False Claims On Litro Gas Cylinder Rejection Criteria Based on Handle Markings!

දිනපතා සත්‍ය කරුණු දැන ගැනීමට අපගේ WhatsApp සමුහයටමෙතනින් එකතුවන්න.

In Sri Lanka, spreading false rumors concerning essential commodities such as domestic LP gas is common, especially on social media. Here, our investigation specifically focuses on dispelling rumors related to Litro gas, which created confusion among the public on the gas cylinders they were using.

Social Media Posts

Social media posts allege that Litro Gas cylinders with blurred or cutoff letters on the surface of the LP gas cylinder’s handle are not accepted by the company for refilling, which means that when a customer goes to a gas vendor with a cylinder that does not have any inscribed markings with certain information, such would be rejected, forcing customers to purchase new cylinders at an extra cost.

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These claims were viral among Facebook users.

Many were curious about the veracity of these claims, and we decided to look further.

Fact Check

Statement from Litro Gas Company: We contacted the marketing manager of Litro Gas, who completely denied the claim made in these viral posts. Clarifying the company's official stance, he reiterates that details inscribed on the handles of gas cylinders are not a criterion for accepting or rejecting cylinders for refilling.

However, the Litro Gas marketing manager further said those letters on the handle ensure ownership, which includes information such as the date of manufacturing, SLS certification, water capacity, tolerable pressure, etc.

Litro Gas rejects cylinders for several reasons. The primary causes include:

• Damaged Cylinders: The company does not accept cylinders that exhibit physical damage.
• Cylinders Belonging to Other Companies: Litro Gas rejects cylinders that belong to other LP gas companies.
• Altered or Unsuitably Painted Cylinders: Any cylinders that have been altered or painted in a manner that does not meet the company's standards are not accepted.

Additionally, the marketing manager added more context related to the letterings on the cylinder handles:

Duration of Lettering: The letters on the handles of cylinders have been in place from the beginning of the gas business in Sri Lanka. So, the cylinders with letter markings don't mean they are new cylinders and vice versa.

Handling Blurred Letters: Litro Gas usually does not reject cylinders solely based on blurred lettering, as replacing handles during refilling is a costly process.

Lettering during Refilling: Typically, the company does not add new letters to handles during the refilling process.

Furthermore, the manager outlined the company's policy on cylinder replacement:

Replacement Every 10 Years: Litro Gas follows a policy of replacing all cylinders after being used for ten years from the manufacturing date.

In cases where the manufacturing date is unclear, the decision to replace a cylinder is made through an assessment conducted by the technical team.

Identification Criteria: According to the company, customers can identify genuine Litro Gas cylinders through specific characteristics such as color, logo, and weight. This aligns with standard industry practices where companies use identifiable features to ensure product authenticity.

Also, it's important to ensure the cylinder is properly sealed without any leakages, whenever possible, using a soap bubble test. Here is a video on measures that can be taken to ensure safety while using domestic LP gas cylinders and cookers.

Shop Owners Confirmation: We also contacted multiple LP gas vendors selling Litro Gas cylinders, and they, too, confirmed that there hasn’t been any case of rejection of gas cylinders by the company solely based on the blurriness of the letters on the cylinder handle.

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Conclusion:

Based on the information obtained from Litro Gas Company, shop owners, and the identification criteria, there is no evidence to support the social media claims that Litro Gas rejects cylinders based on the blurriness of the letters on the cylinder handle. The company explicitly denies such allegations, and the identification criteria of Litro gas, as clarified by the company representative, is consistent with industry practices.