July 7, 2008

Soaring Gas Prices Bring Out New Breed of Phony Fuel Savers

Beware of Gas Saving Scams: Additives, gadgets, and Other Bum Steers

Skyrocketing gas prices have motorists searching for ways to relieve pain at the pump. That may be why we're seeing a whole new wave of sales pitches for so-called gas saving devices. But buyer beware, consumer advocates warn. Few, if any of these devices actually work.

Ads for devices that promise to save on gas have been around almost as long as the automobile. And there's an inevitable surge in them anytime gas prices rise. What's new about this latest round of faux gas savers is that advertising for them has spread beyond the traditional newspaper-magazine-television format to appear with increasing frequency on the internet and in spam emails.

An email offering to show you how to shave 70 cents off the price of a gallon of gasoline has been making the rounds. If you haven't yet seen this in your inbox, just wait. McCaffee, a vendor of security software, says that by their count about 0.2% of all spam concerns the cost of gas. That figure will almost certainly rise as the cost of gas continues to climb.

Many of the so-called gas savers being advertised claim they can give you fuel savings ranging from 12% to 25%. However, the Environmental Protection Agency, the arm of the federal government charged with monitoring fuel efficiency, says it has tested thousands of advertised products and never found one that produced the claimed results.

That's why you wont find the EPA or any other government agency endorsing any so-called gas saver. But that doesn't stop the sellers of the phony fuel savers from claiming that they have government endorsement.

Keep in mind that the sellers of these phony gas savers are trying to take advantage of the public's inclination to believe "they couldn't say that if it wasn't true" That's why their advertising often features convincing testimonials from satisfied customers. No doubt these drivers believe what they're saying. But it's unlikely any of them posses the equipment necessary to accurately test the effectiveness of the products their touting.

When trained testers with the necessary equipment put these products to the test, the promised results never pan out.

Consumer affairs experts say that if you have purchased a device or additive that promises substantial gas savings and are unhappy with the results, you should first contact the seller and request a refund. If that is unsuccessful, contact the office of your state's attorney general and ask to file a consumer complaint.

Some of these devices are offered for prices rising upwards of $200. But we've seen several being sold for as little as $20. Still, no matter what the price, when the products don't work it's money down the drain. And with so many of your dollars going into your gas tank, it would be a shame to waste even a few pennies on phony gas savers.