Is it illegal...

[imported_JonLane]

Is it illegal for Hewlett Packard to demand that I use only original HP ink cartridges or I will be refused service and technical support?

 

[chrisrod01]

Thats stupid tech for ink cartiges ???anyone has the phone number for tech for ink ????

 

[Jeff7181]

No it's not illegal.

 

[d2arcturus]

Voids printer warranty doesn't it?

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: d2arcturus
Voids printer warranty doesn't it?

Yes it does.

 

[mechBgon]

Having used remanufactured ink cartridges in HP inkjet printers in the past, I've had nothing but disappointments. If you want consistent high-quality printing, you might want to stick with brand-new HP cartridges.

/ 2¢ worth

 

[bigsexychris]

mechBgon.. i disagree

I have a hp 2200 (discontinued now) that uses 4 cartridges (cmyk).. and for awhile I used refill cartridges and noticed no difference.

Anyway, there's no way it's illegal for HP to void a warranty if you use other ink, but that doesn't mean i don't use refill ink

JonLane, just don't tell HP you used refills and i'm sure you'll receive the same tech support as usual

 

[Powermoloch]

it is always nice to be hush hush to your technical support...

 

[Codegen]

I can see where they're coming from. I dunno if it's possible or not but is there a way you could get counterfeit cartriges that could fry the printer?

 

[Ricemarine]

Originally posted by: Powermoloch
it is always nice to be hush hush to your technical support...

 

[batmanuel]

Originally posted by: bigsexychris
mechBgon.. i disagree

I have a hp 2200 (discontinued now) that uses 4 cartridges (cmyk).. and for awhile I used refill cartridges and noticed no difference.

Anyway, there's no way it's illegal for HP to void a warranty if you use other ink, but that doesn't mean i don't use refill ink

JonLane, just don't tell HP you used refills and i'm sure you'll receive the same tech support as usual

You are in a slightly different situation with your 2200 than most people are. The replacement carts on the 2200 are just ink tanks, so your print quality won't suffer with remanufactured carts.

On most of the rest of the HP lineup, you have the print heads integrated into the cartridge. Once the cartridge is removed from the printer and is dropped in the recycling bin to be remanufactured, the ink dries up and clogs the microscopic pores in the printhead. Once these get clogged, even the remanufacturing company can't get them completely unclogged again, which leads to print that may be of poor quality.

Since you have seperate print heads in your model printer, you don't have this problem when you buy remanufactured inks. The only issue you might potentially have is that the viscosity might not be quite right and your printheads could clog, but that is usually not an issue if you get your inks from companies that do their homework.

 

[islandtechengineers]

Originally posted by: Ricemarine

Originally posted by: Powermoloch
it is always nice to be hush hush to your technical support...

definately. also for modding, on occasion home depot employess refuse to offer assistance after I let them in on my project plans (hey they asked)...

 

[imported_Phil]

Just use third-party cartridges, and keep an HP set around in case you need warranty support.

 

[imported_JonLane]

I have a k80xi, which is notorious for not holding software installations. It's a useless piece of junk to me at the moment.

So I was spending yet another couple days trying to get HP's jacked software to re-install for the 20th time -- which it won't, even with HP's equally bad uninstall program and a complete registry search and destroy -- and suddenly they stop sending patchwork uninstall/re-install info because the thing suddenly won't recognize the two carts it already printed from just fine. These two carts are remans.

But they did have the brass to suggest that I buy another of their products, in the HOPE it might run from USB from my Intel mainboard. For this priviledge, I get to pay 15% less than list on a REMANUFACTURED printer.

Hey HP, reman's VOID YOUR WARRANTY!

I am so disgusted with HP's shove-it mentality that I'll boycott them for life.

 

[mariush]

Well, I was never much fan of HP, their ink is too expensive in my opinion. I bought a Samsung ML1510 laser printer and i love it. On topic, never tell you use refills, they can not find out about this by themselves (usually)

 

[The Pentium Guy]

I have a k80xi, which is notorious for not holding software installations. It's a useless piece of junk to me at the moment.

So I was spending yet another couple days trying to get HP's jacked software to re-install for the 20th time -- which it won't, even with HP's equally bad uninstall program and a complete registry search and destroy -- and suddenly they stop sending patchwork uninstall/re-install info because the thing suddenly won't recognize the two carts it already printed from just fine. These two carts are remans.

God. I have an HP scanner that did the same thing.

 

[FlyingPenguin]

I personally never use refills for any of my personal or business printers, and I recommend the same thing to my clients.

I've seen too many printers ruined or just requiring very expensive servicing because a client tried to save some money on a cartridge. And the first time you get leaking ink from cheap refilled cartridge all over an expensive business suit is absolutely a priceless moment. You have no idea what the quality control is on a refilled cartridge.

There ARE some companies that do make quality refills (there's ONE here in town that I will recommend if pushed, with a caviat that I prefer seing a client use manufacturer cartridges) - but you have to find them first AND hope they maintain the quality over time. It only takes ONE BAD CARTRIDGE to make your day a living hell at a busy office.

HP (for example) has a well earned reputation for the quality of their cartridges. Yes you pay more, but the first time you mess up a laser printer with a refilled toner cartridge, you'll find the cost/benefit of a refill not so attractive.

