Deceptive Ad Claims for Gas Saving Devices Can Cost You Plenty!

There are all kinds of gas saving devices being advertised now. Do a search in Google and you will find that google finds 1.5 million web pages concerning fuel saving devices. As with any situation where people smell money, unscrupulous individuals are always ready to steal your money with the latest scam.

This current scam is aimed at taking advantage of consumers overwhelming need to lower their gas costs. These scam artists are trying to convince you that a fuel saving device installed on your vehicle will somehow miraculously cut your gasoline usage 20 to 30 percent or even higher. The Federal Trade Commission has done thorough testing of gas saving devices. From this extensive research comes this advice.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns you to be wary of any gas-saving claims for automotive devices or oil and gas additives. Even for the few gas-saving products that have been found to work, the savings have been small.

There are a few popular ads and claims used in gas saving device advertising strategy. Here are a few to watch out for:

Be extremely skeptical of this kind of advertising scam: the ad claims "This gas saving device increases gas economy by 20 percent." In general gas saving device advertising claims savings ranging from 12 to 25 percent. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has tested or evaluated more than 100 supposed gas-saving devices and additives and to this day has not found any one of them that significantly increases gas mileage. In fact, some of these alleged "gasoline-saving" products actually might damage your engine or cause an increase of fuel exhaust emissions. That could even cause your car to fail emissions test that are required in many states.

Also be skeptical of ads that feature glowing testimonials from satisfied drivers such as: "After installing your product on my car, I got an extra 4 miles [6.4 kilometers] per gallon [3.8 liters]." You cannot put your hard earned dollars at risk because of some amateur drivers claim.

These ads feature glowing testimonials by satisfied customers. No consumer has the ability or the equipment to test for precise changes in gas mileage after installing a gas-saving product. Even if they did have the right equipment they could not control the conditions and the environment under which they could actually test the device.

Many different variables affect fuel economy, including road, weather and traffic conditions, and the vehicle's condition. As an example, a driver sent out a letter praising a "fuel-saving" product. When the device was installed, the driver also had his car put through a complete engine tune up. Of course the tune up is not mentioned in the letter. The increase in gasoline mileage attributed to the "gasoline saving" device was most likely a result of the tune up alone. Since the advertisement with the testimonial did not mention this, other drivers could not have known that.

These are just some of the tactics that those selling fuel saving devices use to legitimize their claims. They are out there to take advantage of unsuspecting consumers desperate to find a way to lower their gas costs. Don't become a victim of these scams. Be wary of their claims. Remember, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

Article Source: http://www.christiannotepad.com

Scott Siegel is the author of a 143 page book of automotive industry insider secrets on saving gas and dollars at the pump (beatthegaspump.com). Visit us to discover how you can get better gas mileage. Find out how to increase gas mileage.
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