HP forced to withdraw misleading ad

Kyocera complaint forces HP to withdraw misleading advertising

HP agrees to amend adverts following Advertising Standards Authority investigation.

Kyocera has succeeded in its campaign to stop HP from making misleading claims in advertising relating to the HP Colour LaserJet CP3505 printer. Kyocera lodged an official complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) when advertising appeared in trade magazines CRN and Microscope claiming that customers buying the HP Colour LaserJet CP3505 printer would only have to replace toner throughout the printer’s life “And nothing else.” The advert went on to state that “No drum, maintenance, fuser, cleaning or transfer kits” were required. 

Kyocera challenged these claims on the basis that HP toner cartridges, which must be replaced each time the toner runs out, contain drums which are therefore also replaced regularly.

In concluding its investigation, the ASA made the following statement: 

Kyocera’s General Manager Ian Joslin commented on the adjudication: “We’re delighted that HP has acknowledged that its ads were misleading and volunteered to amend them. People tend to believe the claims of blue-chip brands without question and there’s already enough uncertainty around the ongoing costs of running laser printers; it’s not helpful for HP to add to it by making claims which cannot be substantiated. We’re firmly committed to making it easier for printer users to compare the relative costs of using different printers so we felt compelled to challenge the validity of HP’s claims.