There are other hidden issues with using refilled cartridges. For instance the main reason HP ink cartridges are so expensive are because when you change the cartridge you ALSO change the inkjets. Most Epson and Canon printers have permanent inkjets and you only change the resevoir. The problem is that jets can dry out or clog, and if they clog badly they may be ruined. With an HP that's no problem - toss the cartridge (actually recycle it at office Depot if you're smart and get a ream of paper for it) and then replace it and you're good to go. I've sen lots of other printers with clogged jets that had to be trash-canned.

There are MANY hidden costs in printer operation. Lasers, for instance have a hidden cost in roller and drum replacements - a cheap laser may go through several drums in it's lifetime while one that costs a $100 more may run for 7 years without ever requiring a new drum. That's the main reason I use HP Lasers -they run forever without requiring service. I still see old HP Lserjet II & III's all the time that are have been running for a DECADE with the same drum and rollers.

Not all printers made by a manufacturer have expensive cartridges. You need to look at each printer individually. Large capacity cartridges are more cost effective than smaller ones. If you need a high-end color printer to do a lot of photo-quality color printing, I recommend some of the Epson high-end color printers because they have SEPERATE cartridges for each color. Having all three colors in one cartridge is VERY uneconomical.

You should read professional reviews on a printer before buying and pay VERY close attention to cost-per-page. Consumer reports and PC-Magazine regularly do printer round-up reviews that compare several printers in the same class and give you the cost-per-page for each one.

You can't blame a manufacturer for requiring you not to put something in your printer that will clog the jets and COST THEM MONEY to replace it under warranty.

Feel free to put anything you want in there, but don't expect the manufacturer to cover for you mistakes. In the same way that you shouldn't expect your car dealer to fix the engine because you changed the oil every 3 months but never bothered changing the oil filter to save money.

 

[bendixG15]

Well, you are entitled to your opinion.

Just allow us to be entitled to ours.

 

[Baked]

I buy compatible toner carts for the HP LaserJect 4000N at work. Never had a problem.

 

[bfonnes]

Originally posted by: Powermoloch
it is always nice to be hush hush to your technical support...

shut up, I hate it when customer's lie... but, if it's just HP, guess that's ok

BFonnes

 

[l Xes l]

it's illegal. im calling the cops

 

[0roo0roo]

look into the tech of inkjets. they are complex. heck i've seen articles showing the cost breakdown of a printer is barely break even, they don't money off the printer, just the inik. and the number of incredibly tiny droplets created by those incredibly tiny pumps/nozzles per second now is staggering..using anything but their ink could possibly clog/damage the system. sure it might not, but i can see how they can easily justify saying u void the warrantee if you do not use their inks. u have no case.

 

[imported_JonLane]

Originally posted by: FlyingPenguinYou can't blame a manufacturer for requiring you not to put something in your printer that will clog the jets and COST THEM MONEY to replace it under warranty.

Feel free to put anything you want in there, but don't expect the manufacturer to cover for you mistakes. In the same way that you shouldn't expect your car dealer to fix the engine because you changed the oil every 3 months but never bothered changing the oil filter to save money.

That's fine but completely beside the point: HP refuses to talk to me after their software proves completely defective. In my case, this defective software has been abandoned because they want to sell more of their carts instead, not to mention that the product failed to work as advertised, i.e., to setup and print reliably.

For a more apt analogy, if say, Infiniti built a car with a completely broken ignition system, and you couldn't start the thing to even move it out of your driveway, and if you were aware of many other Infinity owners with the same problem, and if Infiniti even had a temporary beta site for owners to try ignition workarounds on their own time and at their own expense (which HP did a couple years ago but never updated the software) would they be right to refuse to service their bad engineering because you didn't buy replacement tires from their dealer?

Basically, it seems HP gives out bad software and orphaned products, which means lost investments of hundreds of dollars, and then offers a 15% discount on another HP product while withholding tech support for a known issue until you buy their carts. Not cool for an outfit that should value the customer and its own reputation, especially after I, like many other folks, bought this HP after a very positive experience with a LaserJet III...

 

[Fenuxx]

This is precisely the reason that I go for Cannon. No goofy sh!t like this .

 

[imported_JonLane]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
look into the tech of inkjets. they are complex. heck i've seen articles showing the cost breakdown of a printer is barely break even, they don't money off the printer, just the inik. and the number of incredibly tiny droplets created by those incredibly tiny pumps/nozzles per second now is staggering..using anything but their ink could possibly clog/damage the system. sure it might not, but i can see how they can easily justify saying u void the warrantee if you do not use their inks. u have no case.

It's not a warranty claim; it's a request to them to offer software that makes the product work as advertised, and failing that, to offer tech support that does instead. Seems to me this is closer to leveraging a customer into more purchases and/or deep-sixing justly complaining customers by internal policy. I think HP knows they have a problem and is looking for ways to escape follow-up, which is a sad way for a company of that size to operate in the market.

Let's put it another way: If I manufacture a product but I run a batch of bad products I can't fix, the last thing I do is take out my loss on the customer base. HP's resolution to this situation is incredibly simple: Offer a reasonable upgrade path. Instead they just keep insulting a customer who's just trying to give them the benefit of the doubt in order to salvage a $185 investment. Is a 15% discount off their own price a fair adjustment? Is holding you over a barrel with ink cart buys on a known bad product a fair adjustment?