Those independent suppliers of ink cartridges should know that their access to enjoying a free market enterprise, their product is in serious jeopardy of being denied access to all possible potential customers. As a user who prefers other suppliers of ink cartridges, it would seem that these companies in the recycled ink cartridge supply business are experiencing profit loses due to the anti-competitive strategies of ink suppliers like Hewlett Packard (HP). Because customers who use “other” ink cartridges in HP printers, they will find now that their ink cartridge is “not compatible“, and now forced to use a product, something they really do not want, having to purchase strictly HP ink cartridges. This I would think is just as serious, or more so, than my one problem.
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HP is at it again! HP is again setting up a policy of shutting down, at a predetermined time, to limit a consumers use of their HP printer. For my HP OfficeJet 5600 All-In-Series, I purchased from Kroger Food store a refill on 2/23/2010. As indicated it replaces the HP 27 Cartridge. Cartridge City brand. It is now April 17, 2010, and my printer has shut down from further use. With my previous HP printer, after a predetermined period the HP printer displayed a message informing me that my ink was low, and then shut down my printer from further use. Because of HP greed, this same procedure is being used, but with a different message. Now, after using my cartridge for 54 days HP came up with a different message, “printer cartridge not compatible…“, ending further use of my printer. HP now avoids using the word ink. Although ink is low but copies still at quality level, this was no reason for low ink to stop the printer from working, after pressing O.K. on the control panel.
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To prove my point, I just replaced my cartridge with the same exact store bought Cartridge City brand #27. Now the printer works again. If the cartridge #27 is the same, but is not compatible, why then does my printer now print? This is the same trick they pulled with the low ink message.
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The HP OfficeJet 5600 All-In-Series user guide describes the extent of the limited warranty. Hewlett-Packard (HP) warrants to the end-user customer that the HP warranty does not cover (3) “any other problems, including those that arise as a result of….
b. “…or supplies not provided or supported by HP”
c. “..operation outside of the products specification”
d. “….unauthorized modification or misuse.”
(9) tells me HP products may contain remanufactured parts, components, or materials equivalent to new in performance.
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Lets not refer or suggest this scam as an internal programmed expiration date, but call it as it is.
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The preceding warranty gives HP the right to shut down my printer and infringe on my right to the free use and choice in my preference of using a remanufactured cartridge. To close down Cartridge City 100% satisfaction guarantee of their product, and to discourage and destroy competition. What gives HP the right, after 54 days of cartridge use, to then tell me my “printer cartridge not compatible…” It’s not a low ink issue? You see it’s not the cartridge, but it is, continues, and will always be, … the INK! You saw what the warranty does not cover. But shutting down my computer, because the use of outside sources of remanufactured cartridges, are ink supplies “..not provided or supported by HP.”
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What is being said is, all other sources of recycled ink cartridges are not of HP standards, and will not allow their printers to operate, or give the consumer the free choice, to decide the ink quality choices in the use by a purchaser of an HP printer. In a 6/22/2006 Chicago Tribune article, “HP warns, Walgreens, Office Max on ink sales.” HP senior vice-president Pradeep Jotwani Stated, “They are using an ink that has specific chemicals or certain chemicals at certain levels that violate our formula for ink.” In other words, the world should run on only ink formulated on HP principals of what ink should be. That warning was to suppress, monopolize, or attempt to monopolize, and control the use of ink. To avoid the anti-trust issue, after a printer programmed predetermined time, you’ll receive a message, in order to shut down your printer, “printer cartridge not compatible…”
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From the HP cartridge informational inserts, “HP recycling program. HP offers an increasing number of product return and recycling programs in many countries/regions, as well as partnering with some of the largest electronic recycling centers throughout the world. HP also conserves resources by refurbishing and reselling some of it’s most popular products. It also states, “HP limited warranty… warranty does not cover empty or refilled products, or products that have been misused or tampered with.”
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O.K., I understand that. HP does not cover refilled products. So that I also understand, the warranty is on the HP ink cartridge, as noted by the warranty date. I can understand a cartridge being defective. But I don’t understand the refilled statement? If I purchased, or refilled an HP cartridge, I understand there is no warranty. But again why, after using my refilled remanufactured cartridge, under what specific technical conditions has HP determined after 54 days my printer cartridge not compatible?
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Previously, I received a HP Newsgram. They were telling me how I should only use HP ink cartridges. “With a 98% reliability rate, you’ll enjoy a hassle-free, worry-free, experience you won’t get from refurbished or refilled ink cartridges.” In other words, suggesting to me, and others, refurbished or refilled cartridges being available, can be used on HP printers. This of course is not entirely true, and intended only to fool the unsuspecting, and naïve, from finding out the HP printers will become inoperative after a predetermined use, even when ink supply and copy quality is not the issue.
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