I was told you can't paint a vinyl exterior of a house. Is this true?

From Exterior Painting Tips (http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=howTo&p=Improve/Ext_paint_tips.html) Looks like you can.

"Aluminum and vinyl siding present special challenges when painted. Aluminum siding frequently suffers from excessive chalking and may contain dents and imperfections. Pressure wash or hand-scrub to remove chalk and rinse afterwards. Satin or low lustre paint is the best choice for aluminum siding because it hides dents and makes the imperfections less noticeable. A spray application gives the best appearance. Vinyl siding has the same problems with one additional limitation. Vinyl siding has a tendency to buckle or warp irreversibly from hot, direct sunlight. Darker colors will absorb more heat, so select a paint color no darker than the original color of the original vinyl."

Also Painting Vinyl Siding (http://www.askthebuilder.com/427_Painting_Vinyl_Siding.shtml)

I know Sherwin Williams makes a specific paint to go over vinyl siding. Good Luck!

They Do Recommand To Use A Lighter Color When You Paint Viynl, There Is A Special Paint For This, And I Can't Think Of The Name Of It, But Its Important Because Of How Much The Viynl Moves During The Seasons

I was told you can't paint a vinyl exterior of a house. Is this true?
I was in the business of paints and coatings manufacturing for many years as as paint formulator. This question comes up often. Michaelb correctly answered your question, ( surface preparation is very important), but he left out what type of paint to use. After years of testing, the conclusion is to simply use a good quality Acrylic Latex House Paint. Good Luck!

All great answers above!