The issue of fake goods has been around forever, but in recent times things have amplified noticeably, and not just in frequency. With counterfeit stuff getting harder to spot, and nothing being sacred when it comes to imitations, you can imagine the mayhem it can cause.
In the automotive realm, spare parts and consumables such as engine oils are usually the items pegged for deception. Cheap items, well below the usual cost, may sound enticing, but there’s usually a price to be paid for this down the line, be it in terms of safety or on your wallet.
Earlier this month, The Star ran a report on the issue of fake engine oils, highlighting that these – supposedly from well-known brands – were flooding the market at much lower than usual prices, especially on e-commerce platforms.
Making motorists aware of the issue so they don’t get duped is one way to go about combating the problem, but enforcement also plays a key part in solving it. In this area, the domestic trade and cost of living ministry (KPDN) has been doing its best to tackle the issue, as The Star reports again on the topic.
The ministry said that from 2019 to May this year, it seized fake engine oil worth RM1.1 million in 33 raids. According to KPDN director-general (enforcement) Datuk Azman Adam, these raids were conducted based on reports from various parties, including complaints from officials representing engine oil companies.
“The complaints were for products offered for sale on both e-commerce platforms and at physical premises. The 33 cases were conducted with cooperation from product trademark owners. Investigations are still ongoing for some of the cases,” he said in a statement to the publication.
He added that action taken by the ministry was made under the Trademarks Act 2019, where the complainants had performed their own verification before reporting fake products to the ministry. The
majority of the complaints were from the Klang Valley.
“The location of inspections and raids is usually based on complaints, viral issues and counterfeit goods hotspots. We have also conducted raids on storage areas that are not located in public areas. The public may not be aware of this and assume that the ministry only focuses its raids and inspections on retail outlets or certain hotspots,” he said.
Azman said those found guilty of importing, selling or in possession of such fake goods can face a RM10,000 fine per item, three years’ jail or both under Section 102 of the Trademarks Act 2019, with the penalty increasing to a fine not exceeding RM20,000 per product, a five-year jail term or both upon conviction for subsequent offences.
He added that the ministry would not hesitate to resort to sterner action against suspects by freezing their accounts under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds from Illegal Activities Act.
He advised consumers to be more cautious when purchasing engine oils, and added that those with information on the sale of fake engine oil can contact the ministry via its website or through its careline at 1-800-886-800, 019-2794317 or 019-8488000.
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If it is too good to be true (the low price offered online), it usually is. Better buy the oil from a trusted source like the petrol station itself.
no disadvantages buying directly from parallel importers sellers, lubs competitive price due to no nonsense middleman cuts
some hypermarkets like Giant and Lotus sells well-known brand engine oil for much cheaper price. is it fake or original?
Do you think that Giant & Lotus are the kind of fly by night retail companies which have nothing much to lose if they get caught peddling fake goods?
Like Perodua, it’s possible that the vendor was supplying fake/low quality will leak oil oil filter. So it will be great if any insider can provide insight on how Lotus managed a much lower price. Think more.
If anyone suspects a hypermarket selling fake engine oil because that hypermarket is offering at a price lower than elsewhere, surely there are ways to report to the authorities. However, it should be backed by proof & it seems the best way is to buy the oil from the hypermarket & get it analysed.
Another way is to contact the engine oil manufacturer & ask them to verify whether their brand of engine oil that is sold at the hypermarket, is genuine or fake.
Original. Done tested it (lab test). Match the grade stated.
No such problem with BEV
Problems can appear in other forms.
With less knowledgeable and ending up with fake fluid,
Some Battery car owner may suffer Aircon damages, Brake Fluid Pump damages,
Or even wiper fluid also wrongly used.
Some battery car owner may get hooked to ‘lifetime wiper fluid’ and paying abit more.
Then even ending up chosen an expensive Tyre for thier rubber replacement, and even fake absorbers to withstand those burdening battery weight.
fake batteries?
If your engine has forced induction (including low boost/light pressure turbocharging), do not be stingy & use cheap engine oils which may also be fake. The oil in a forced induction engine undergoes higher temperatures, pressures, stress + strain, and even genuine oil would degrade faster, as compared to the same oil in a normally aspirated/atmospheric engine. Thus, with fake oil, engine failure would be quicker & more catastrophic.
How bad fake oil can be? We have automaker shamelessly selling original oil filters that leak and not facing any punishment.
I used have an old car which leaked oil due to a bad rear crankshaft seal but the engine kept on going as long as the oil level is being periodically monitored so that it won’t drop too low. Fake oil is much worst, equivalent to not changing the oil until the oil loses its lubricative & protective properties. It once happened to a company car which was assigned to a colleague. He did not send in the car for service for a long time until the engine started making abnormal noises. It was quickly sent to a mechanic who found some metal flakes in the oil & advised an engine overhaul which was costly, of course.
You answer yourself. Your car will spoilt irregardless if you dont SERVICE FOR A LONG TIME.
Also its ok as long the lubricative property is still there… your words.
ioma ioma ioma.. tsk tsk tsk.. I did NOT answer my own question myself. I replied to YOUR question “How bad fake oil can be?”. Fake engine oil is basically recycled used oil, which should be similar to genuine oil which has deteriorated after being used in an engine for too long because the oil change period has been neglected. Anyway, given the immature way you’ve responded to my reply to your question, I won’t dignify any further questions from you with a reply, anymore.
You put a caveat on oil filter but no caveat on used oil to back your argument.Come on, be fair.
samemas, in another article’s comment section, this ioma individual claimed to have spent RM100 on petrol for a genset to charge an EV until next morning & probably achieved only 5% of the total battery capacity. This person couldn’t give an answer when I asked him the genset make & model. So, I don’t blame you for not taking this ioma individual seriously. https://paultan.org/2023/05/30/gentari-ev-charge-go-proton-exora-used-as-mobile-charger-for-supplying-30-kwh-60-kwh-battery-packs/
if i buy online, i usually buy engine oil n filter from authorize distributor like vanli auto, castrol official store. vanli distribute perodua spare part to p2 service centre. vanli sell cheap engine oil like shell but it is old product imported from usa. i use it for my viva and no problem at all. but, i do recommend to buy new engine oil like castrol. the best ever. castrol sell engine oil for old car, high mileage car.
Yes, Castrol is regarded as 1 of the top brands. Used to buy at BP stations until BP pulled out from Malaysia & their stations got taken over by Boustead to become BHP.
Can Paultan.org do a comparison between fake and genuine engine oil? So we can have better picture of understanding how the fake one looks like, (the packages, the “oil” and perhaps do a undercover investigation on how fake oil is produced.
Since the oil is already “fake”, the value should be RM0. Not many people in their right mind would buy fake oil for their cars if they knew the consequences. Just like drinking “fake” Milo (if there is such thing selling at the moment).
The fake engine oil has been packed in containers & labelled in such a way that they closely resemble the packaging used for the genuine oil. Differentiating between genuine oil & fake oil is not so straight forward like tasting to find out which is the real Milo & which is the fake one. Some oil companies have mentioned that they have put special security stickers on their genuine engine oil containers, but consumers may still have to seek clarification & verification from the oil companies.
That is why I always buy my oild from Tesco, petrol station etc and bring it to my mechanic. Never buy oil from mechanic shop.
But now with an EV, no need worry about engine oil, leaking oil, leaking coolant,batter change, alternator kong, timing belt change, spark plug misfiring, overheating and all the macam2 rosak. Just charge and drive with ease. No more headache