Printer buyers beware

letsbehonest

Buying a new printer? Then beware of EPSON and their drivers upgrade tactics.
To Explain, I bought a new Epson Home Expression XP 312 back in November last year, after the supplied cartridges ran out and like many others I bought a couple of sets of compatibles for the obvious reasons, they are cheaper. Yesterday whilst my pc was on up popped the usual offer of updated drivers, after installing these I found that now my ink cartridges stopped working. Online research informs me that a firmware upgrade hidden within this driver upgrade package turns off non Epson originals.
What right have Epson got stopping me using ink cartridges of my choice without any notice leaving me with unnecessary expense.
Epson this is a big Black mark,,, but I'm sure you don't give a toss.

esuhl

A lot of people have had this problem recently. It's definitely one reason to never trust Epson devices.

I'm amazed that it's legal for Epson to unethically cripple your property remotely. It's anti-competetive and the company should be forced out of business!

DevCoder

Epson do this so they can honour the warranties on their devices. Cheap knockoff ink cartridges can be hideously constructed, why should Epson pick up the tab for when they fail?
Of course an alternative could be that if it senses non original cartridges it alerts you and if you choose to continue then it writes a marker to an EEPROM memory location so that the warranty would be void but you could continue to use it.

Uxb

They have every right....and it is very common to specify this sort of thing in business contracts.

A._Badger

Uxb wrote: »

They have every right....and it is very common to specify this sort of thing in business contracts.

Nonsense, The contract was made when the OP bought his machine. Epson is varying the T&C after the event. Report the change to trading standards. If enough people do so there's just a chance Epson may be challenged.

buglawton

Some crafty b***er will show everyone a way to roll back the driver.

debitcardmayhem

buglawton wrote: »

Some crafty b***er will show everyone a way to roll back the driver.

Ah but the best answer is not to install their bloatware in the first case perhaps

agrinnall

See for example https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4900900

Uxb

A._Badger wrote: »

Nonsense, The contract was made when the OP bought his machine. Epson is varying the T&C after the event. Report the change to trading standards. If enough people do so there's just a chance Epson may be challenged.

Nonsense
It may be that Epson DID say that only their ink cartridges are permitted in the user instruction notes, and this software update is merely a way of enforcing those terms.

kwikbreaks

Simplest answer is for those disagreeing with the policy to boycott Epson in future. I shall certainly never buy another Epson device despite my own not being one of those crippled in this way. When it breaks down the replacement will certainly not be made by Epson.

Those agreeing with the policy are free to pay higher prices per cc than vintage champagne and good luck to them.

A._Badger

Uxb wrote: »

Nonsense
It may be that Epson DID say that only their ink cartridges are permitted in the user instruction notes, and this software update is merely a way of enforcing those terms.

That us a 'may'. You haven't a scrap of evidence to support what you are saying or you would have posted it.