I purchased an All in One HP Photosmart C4180 printer from
Staples Canada. The Staples sales representative tried pressuring me into taking out an extended warranty - given that
this wasn't the most expensive of printers and assuming that I was still buying a decent product with a 12 month guarantee from a reputable company and manufacturer that would give me good service for a number of years - didn't feel it was necessary to pay the extra. I had used a Canon for
many years without problems but eventually it came to the end of it's life when using color the black still worked but as I am a keen photographer and like to print my own pictures immediately so liked liked the idea of the Photosmart HP C4180 with its All in One features and had seen the picture reproduction on a friend's similar but less
fancy model and liked the end result.

So after Boxing Day 2 years ago, I decided to invest in the HP product. It was easy enough to install and gave me good service for a very short period of time except that every time I turned on the printer I had to re-align the print-heads. I persevered and used up much more ink that I intended, having to do this continuous cleaning. I chatted with a HP sales rep. at Staples when purchasing yet another cartridge and he told me to contact HP - this was not supposed to happen. This I did and the agent very kindly ran me through various procedures - seemed to adjust something from her end or told me what to do from my end and all was well for a short time and we were back to square one plus colored ink flooded the paper on numerous occasions.
I changed papers and used the HP's own paper. Nothing doing, it still flooded. I called HP and they suggested I return the printer for exchange and they would replace it. This was done pretty promptly with no hassles except that they failed to tell me that the guarantee or warranty was only valid for 3 months.
During this time I became ill and spent much time at home and not able to use the printer for some time except for printing letters. So didn't report this to HP. I tried using the colour printer again after some months- still problems - either flooding or
re-alignment was required. I contacted HP again - and was told how to clean the cartridge, contacts etc. Maybe even replace it. This I did. We were in business - all went well for a few printings and back to square one. Trouble again, including now a lack of yellow which was showing full and should have been since I had only just put in yet another cartridge. I only use HP cartridges.
Staples advised me not to waste anymore $$ as the yellow contact was probably faulty. I decided to try just once again though with a cartridge I had bought in the US a little cheaper than in Canada and take the chance by cleaning everything before I began. No go. I called HP and they kindly replaced the cartridge for me as I was going through so many without having used it much with so much cleaning that had to be done. They could offer no solution - only to take the unit or send it in for repair at my cost. As aside from what I had already wasted on it not worth it and would be without a printer
to even print black now until I got it back and the problem remedied if at all.

If I had wanted a black only printer - I could have kept my old Canon and continued to use it just as well.

I am now faced with a predicament. I can't continue wasting and trying to fix this darn printer which I am ready to "trash". What a waste of $$$. I can only use black and at times I get streaks of color
interfering with the black even when the color cartridge is
is switched to the off position via the computer. It won't function without the colour cartridge installed.

This C4180 is a lemon as far as I am concerned.

I spoke to someone who had purchased 3 for a business and was told that 1 had given them good service and the other 2 not.

What can HP do for me?

I need a fully operative all in one printer and certainly wouldn't entertain the idea of buying another HP. Their customer service people try but can't do anything further for me due to the warranty being out of action. Two printers with the same problem suggest to me that there is a factory fault. Reading reviews now since this model has been on the market for some time suggest there are definitely problems with this model.

Trying to find an executive to contact ad this has been impossible today.
I called customer service and was told to look at their HP website and I could e-mail an executive but wasn't able to find the correct contact box on the screen.

I was given a 905 telephone number to call in Toronto for HP by 411 but there was no answer, not even a voice mail.

Hence I am turning to you to try and resolve my predicament.
I bought this unit in good faith and from my experience with this model would not buy an HP again.

Canon has a good reputation and Kodak have come out with a
more unit that is more economical to run.

I can't even sell this unit as it is - it has no value.

What can you do for me?

CM