A few days ago we reported that HP implemented firmware on their printers that will reject non-HP ink cartridges - it was a deliberately move to make sure that consumers purchase HP ink and as HP sta... HP Caves in on Printer Ink Discussion - Will Adjust Software
Ha-ha-ha! I am always amused how big companies do such obviously dumb moves (especially those planned years in advance) just to reverse them in a short time!
I could agree with this only of they would bring the price of ink down to the non genuine ink prices. Then I could agree with this move. But pricing ink more than hardware is absolutely a scum and an abuse of their power in the market. They should investigate those monopolistic tactics like they do with other companies .
What they'll now do is phase out ink cartridges and probably go with a tank system like Epson where you pay a lot more for the printer up front.
The manufacturers make no profit whatsoever selling the cheap inkjet printers to the masses. I'm surprised they can cover the expenses, considering the prices must also cover the retail's profit. It's still a big piece of hardware that includes a scanner as well. You can buy an average inkjet for 50 euros (average, not the cheapest). A single Noctua computer case fan can easily cost 20 euros. That gives some perspective. In my opinion the market would be healthier if the printers' prices were realistic on their own and thus the ink prices were as well. In the distant past it used to be like that. When I bought my first Canon led scanner, I think it was equivalent to roughly 200 euros (although euro didn't exist back then). Now you get a better scanner by buying a 30 euros multi-function device. I don't remember anymore how much my first Canon inkjet was such a long time ago, but I bet it was at least something similar to the later scanner. Of course it was just the printer. Back then an affordable scanner for home use wasn't commonplace.
I feel this was a gamble and had it "paid-off" it would've been wide-spread. Companies need to stop trying to pull a fast one and make their products price competitive, especially in a world economy where everyone is trying to save money.
I see two things to happen, first is the other brands doing the same, it's only a matter of being the first, then after other brands doing the same, HP will no longer be seen as the bad one and return the blocking of 3rd party ink. When every brand do the same, every brand will win.
They've done a lot of harm to their company with this move. for me, its the last straw, and I will not be recommending HP's products to anyone. None of their products. Stay well clear, they could do this sort of thing in the future.
You cannot get much more "realistic" than this... https://www.amazon.com/HP-OfficeJet...qid=1475159867&sr=1-1&keywords=officejet+5740 Couple it with Instant Ink and it's a deal from any perspective... Just saying...this is so much better than those bottom-feeding $25-$50 "tiny cartridges included-may fall apart at any time" printer deals it's almost too much to believe. I can remember buying my first HP InkJet in 1987 for $900 with small cartridges that cost $60 a pair even then! Just like everything else...my how things have improved...!
This is nothing new. Canon has been doing this for over 10 years. But there was always a "hacked" driver or a tool for the printer to fool it and make it work. If you cant, it's cheaper to buy a new printer than to buy all replacement cartridges. Then again, people interested in refilling cartridges will inform themselves about which printer is the one they will need.
Not to mention they only fill them half way, while a third-party cartridge is double the ink for the same price or less.
The cure is for all the printer makers, not just HP, to sell the printer at a normal profit margin and then also do the same with the replacement ink. One company can't do this. They all have to or the one trying to do it right won't sell anything. The throw away printer scenario where it's cheaper to just buy a new one instead of replacing the ink really needs to end. My Canon all in one cost $30 at Walmart and the ink costs, at a minimum, 50% more to replace. It's not just HP. It is also a fact that the remanufactured cartridges have much higher failure rates than the new ones. I have had a number of remanufactured ones that just didn't work or lasted less time than a new one. I have never had a problem with any OEM cartridge.
I can see why HP done this in the first place - cheap cartridges do more damage then good. Perhaps what they should do is offer a program to certify unofficial toners. Unless, of course they are worried about losing profits from it, but then they could ask for a royalty in those profits...
30-40$ some from hp are even more for ink cartridge is ridiculous. When I used printers I use to just buy new printers when ink cartridge dyed cause it was cheaper to just get new printer
Oh well. If they did it once, they will do it again. All they will do now is make all their new printers to come with no option to use aftermarket cartridges. Then no one can complain as the product never supported it out of the box...
All I know is good luck with that... See what happened to Lexmark... All their printers was locked down with no option to refill or use aftermarket cartridges...
"sorry for trying to **** you over even more, please continue to give us money. please?" how is this attitude even a thing? why do people tolerate companies going overboard on ****ing over consumers only to forgive them the moment they go "ok we'll go back to only ****ing you over slightly less".
Doubtful. Not all publicity is good publicity. I know I'll never buy an HP anything again because of the BS they pulled.
It must work, adverts in the UK (And likely around the world) have become extremely annoying, childish with old nursery rhyme tunes to get them stuck in your head, adults acting like children, really immature nonsense for what should be serious companies, and they know it p1sses people off and people mute or turn the channel, but because everyone is talking about them, it's working so they keep making more of the same, repeating them Any publicity is good publicity sometimes, pulling a stunt like locking ink to HP only and then backtracking is hardly tarnishing the company name, but it gets them in the news Personally I would never buy from the companies that advertise in that childish way on TV, but it's obviously bringing them more sales / making them money, or they would stop / try something else
