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ANDREW GODDARD AFTERMARKET COLUMN – MARCH 2015

27/04/2015
by Andrew TradeWeb Support

Andrew Goddard is managing director of Morris Lubricants, a leading manufacturer of engine and transmission oils. He is the fifth generation member of the family which founded the Shrewsbury-based company in 1869. Andrew is also a member of the self-regulating industry watchdog Verification of Lubricant Specifications and sits on the board of the United Kingdom Lubricants Association. He will be offering expert analysis and opinion in a new quarterly Aftermarket column.

 

ANDREW GODDARD: CLEANING UP THE LUBRICANTS INDUSTRY

Regulation in the lubricants industry is something that I’ve been passionate about for many years. It is vital that all manufacturers operate on a level playing field and what is claimed on a label matches what the product can deliver.

That is why the United Kingdom Lubricants Association has formed the VLS (Verification of Lubrication Specifications). It’s a group of like-minded companies which want to ensure that fair play within the market place is achieved through rigorous independent testing and analysis of products.

As a group, we believe that customers deserve to know exactly what they are putting into their engines. They need to know that the oil or lubricant is the correct specification for that vehicle. If it’s not then serious problems can occur, maybe after just 5,000 miles, which can be costly and frustrating.

VLS has been active for a little over a year and is made up many of the industry’s recognisable names, including myself from Morris Lubricants and representatives from the likes of Total, GB Lubricants, Witham Oil, Kuwait Lubricants and Comma Oil. We have a teleconference once a month and meet once a quarter.

Anybody can put a product up for review if they believe it is failing to deliver on what it is promising. It will then be independently tested and if it is deemed to be non-compliant, VLS will write to the manufacturer or marketer and ask them to correct it.

They are given a six month window to do that. We will then we’ll re-test the product to see if they have complied. If they haven’t amended the lubricant, a dossier will be prepared for their local Trading Standards body to pursue.

The initial results have been very promising. We’ve got 15 cases under investigation, eight of which have been concluded and the results published on the VLS website which can be found at http://www.ukla-vls.org.uk/

One of the key reasons I’ve been an advocate on VLS is that if a company offers a product that claims to do everything, they are not providing an honest appraisal.

You simply cannot cover all of the industry requirements with one product. The first case that VLS published was a product which claimed to be all-singing and all-dancing, but it was deemed that the lubricant simply didn’t deliver on its promises. The company in question had assured VLS that the amendments had been made to the product, but upon re-test the product was still being marketed with unobtainable claims. This case has now been passed to Trading Standards for further investigation.

We’re certainly not here to put anyone out of business – that is not the intention of anyone sitting on VLS. Our sole aim is to ensure that everyone is playing by the rules. In any industry there are those who are less scrupulous than others.  Here at Morris Lubricants, and at other reputable manufacturers, we ensure that the products which leave the factory are labelled correctly and are blended to meet the specifications of the OEMs. The companies which do things correctly incur the extra cost because they are doing it properly. Inferior products being marketed as the same is not right ethically.

We want to make sure that the end user is getting the product as described on the tin. We want the consumer to have the choice. Unfortunately, there is a lot of product out there which isn’t what it should be. If you use the wrong lubricant in a modern vehicle, you can expect serious problems – and costs - very quickly. It is absolutely vital that the correct product is used, as specified by the OEM, or drivers risk invalidating the warranty.  

Furthermore, as of last December, every product should be compliant to the latest ACEA 12 regulations. ACEA is made up of OEMs and they draw up the standards. There are a lot of products in the market place claiming to be ACEA-compliant which haven’t signed up to a European Code of Practice. Most majors are, but there are a lot of companies marketing under own brand products which aren’t listed – and that is illegal. It doesn’t cost anything to be signed up but when you sign the document you state that you are complying with industry standards.

VLS is trying to clean up the industry. I’d urge garage owners and mechanics to get confidence from their lubricant supplier. Make sure they are knowledgeable and that their products are compliant  - your customers will thank you for it. 

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