Questioning oil industry propaganda ...

If you listen to Big Oil and the nightly news, you probably think that high gas prices are all your fault. For months, they've reported that "fuelish" consumers are using more gas than ever before.

As it turns out, these claims may be little more than oil lobbyist propaganda: In May, four prominent organizations backed UCAN's long-standing claim that gas consumption is down.

According to the California Board of Equalization (CBE), the Federal Highway Administration, the Department of Transportation, and others, consumers are using significantly less gasoline. And if anybody should know, it ought to be the CBE – they collect the taxes on every gallon sold in California. According to them, gas consumption has decreased by a whopping 2.5% even though there are more drivers on the road in California.

On Wednesday, June 14, CNN Money reported that outputs in refined gasoline in California dropped by a massive 10% (6.7% less than last year during the same week). Yet since June 14 through today, gas prices have tumbled from $3.20 a gallon to $3.13 a gallon. What's more, these are the lowest inventories since May 11 when San Diego gasoline prices had reached a record-breaking high of $3.48 a gallon.

What all this means is that the California Oil Cartel's claim that consumers keep buying gas no matter what the price is highly questionable. Supposedly, a 3% shortfall in supplies will create a 30¢ price spike, yet in the last week, we've seen a 10% reduction in the supply of gas and prices are still dropping.

This can only mean one thing: We are using less gas. A lot less gas.

But that won't stop the hot gas coming out of the oil industry's publicity and lobbying companies such as Western States Petroleum Association. For them, spewing hot gas to a gullible media is their number one job.

Read more on this subject at our Gas & Autos page, or visit our Cheap Gas Locator at www.fueltracker.com. Right now we are tracking more than 450 local prices every week. And if you appreciate the fact that somebody is finally telling you the truth about the oil industry, please consider joining UCAN.

"Gas Out" idea is for slacktivists not activists.

The "great Gas Out" boycott requires no sacrifice, no work,
no effort, and no time, which is why it has no effect. But 
calling the elected official(below) could actually bring down
gas prices.

For those of you who are wondering, a "slacktivist"* is someone who thinks that by sending an e-mail to a political leader, that he or she has actually helped accomplish a worthwhile goal. Not true. Politicians these days rarely even count e-mails, and one handwritten letter or fax, or a phone call carries more weight than 1,000 e-mails.

The "Great Gas Out" combines a slacktivist love of e-mailing with a slacker's idea that doing absolutely nothing will bring down gas prices.

Once again (sigh ... ) an e-mail is being circulated urging consumers to participate in the "Great Gas Out." The e-mail says that by not buying gasoline on a single day (this year it is May 15) that gas prices will magically drop. Every year the e-mail makes the same tired old claim that it has made since 1997 when a slacker first originated the idea, saying: "it worked!"

Not only is this claim false (it has never worked), but the statistics it cites regarding the money such a boycott would cost the oil industry are highly questionable. The reality is that if you delay buying gas for one day, the oil companies will still get your money the next time you buy gas.

The ugly truth is that boycotts don't work unless you stop using the product for an extended period of time. Period. If enough people stop buying gasoline for a month or even a week, it might have the effect of bringing prices down by glutting the market with surplus fuel, but the effect would only be temporary unless you stop buying gas altogether.

Even boycotting specific brands of gasoline is a highly questionable idea because the oil companies swap gas supplies like wives at a Hollywood hot tub party. If Arco runs out of gas because it is favored by consumers over Chevron, it is very likely that Arco will get the supply it needs from Chevron because Chevron will have plenty of surplus fuel to sell. We repeat: the only effective boycott involves not using gasoline.

Unfortunately, very few of us can simply stop buying gas, but there is something we can do that can immediately bring down prices: We can call or write our elected leaders. Historically, the one thing that has an almost immediate effect on gas prices are public hearings with a credible threat of regulatory or legislative intervention. To learn more about why gas boycotts are not terribly effective, we suggest visiting the mythbusters at snopes.com.

Our suggestion? Other than buying a more fuel-efficient car or getting rid of our cars, we can direct complaints about gas gouging to Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez and the Honorable Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Their addresses and phone numbers are below. Remember: we have not listed their e-mail addresses because a single hand-written letter or personal phone call has the impact of about 900 e-mails. When you make a phone call or send a letter, you have actually done something. You will have become a citizen activist. Here are the addresses:

The Honorable Fabian Núñez
Speaker of the Assemby,
P.O. Box 942849
Room 219 Sacramento, CA 94249-0046

Phone: (916) 319-2046

The Honorable Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Governor of California
State Capitol Bldg.
Sacramento, CA 95814

Phone: (916) 445-2841
Fax: (916) 445-4633

The word slacktivist comes from the combination of the word "slacker," which means "one who shirks work" and "activist." The "great Gas Out" boycott is a great example of slacktivism" it is a boycott that requires no sacrifice, no work, no effort, and no time (and that's probably why it continues to be a popular, albeit completely worthless boycott idea).

Greg Babbitt is an associate at the law firm of Rosner & Mansfield specializing in auto fraud

If you buy a car that is financed through the dealership, the dealer CAN cancel the contract, but only if it notifies you within 10 days of the date on the purchase contract. It is based on the language of the purchase contract. Look at your purchase contract. That's the long yellow document that says "RETAIL INSTALLMENT SALES CONTRACT" at the top. Turn to the back of the purchase contract, and find the box that says "Seller's Right to Cancel." It is at the bottom of the second column.

Car dealers are in the business of selling cars to consumers, not financing cars that consumers buy. So, this box advises you that after you sign the purchase contract and leave with the car, the dealership is going to find a finance company or bank to buy your contract. This language gives a car dealer the opportunity to find someone to buy your purchase contract. Most of the time this is not a problem. However, if the car dealer cannot find someone to buy your purchase contract, it can cancel the purchase contract. But, the car dealer must notify you within 10 days of the date on the purchase contract. If it does not, then the purchase is final and cannot be cancelled. Every purchase contract relating to a car purchase in California that I have reviewed has included this provision in it, and our firm has seen thousands of purchase contracts.

If the dealership cancels within 10 days, you get your down payment or trade-in back. The purchase contract requires the car dealer to return to you all consideration (i.e., everything) given for the purchase. This includes your trade-in vehicle. If you gave a $2,000 down payment and a car as a trade-in, the car dealer must give you back both the $2,000 and the trade-in when you return the car you purchased.

Sometimes a car dealer may tell you that it already sold your trade-in, and will offer you the value of the trade-in as listed on the purchase contract. The language of the purchase contract does not appear to give the car dealer this option. It requires the return of the trade-in. However, if the car dealer does sell your trade-in, at the very least, you should tell the car dealer that it has to give you whatever is the highest value for your trade-in out of either (1) the value of the trade-in as listed on the purchase contract, (2) the fair market value, or (3) what the car dealer received when it sold your trade-in.

The car dealer CANNOT charge you for using the vehicle you purchased from them. For instance, it cannot charge you for the miles put on the car during the 10-day period. However, you are responsible for any physical damage to the car during the time it is in your possession.

If the car dealer exercises its right to cancel the purchase contract within 10 days, you are not required to sign a second contract to purchase that same car. Let me repeat this. A car dealer cannot force you to sign a second contract. If the car dealer cancels the purchase contract with 10 days, you are obligated to return the car, and the car dealer must give you back any down payment or trade-in that you gave with the purchase.

The car dealer cannot cancel the purchase contract after the 10-day period has expired. If a car dealer tries to do this, you should advise it that your understanding is that the car dealer is no longer entitled to cancel the purchase contract, and ask the car dealer to send you a letter explaining why it thinks it can still cancel the purchase contract.