I bought a replacement printer ink cartridge today from Office Max. Its one of those $5 cheaper, refilled ones. Still, it costs $26!!!
So I change the cartridge in the printer, and what do I find in the new box? A prepaid, plastic bag/envelope to mail your old, empty cartridge back to the company.
It says, "Please be responsible and send us your empty cartridge so we can recycle and dispose of it properly." and "Help us save the environment".
What kind of BULL$HIT is that!!!
They act all high and mighty because they're "Helping the environment", but they turn around and sell our garbage back to us for an insane cost. It's 2 oz. of black ink. Why does it cost almost $30??!?!?!
I can get 1gb of flash memory on a jumpdrive for twenty bucks at circuit city. What is so amazing about ink for s $hitty printer.
That pisses me off......
(thanks for listening)
2006-10-16 14:20:33 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Computers & Internet ➔ Other - Computers
The environment is a cool thing to help protect. Staples offers a $3 kickback for returned empty cartridges right in the store. You see, they are making it easier for you to help out.
But let's get to the real issue. A cheap printer might work out just fine, but the cost of the ink cartridges is what is expensive. Consider Canon the next time. Their ink cartridges only hold INK and does not have an expensive electronic component (that needs recycling). These cartridges are about $13 each, instead of $30. The Color comes in 3 separate cartridges, so you only replace the EMPTY color. That means that you don't throw away the ink that has not gone dry yet. Canon printers will also RESUME printing if one goes dry in the middle of printing. Even if it pauses in the middle of a photograph. That saves time and hassles.
So don't try to save money when buying a printer... save the money on the cartridges that you use all the time.
2006-10-16 14:28:41 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'd have to point out that many stores will actually give you an incentive for taking your empty cartridge back - either a discount coupon (Staples), or something like a ream of paper (Office Depot??)... the deals change all the time, but the principle applies. Which gets your old, plastic, non-degradable cartridge out of the landfills.
Very few of the returned cartridges are actually suitable for "re-manufacturing", so the company bears the cost of specialised disposal of your environmentally-harmful waste for you.
The ones which can be reworked, have to be opened, cleaned, have all the seals and electronics replaced, then reassembled and filled.
So, basically, all that's re-used is a few bits of plastic. The rest is new... hence the word "re-manufacture".
And, since flash drives and ink cartridges have very little in common - one being durable, the other consumable - your last point escapes me...
2006-10-16 14:36:08 · answer #2 · answered by IanP 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I get all of my ink cartridges through e-bay... and they're CHEAP... and good - the quality of inks have to be made to a certain standard. I've never had a problem. They even have ink cleaning cartridges that I use before I put in a new cartridge - just to get all the junk out that's left in there by the old one. Been doing it for 10 years.....
2006-10-16 14:29:52 · answer #3 · answered by longhats 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yeah! You tell 'em! Plus, the cartridges when new are only half full!
So, I am running old laser printers, and I can load toner sooooo cheap...
BUT, there are new color laser printers under $200...
All of us are together in the fact that we will never buy a cheap, crappy, ink jet printer. Once burned, twice shy!
2006-10-16 14:27:41 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
So what are you going to do... throw your old cartridge in the bin and pollute the environment, rather than let someone refill it and sell it on?
Idiot.
2006-10-16 14:24:03 · answer #5 · answered by Goffik 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ignore it. The next time take the empty back to the store and get free paper. I use office depot and I get a free pack of computer paper. 500 sheet pack. If you take it to Staples you get 3.00 off for each return.
2006-10-16 14:23:42 · answer #6 · answered by Nana 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I defitnetly agree with you dude! That story and as a matter a fact If there were to vote for best story I would absoloutely positivly vote for you cause it was funny and crazy!
2006-10-16 14:24:32 · answer #7 · answered by Welcome! 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think you should take this to a lawyer, really, you have a case here, this stinks and you should do something about it, thank you for shouting it out, now you should shout this shitty company out
2006-10-16 14:29:51 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
HP even date codes their cartridge, so they expire..
2006-10-16 14:23:10 · answer #9 · answered by Gentle Dragon 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
that why ive stop printing ,just buy a external hardrive, mine for picture and video 500 gb, for printing walmart
2006-10-16 14:26:44 · answer #10 · answered by aqua 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