OT: The Cost of Ink Rant

[liw48]

Like many, I need ink to print out postage and invoices.  I am absolutely appalled at the cost of ink cartridges for HP printers.  I'm appalled at how the ink cartel just hikes prices and we the consumers are left with no recourse.  Last year I was buying HP black ink for 16.99, then in the fall it went to 17.99, and this year it's 18.99 at the RETAIL office store.  If you go outside the office store, it's $21-25.  Then I go on EB to buy the ink either generic or OEM, and it's just ridiculously high.

 I'm starting to think there must be a shortage on plastic or oil (ingred to make ink) or maybe these ink OEMs are in cahoots with each other to keep the cost ridicously high. 

If I could, I would - fill my own, but the times I tried, it was a mess.  I'm going to have to go overseas to the Chinese to start ordering ink.

That's my rant for the day.

[lintbrush*]

I am so happy my inkjet bit the dust awhile ago.  I got a laser instead.  Toner is much cheaper in the long run.

[chrysylys]

You know who's running HP now, right?

I stopped buying HP products new.  I may on occassion buy useds HP products, but I try to avoid them.

Last HP printer and I had a disagreement.  It's not sitting at an odd angle in the corne minus a few bits and pieces.

I now have a Canon, but I haven't lookled at ink prices for it yet.

[*coins]

That's why I buy my ink on eBay!

[ittybitnot]

When  my last printer took a dump.......I went and bought a new one.  Often times buyiing a whole new machine is cheaper than buying ink.....Went and researched the cost for INK for the said prospective purchase, and chose the one with the "cheaper" refills.    

You can buy a priinter for $30, and the ink costs $30+ per hit even if you only use BLACK......

Welcome to America, welcome to ebay.   

[tunicaslot]

The cost for Canon are up there too as I just had to buy one - I pd $19 for the printer - the black cartridge I just replaced was $25 + tax. I found a generic here for $20 that didn't get here quick enough so at least I have a spare.

With the HP - I was at least able to fill my own cartridges which saved money although I wasted a lot of time getting the printer to accept them.

I tried to refill the Canon cartridge - didn't look hard at all - after an hour of digging out the plug - which I didn't get completely dug out and 5 days of black hands - because I thought it was going to be easy like filling the HP cartridges - I've decided to sell the refill ink at a garage sale and spend money on real cartridges as much as I hate to do so. People look at you real funny when your hands are stained black.

[liw48]

Who owns HP; I thought it was the same company Hewlett Packard?

[liw48]

---

@kudo_king wrote:

That's why I buy my ink on eBay!

---

You didn't read my message.  Ink is high on EBAY too, whether it's generic or OEM.  But I would prefer OEM because the generic is try and error.

[vintageista]

 I just purchased a new 3755 printer from HP here on eBay for $46 w/free shipping to replace my old HP ink-gussling printer.  This new printer automatically orders the ink for you when low and comes with 2 ink (black & color) cartriges and your 1st 3 from the auto-order are FREE!  I was buying my old printer's ink from Walmart and yes, it has risen 3X in price in the last year...the last one I purchased cost $17.99. I Figured 4 free cartridges (black ink for printing ship labels would be about $72, so it was like getting the printer for free + ...and the newer cartridges are cheaper than then older ones were when auto-ordered.  You might want to look into to it.  I got mine from Best Buy!

Also, I do not print packing slips, mostly get thrown away anyway, saves on ink!  I sell about 120-130 items a month and have to buy a new cartridge every month every month just for shipping labels.

K-MART also sells recycled HP cartridges which are cheaper, but are often out, at least at the stores nearest me, so not very reliable.

[chrysylys]

Check into who the CEO is.  You'll understand why the company is so screwed up.

[haute_again]

@liw48  you only need the ink. It doesn't matter what kind of cartrige it has or if there is a set number of prints you are allowed.  You poke a hole in it after peeling the sticker back, stick the syringe in. refull your old cartrige, put the sticker back in place and you're good to go.  

Just do it on a rag and wear gloves because the ink will get under your nails the first few tries.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p3984.m570.l1313.TR12.TRC2.A0.H0.Xink+refill.TRS0&_...

[haute_again]

I should have posted lowest to high.  It doesn't matter what brand the ink is.  Ink is ink.

[mr_lincoln]

@liw48  EXCELLENT RANT ... you pegged the Rant Meter with that one!  What irked me years ago was the big push for clients to go paperless ... meaning instead of companies sending you the monthly bill or statement YOU had to print it out yourself if you wanted or needed a hard copy ... thus passing the COST on to the consumer!  Saw that one coming from a mile and a half away.

[llllady]

I have a great source for generic ink. They put new chips in. Have been using them several years, and have never had a bad cartridge. Along with my laser, I currently have an HP Officejet Pro 8100.  Just purchased 4 color cartridges (2 cyan, 1 yellow, 1 magenta).  After using the coupon, which included a discount and free shipping (they send them every so often, but they don't bury you with spam), the total cost was $30.69.

I can't post the company here, but if anyone is interested in finding out who they are, you know how todo it.  😉

@liw48 - You can just check your messages...

[haute_again]

This is what you are looking for.