BS: Snake Oil

Subject: BS: Snake Oil
From: Keef
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 02:26 AM

Oh no....I think I've found some more SNAKE OIL.....arrrgh!

Anyway, thing is...I live near the coast (and I'm faster than most..)
and I was wundering about getting some rust protection for my car.
I might get the delightful smelling fish oil tratment but then someone started banging on about "electronic rust prevention"
Sounds good, simple little black box, no steenky fish oil...sounds too good to be true.

Beeep, beeep, meeep, meeep, gerbllleeep
Excuse me my bullshit detector is going CRAZY

(please discuss)


Keef
Keef Wivanef
Agent double oh golly!

Subject: RE: BS: Snake Oil
From: gnu
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 06:19 AM

Cathodic protection is real, but I don't think it would work very well on a car. A ship's hull benefits from it becauze it's one big hull of a piece of steel.

I get the "Rustchek" every year. I, and many people I know, swear by it.

Oh... I live about 20km from salt water.... New Brunswick, Canada. So, we also get a LOT of road salt and freeze-thaw.

Subject: RE: BS: Snake Oil
From: Ed T
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 03:25 PM

A good article on the topic of rust in the below link:

http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/jk/070221.htm

Subject: RE: BS: Snake Oil
From: Keef
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 05:26 PM

I've visited Canada and I've seen the state of the cars...they'd never get the chance to wear out...rust never sleeps.
However....that's not my point.
Cathodic protection on ships and jetties YES that works.
Electronic rust protection on cars? IMPOSSIBLE
Mumbo Jumbo

BUT thousands of these devices have been sold
Most users believe that it works and help to "spread the word" among their friends.

This leads conveniently to my pet hate -- SCAMMERS!!!

The "rust zappers" are just one example of shysters who use a cloak of technobabble to deceive the innocent.

Here my all time favourite

Scam City here we come

Should the government departments (ASIC and Fair Trading in Australia)
act to protect the public from scams both large and small??
or is it just the law of the jungle, predators and prey?