Which? discussed OEM opposition to consumers using cartridges made by third parties.
Which? reported that consumers can save 80 percent when they buy remanufactured cartridges instead of those from the OEMs, but that the big brands try to discourage this by “actively trying to dissuade” customers from going elsewhere for their printer ink.
The article specifically pointed out the 2016 HP Inc firmware update that caused the rejection of “non-official HP chipped ink cartridges” which caused an outcry from consumers and an apology from HP Inc, which said that it was protecting its “intellectual property”. but the OEM did later issue a “fix” for the problem. and now the OfficeJet printers accept third-party inks.
Although HP Inc is no longer blocking other cartridges, the article claimed that it found the OEM “bombards the user with error and warning messages about using non-genuine inks”, and messages keep popping up such as: ‘Non-HP ink cartridges installed. HP cannot guarantee the quality or reliability of non-HP supplies. Printer service or repairs required as a result of using a non-HP supply will not be covered under warranty’.
Similarly, Which? has had “complaints about Epson printers and third-party ink”, and said that the OEM’s Expression Premium XP-630 warned against using non-OEM ink but did accept the cartridges, and when asked, Epson told Which? that it could not “comment on how its software updates”, or how it “might affect third-party suppliers now or in the future”.
Epson also commented that: “There is a large market in non-genuine inks for Epson printers, which has remained pretty consistent over time. Epson would always recommend and can only guarantee the use of genuine Epson inks in its printers. Epson does not test or approve any non-genuine inks and cannot guarantee their quality or design.”
However, the article advises that consumers should not be put off by warnings, and that despite understanding that brands want customers to use their ink and paper, “excessive and heavy-handed warnings” are probably a “step too far”. The consumer advisory magazine encouraged consumers to shop around, as there are “big savings” to be made, and “third-party inks can be significantly cheaper, and most sellers will offer a refund or replacement if you do encounter any problems”.