Compatible Printer Inks

granddadsalmon

How can we tackle the unfair cost of branded printer inks. Epson have software that precludes me using compatible inks at half the price of their branded inks. Software notifies the owner that inks installed are not Epsons and the software stops the printer working. This to me stops me having the choice of which inks I can buy and use forcing me to pay £80+ for 3 xl inks instead of £40+from The Cartridge People if I want to use my printer. The Epson inks cost more than I paid for the printer. Surely this is against my consumer rights and choice what can we do to stop this practice?

davidmcn

granddadsalmon said:

Surely this is against my consumer rights?

Which particular consumer right do you think it breaches?

Aylesbury_Duck

granddadsalmon said:

How can we tackle the unfair cost of branded printer inks. Epson have software that precludes me using compatible inks at half the price of their branded inks. Software notifies the owner that inks installed are not Epsons and the software stops the printer working. This to me stops me having the choice of which inks I can buy and use forcing me to pay £80+ for 3 xl inks instead of £40+from The Cartridge People if I want to use my printer. The Epson inks cost more than I paid for the printer. Surely this is against my consumer rights and choice what can we do to stop this practice?

There's no infringement of your consumer rights here, unless Epson or the retailer you bought the printer from promised compatibility with non Epson ink cartridges.  I'm afraid this is down to due diligence before purchase.  Generally, cheaper printers end up costing a lot more in ink, as you have discovered.  Better to choose a printer that accepts a range of ink cartridge makes, even though it will probably cost more to start with.  It's no different to the Gillette business model - sell the initial razor and a couple of blades as a loss-leader, sometimes even giving them away, but then you're locked in to Gillette replacement blades.

George_Michael

You stated that buying a set of Epson inks would cost more than you paid for the printer itself and there is a very simple explanation for this.
Epson are probably selling the printer at or possibly even below the manufacturing cost knowing that they will recoup their money from the sales of ink cartridges.
If they were to allow the use of far cheaper independent inks, all that would happen is that the initial selling price of the printers would be considerably higher.
https://www.economicshelp.org/blog/118/markets/why-is-printer-ink-so-expensive/

JJ_Egan

Compatibles work just fine on my Epson printer .

Could just be poor compatible inks you are using .

Sandtree

granddadsalmon said:

How can we tackle the unfair cost of branded printer inks. Epson have software that precludes me using compatible inks at half the price of their branded inks. Software notifies the owner that inks installed are not Epsons and the software stops the printer working. This to me stops me having the choice of which inks I can buy and use forcing me to pay £80+ for 3 xl inks instead of £40+from The Cartridge People if I want to use my printer. The Epson inks cost more than I paid for the printer. Surely this is against my consumer rights and choice what can we do to stop this practice?

There is no statutory requirement for allowing third parties to make consumables.

Others have already pointed out the economics of the business model, sell the printer at a loss in exchange for future revenue on the consumables. 

This is a long term game of cat and mouse though as each new printer comes with new features and the third party ink makers then reverse engineer the technology and a few months later. I am surprised that they'd have been fully outsmarted, my Epson printer is a few years old now but have often used 3rd party ink in it and all the ones before. Took a while to find one that worked and colour reproduction was good enough and then just stuck with it. 

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Printer ink is a con, particularly colour cartridges that refuse to print if only one is empty and use up a small bit of colour each time you print in black, best to buy a different brand of printer if Epson are refusing "compatible" carts. 

If you've purchased carts that are stated as compatible with your printer and they aren't then you have recourse against the retailer. 

CardinalWolsey

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

Printer ink is a con, particularly colour cartridges that refuse to print if only one is empty and use up a small bit of colour each time you print in black, best to buy a different brand of printer if Epson are refusing "compatible" carts. 

If you've purchased carts that are stated as compatible with your printer and they aren't then you have recourse against the retailer. 

My Epson uses compatibles without a problem. It is also a printer that takes separate CMYK inks, so one low colour doesn't stop me printing. In fact, I have just this minute ordered a set of 2 x CMY (6 cartridges) and 4 x XL Black for £24. I think that's great value.

Sandtree

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

Printer ink is a con, particularly colour cartridges that refuse to print if only one is empty and use up a small bit of colour each time you print in black, best to buy a different brand of printer if Epson are refusing "compatible" carts. 

"Four colour black" is normally a setting in the printer options if you want to just use the black (which they will argue it wont be as dark/intense as four colour black).

Most, if not all, brands try to block third party inks because the business model is cheap printer and expensive ink. Some are just more successful than others... though normally in time the far east companies crack it and can get their inks working in Epson and other brands.

JJ_Egan

Not working is that due to non chipped cartridges i wonder .

MattMattMattUK

I wonder if these are not actually compatible, but cheap knock offs, as JJ mentions above compatible ink cartridges still require a chip to interface. Personally my printer is an Epson Eco-tank, no cartridges, no chips, just ink in a bottle that you squirt in the tank and you can buy whatever ink you want (even a different colour if you choose).