Printer Warrantees And Using Remanufactured Ink Cartridges

2010-01-22

Using a remanufactured printer ink cartridge may provide a lower initial cost, but can cost a consumer far more in the long run. Remanufactured cartridges, which are either refilled original ink cartridges or replacements which have been created to match Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) specifications, often appear to be a far cheaper way of replacing an empty ink cartridge.

The problem arises if and when the printer suffers a malfunction, whether or not that malfunction was as a result of the use of a remanufactured cartridge. Printer manufacturers such as Dell, Xerox, and Hewlett Packard will offer a warranty on any printer they sell, typically for a period of one year. Included in that warranty will be the terms under which they will actually fix the printer if it suffers a malfunction. One exemption includes willful vandalism on the part of the owner. One other provision common to such warranties and taken directly from the Xerox warranty web page for the PE120 WorkCenter is that the company will not be obligated "to repair damage, malfunction, or degradation of performance caused by the use of non-Xerox supplies or consumables".

This means that if the consumer, upon finding the ink cartridge, or "consumable", has run dry, either has it refilled or buys a remanufactured version intended to work with a Xerox printer, and the printer then malfunctions, Xerox may not be obligated to fix it even if it is under warranty. Even if the problem does not exist in an area the ink cartridge could affect, it is still possible that the company will be able to make the case that the refurbished cartridge is in fact the source of, or has contributed to, the failure of the printer. In other words, be cautious when selecting a replacement printer ink cartridge and know details of the printer warranty.

Often, companies which produce these after-market ink cartridges will guarantee that they will either work flawlessly with the printer, or that the manufacturer will have no problem honoring the warranty if a failure occurs, since their product so closely matches the manufacturer's specifications. Be leery of this. The after market company is not the original manufacturer and has no say over how the warranty is implemented. These are merely words and empty assurances and are largely unnecessary so long as the cartridge and printer function. If simply the cartridge fails, most after market suppliers will replace it, but if the printer fails they will be of less help. While the initial cost of their refurbished cartridges can be significantly less than their official counterparts, the time and money invested in fixing a printer which should have been under warranty can be far greater.