Legal action is facing two US companies in separate charges.
The first is a class action lawsuit being brought against quick-lube chain, Jiffy Lube International, for alleged false and misleading advertising and unfair competitive practices relating to recommended oil change intervals. The action is being filed in Los Angeles by a moterist seeking almost $5m compensation for himself and others potentially affected.
According to Lube Report, the legal tussle centres on Jiffy Lube International's (JLI) service outlet practice of placing a small sticker in the windscreen of any serviced vehicle recommending an oil change after a further 3,000 miles or three months. With manufacturer recommendations now often considerably higher than this period, the plaintiff has taken action, claiming "unjust enrichment" by JLI.
JLI has, apparently, already changed its policy to encourage owners to refer to the manufacturer's recommendations found in their vehicle's owner manual, but the lawsuit is aimed at the sticker pre-dating JLI's latest advice. The compensation amount is just below the $5m threshold that would make this a federal case.
Meanwhile, the US Department of Justice reported the arrest of Delfin Group USA President, Markos Baghdasarian, as he was boarding a flight to the UAE. He faces criminal charges of exporting goods to Iran from the US including an alleged $850,000 delivery of aviation oil and polymer. Delfin, a Russian-owned synthetic lubes producer based in South Carolina, is alleged to have undertaken a number of transactions with Iran - prohibited by the US government - from June 2010 until October 2011.
The USDoJ official release about the arrest also made it clear that the charges are currently only accusations and "do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty."