Fredy Gass talks to Swiss TV channel SRF about OEM attempts to prevent refilling and to limit the amount of ink in cartridges, causing website views to increase.
CEO of inkjet refill machine manufacturer CBR Fredy Gass has spoken to The Recycler of his recent TV appearance on Swiss TV channel Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) and his surprise at the response received on his website, www.thinkshop.ch, which saw a dramatic increase in views during his the show.
“There was immediate interest from people for products!” Gass said. “It was amazing to see the jump from an average of 100 views to thousands! People are starting to recognise the issue of how expensive OEM brands are – in Switzerland the aftermarket doesn’t even have a 10 percent share of the market. OEMs are not allowing retailers to have compatible supplies.”
During his TV appearance, Gass spoke on the tactics of many OEMs to limit the amount of ink in their cartridges in order to force customers to buy new supplies quicker, noting that some HP ink cartridges even contain an expiration date, with ink being unusable once the date is passed, no matter how much ink is left in the cartridges; and highlighting the issue of starter cartridge provided in new OEM printers that contain only a fraction of the amount of ink in a normal cartridge, some being not even half full.
He also mentioned ways in which OEMs are attempting to prevent their cartridges from being refilled, for example by manufacturing the inside of an ink cartridge “like a maze” and with a “double wall”, making it impossible to refill.
Gass added that his experience shows that the media can be used to a company’s advantage, noting that “if you are positive on TV, you will get rewards”.
The show, titled “die fiesen tricks der drucker hersteller”, can be viewed on the SRF’s website.