HP just disabled printers from using compatibles

shoi

for example http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-37408173
In essence they had a time bomb built into their printers which detonated on Sep 18, and now if your printer has compatible cartidges it will no longer print and instead you will get an message saying the cartridge is damaged (a lie!).
They have promised not to do this from since 2012 http://www.eurovaprint.eu/fileadmin/eurovaprint_files/pdfs/Lot4_VA-version_4.pdf 4.4 For all products placed on the market after 1 January 2012:
4.4.1 Any cartridge produced by or recommended by the OEM for use in the product shall not be designed to prevent its reuse and recycling.
4.4.2 The machine shall not be designed to prevent the use of a non-OEM cartridge

Does anyone know if there is anything practical one can do apart from scrapping the printer and going to a more honest brand (Brother supposedly). Oh and warning everyone not to buy HP

interstellaflyer

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5528827

It only affects Officejet machines that take 950/951 and 934/935 cartridges as far as we know

interstellaflyer

shoi wrote: »

Does anyone know if there is anything practical one can do apart from scrapping the printer and going to a more honest brand (Brother supposedly). Oh and warning everyone not to buy HP

Brother have started sending out firmware updates that disable machines from using compats but they are not as sneaky (so far) as this time bomb update from HP, generally with Brother a new generation chip becomes available quite quickly to fool the update.

Hellybob

It was a bit of a phaff but I have just rolled back my firmware on my 8620 and I am printing again now.

Marktheshark

They make disposable printers, including the £350 laser printers that they refuse to update drivers for past xp.

interstellaflyer

Marktheshark wrote: »

They make disposable printers, including the £350 laser printers that they refuse to update drivers for past xp.

I'm guessing the £350 printer they won't update drivers for was old when XP came out, I have next to me in the office an old Laserjet 1320 which works fine on Windows 10 and at home I have an old Laserjet P2015n that works on Windows 10.

agrinnall

Practical solutions:

1) Buy HP cartridges
2) Refill your original HP cartridges

The document you refer to is a voluntary agreement, which presumably HP have now decided to withdraw from.

[Deleted User]

My HP inkjet printer has refused to print for almost a week - and now I know why. Unbelievably sneaky tactics! It's an old printer anyway that I was planning to replace, so I can print photos (and also I want a printer that has separate cartridges for each colour) but I won't be buying another HP. Let's hope other companies don't decide to try something similar.

Big_Graeme

interstellaflyer wrote: »

I'm guessing the £350 printer they won't update drivers for was old when XP came out, I have next to me in the office an old Laserjet 1320 which works fine on Windows 10 and at home I have an old Laserjet P2015n that works on Windows 10.

Not seen a HP laser that old that won't use a good old fashioned Postscript driver.

interstellaflyer

Corona wrote: »

My HP inkjet printer has refused to print for almost a week - and now I know why. Unbelievably sneaky tactics! It's an old printer anyway that I was planning to replace, so I can print photos (and also I want a printer that has separate cartridges for each colour) but I won't be buying another HP. Let's hope other companies don't decide to try something similar.

As you suggest your printer is old and from what your post implies takes 2 cartridges (black and tri-color) it is highly unlikely that your problem is due to a firmware update, the machines affected by this update are current models in the Officejet range taking 950/951 and 934/935 cartridges which are one cartridge per color systems.

There are issues with other brands at the moment, Epson machines that take T29 series (Strawberry) cartridges that were manufactured after February this year all had updated firmware which rejects compatible cartridges, these printers are the entry level domestic range also there are issues with some machines that take the T33 (Orange) cartridges. Brother installed updated firmware in machines manufactured after January this year and a further online update, compatibles for those machines are currently on V3 of the chip, those updates cover all their current range so machines taking 221, 223, 225, 227, 229 cartridges. Current Canon machines are so far problem free so for individual cartidges you are looking for machines that take 570/571 cartridges or if you are lucky enough to still be able to get one, a machine that takes 550/551 cartridges.

ARandomMiser

I guess one solution would be to stop selling the printers at knock down, highly discounted, loss making prices. Double/Triple the base price of the printer (i.e. charge full market value) and then let consumers use whichever cartridge they like. The problem is the consumer will still go for the cheapest item they can find and those printers will not sell.

Alternatively they could say warranty is only valid if genuine cartridges are used and let the consumer make the choice as to what is more important to them. However that may be against the users statutory rights.