2008.


In regards to a Shell station selling non-shell TT fuel, I've sent them a message asking for clarification. AirgunSavant/Why, I'll let you know what they respond with.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: Solarent

• NAD determined that the testing could not support the “unbeatable protection against corrosion” claim and recommended Shell discontinue the claim.

I can see the issue, perhaps, on the other points, but the "unbeatable protection against corrosion" doesn't seem to be too problematic. All the majors are probably identical within the margin of error on this point.

As for BP and NAD complaints, they should just go back to making more Group III synthetics and either extend their fuel market share, or not, and concentrate on their logo being on Renault and Honda powered F1 cars going boom and being hauled off on flatbeds left and right on live TV.

Castrol likes engines blowing up in commercials. They should count their lucky stars that the F1 commercial rights don't allow Shell to do a compilation video of Honda and Renault engines spewing black smoke with the Castrol logo in full view. It wouldn't be a short video.

Considering the opportunities I have to buy BP fuel (none), I don't give two hoots about what BP thinks of Shell's claims.

Vern_in_IL: It's pretty hard to have a fuel with a detergent package that includes amines if you wish to get rid of nitrogen, for whatever reason. You had better ditch Techron, Regane, and SI-1 at the same time.

 

[Olas]

The unbeatable against corrosion claim may well be true for a pump fuel but the don't specify. I could better protect raw metal against corrosion with grease, or paint, orpowdercoat, or a hermetically sealed vacuum chamber, it's implied that this is not what they mean but implications aren't clear enough. It has to be spelled out in idiot proof lay.

 

[JHZR2]

My parents are convinced that they get better mpgs from BP and Shell. They log each tank so are pretty well informed for their use.

Around us the BP stations aren't convenient, and the Shell stations carry a decent price premium, especially for 93. A big enough premium that most stations are changing to ConocoPhillips brands recently; brands that haven't sold around here in decades.

Its pretty well understood that any area is only supported by one or a few refineries, and all gas comes from there. Its a matter of transport costs. Additives are what differentiates. Turnover at stations can be a consideration sometimes. Stations' maintenance of tanks, separators, filters, etc comes into play too.

 

[kc8adu]

gasoline has to have a mandated level of additives.
anything over that is marketing fluff.
what matters most is age and tank cleanliness and filtering at the pump.
lower ethanol content helps too.
the best fuel comes from the place that sells the most.
the rapid turnover ensures freshness.
station maintenance is the rest of the equation.
no name foreigner run places seem the worse.
you know the places that sell paraphernalia and everclear motor oil.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
My parents are convinced that they get better mpgs from BP and Shell. They log each tank so are pretty well informed for their use.

Around us the BP stations aren't convenient, and the Shell stations carry a decent price premium, especially for 93. A big enough premium that most stations are changing to ConocoPhillips brands recently; brands that haven't sold around here in decades.

Its pretty well understood that any area is only supported by one or a few refineries, and all gas comes from there. Its a matter of transport costs. Additives are what differentiates. Turnover at stations can be a consideration sometimes. Stations' maintenance of tanks, separators, filters, etc comes into play too.


I just finished running two full tanks of Shell V-P Nitro and compared it to my previous tanks of Costco 93 via Fuelly App. I didn't realize an increase in MPG's, but I do experience an ever so slight difference in how the engine runs at low speed (Shell is smoother and a hair more responsive).