Compatible Hp printers and cartridges. Is the ban on consumers trying to use cheaper, non-genuine cartridges for their printers justified? No. The technical reasons are often arbitrary and exploitative. What's more: in some cases the manufacturers illegally collect the data of individual consumers to justify the refusal to recognize the guarantees on printers that use non-original consumables even if these have not caused any damage. And again: both the information on any blocks and those on the changes over time of these blocks are insufficient and culpably concealed. With these reasons ours The Antitrust Authority has imposed fines for 10 million euros "for deceptive and aggressive practices" to the giant Hewlett-Packard (HP), the absolute protagonist of the printer market and beyond.
The problem is particularly felt by a multitude of consumers, penalized by the cost of consumables (paper, spare parts, but above all cartridges) which within a few months, even with a non-massive use of the printer, they far exceed the cost of the printer itself. A cost that is evidently not fully justified, if it is true that in the various online commerce circuits but also in many physical shops there are cartridges for both inkjet and laser printers with a reduced final price for the consumer up to a fifth or even more than the original product.
It must be said that alternative products do not always guarantee adequate quality: performance both in terms of print quality and in terms of protecting the integrity of the printer ranges from excellent to very bad, regardless of the guaranteed "discount". The fact is that on the market there are - as can be seen from the detailed text of the Antitrust provision - excellent solutions on the market for "alternative" products to the original ones.
Let's take an example, referring to one of the most popular models in homes and small offices of the brand that has just been sanctioned by the Antitrust. An original cartridge capable of printing 1000 pages can be found in large-scale distribution circuits at a price of around 65 euros, while an alternative product, in the 1800-page XL version, can be found on the Web for less than 10 euros by ordering at least three copies. Result: the cost of printing per page, referring in this case to the toner of a laser printer, is even reduced by 10 times.
It is important to be aware of what you are going to buy, starting from the family of the alternative cartridge we are targeting. The commercial chain of that manufacturer that brands the product is decisive. The Web provides us with good tools to verify the rating and the judgments assigned by customers for the various families into which alternative products are divided: remanufactured cartridges can be excellent (the originals refilled with ink or toner by replacing any worn mechanical components) , but also those totally "cloned" from the original ones, which may actually have some problems with the commercial protection of patents and construction and marketing rights. Some if anything, attention should be paid to apparently original cartridges at a super discounted price, which can be counterfeit and therefore less reliable than reloaded or "manifest clones". In any case, pay attention to the guarantee, which must provide a simple reliable return procedure even if the cartridge is still not recognized by the printer firmware.
