Counterfeit Red Line oil

Looking for some help. Every year I order through Amazon A box of Red Line oil for my F360 and ask the dealer to put it, instead of the Shell oil that they use.

This year a couple of bottles arrived leaking and all the labels were coming off...this raised some suspicion so I compared the bottle with the last one that I had in my garage from last year. To my surprise, the label is slightly different, the seal is a cheap one (cardboard) and the serial numbers are different (less characters, different structure).

By any chance you have in hand a bottle of Red Line so you can take a picture of the seal and the serial numbers?

My F360 was scheduled for pick up and service tomorrow...I think I am going to need to reschedule.

I already sent an email and pictures to the vendor...let's see what they say...

Thanks in advance.

Alex

 

Here is one picture...
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

How about a quick call to redline directly?? They should be able to verify serial production numbers very quickly

 

I just ordered mine a couple months ago direct from Redline and all bottles had the seal like the one on the right.

 

Mine, too.

 

Thanks for the reply!

I tried to call Red Line but they were closed for the day.

I went ahead and checked one by one of the fake bottles, they all have the exact serial number vs a consecutive/progressive that the original bottles have.

I am waiting to hear back from the vendor/Amazon just to see what they say, but at this point I am very confident that they are selling a counterfeit product.

I will post later the name of the supplier and will report it to Amazon. So no more people get scammed.

Thanks again!

Alex

 

Even the bottles look slightly different but it could be just the camera angle.

 

I've got a few quarts I can check when I get home this afternoon. I'll post up a pic.

 

Serious s##t. Image its just some home depot 5$per gallon cheapstuff and you poured it into you F. Image an engine failure as a result...

Good catch, very good catch! Keep is posted!

 

I've been using redline gear oil in race cars for 20 years. I will say that I have had both types of seals on their bottles over the years - and for what it's worth I get it in case quantities direct from Red-Line.

 

I've had genuine RedLine in quart bottles with the same type of seal as shown on the left in the photo.

 

I wouldn't think that this type of thing would happen but my company creates proprietary security technologies and bespoke authentication and anti-counterfeiting products and solutions for companies and I have been nothing short of shocked as to what kind of products are being counterfeited and ripped off. Three years ago I would have said that it's probably just an odd batch; today I think quite differently because of the fake goods that I have seen with my own eyes - the same serial number instead of progressive is telling . The good news is that companies are finally starting to take this stuff seriously.

 

I am with you, I work for big Pharma for the last 18 years and I had been involved in some cases of counterfeit product, you can't believe in some cases how close they are to the original product.

I am now in contact with Red Line, I provided several pictures and they are checking the serial numbers.

The vendor also replied arguing that he gets the oil directly from Red Line.

Where it gets interesting is that when I ordered the oil back in December, a couple of bottles arrived leaking and half empty, I reached out to them and also pointed out that the labels were falling off and that two were leaking...immediately they sent me two as replacements...I didn't opened the box till yesterday when I was getting the oil ready since I had the pick up scheduled for today....to my surprise, the two extra bottles that they sent me are "original" and match the other two that I had from last year batch. So probably they noticed that "I know my oil" and sent me the real deal to avoid any further issue...

 

Breaking news! The representative from Red Line just called me back, after reviewing the pictures and checking with the warehouse...it's actually their product, but it's more than 10 year old!!!! They tracked down the serial numbers and they told me that it was manufactured between 2004 and 2005...they were shocked to see that it's still around!

The lady on the phone is going to send me shipping labels and will replace the product at no cost, even when I didn't bought it directly from them, they don't want that floating around... that's customer service!

I had not heard back from the seller...I just sent him a follow up note, telling him that they sold me a 10 year old oil!!

Lesson learned...be careful when buying this type of stuff through Amazon...specially with this vendor...Hoerr Racing Products.

 

Great ending!

 

Hello, thats great. But what would be wrong with 10year OIL I realize its synthetic, maybe they have new whiz bang additives. Yet it was great oil 10 years ago, so why not now.? Ive got customers who have not changed their collector cars oil in quite a while.
The car just sits there along with the oil.

 

The Red Line representative told me not to use it. I can imagine that the oil degrades over time, even if you don't use it.

 

Hello, from their perspective I can understand that they wouldnt want to risk any potential liability. So they are doing the right thing and stepping up to give you new oil. Its great PR for them. Maybe they will give the other vender a call, Good for RedLine.

 

+1 That's what I told the lady that helped me. They really went above and beyond on customer service. I told her...I would never buy the oil from Amazon, I will order it directly to make sure is a fresh oil.

I have not heard back from the vendor, but I plan to report this to Amazon. Imagine someone just sending the box without checking to the dealer or mechanic...

 

Oil degrades over time?

Its been in the ground for 100 million years. Not sure what an extra 10 on someone shelf is going to do...

Bo

 

Agree, but this is pure synthetic oil and probably the formula was different 10 years ago from what it's now.

 

You got "aged" oil and you don't want it? Send some to me, and BTW, do you have any old wine you want to get rid of?

 

I am really curious about this now. I have some 10 Y.O. oil lying around and I always figured if it was in a sealed container it should be fine. I would sure like to know WHY Redline said not to use it.

 

Hahahaha...I keep the aged wine and with that, once in a while the wine bottles also go bad over time...aged oil...not so sure...

if you were me, would you put an oil that you know that is more than 10 years old on your Ferrari?? Changing the oil is the cheapest maintenance and probably the most important to do...why risk it???

I am curious to see how many of you will use it on your Ferrari or any other car.

I am still waiting on the shipping label from Red Line and a response from the Amazon vendor...so if they don't replace it...I will put it for sale here at a discounted price and with a disclaimer that I am not responsible if something happens to your engine because of an old oil...hehe..

Thanks all for pitching in!

 

Sounds like good customer service by Red Line.
Sounds like the Amazon vendor is legit, just with aged product...much better than counterfeit!

As for old Redline oil, I'd think offhand the only issue would be if the bottle seals allowed moisture to seep in over enough time.

If the seals are pristine such that no moisture got into the factory bottles, then time alone shouldn't be a problem for the oil.