The Difference Between Counterfeit And Remanufactured Ink Cartridges

2010-01-15

When it comes to purchasing printer ink cartridges, we all know how expensive it can be. The high cost of ink has led many consumers to seek out cheaper options to buying manufacturer cartridges. The growing trend is to purchase refilled or remanufactured ink cartridges. However, there are some companies out their looking to sell counterfeit cartridges to unsuspecting consumers. So, it's important for everyone looking to buy remanufactured ink cartridges to know how to tell the difference between those and counterfeit cartridges. Some big differences make it easy to tell which is which - as long as you know what you're looking for.

Refilled or remanufactured ink cartridges are not fraudulent if they are packaged and presented as what they are and the consumer is made aware that the product may not perform as well as the genuine item. Office stores offer refilling of empty cartridges. However, we as customers need to realize that the quality when refilled may be under that of manufacturer cartridges that cost much more. Most remanufactured cartridges make sure to indicate that they are such, but usually perform up to high standards.

Counterfeit cartridges, on the other hand, are made and packaged in an attempt to look identical to genuine manufacturer printer ink. Not only so they usually print poorly, but some use fake inks that can leak, blot and may actually cause permanent damage your printer. Remember that the fake inks dry much quicker than the genuine inks, may fail quickly, and can end up costing you more money in the long run. Needless to say, damage to the printer isn't worth the risk of using poor quality cartridges instead of investing in the original and genuine ones from the company itself. The largest number of counterfeit ink suppliers seem to be in the Asian and Latin American countries, however, that doesn't mean they don't exist here in the U.S.

How can we tell the difference in what we are buying? If a genuine cartridge is new, the packaging will be unopened and won't have flaws in the design. Additionally, the security label will be intact, the print quality will be consistent and there will be no excess toner ink on the cartridge. If you are looking for a way to avoid buying a counterfeit, you buy only from authorized manufacturers. These manufacturers take a strong stance on protecting their products. In fact, HP has an actual counterfeit intelligence team whose investigators work on six continents to identify counterfeiters.

There is not harm in trying to save money by buying remanufactured ink cartridges. Just be aware of the risks you take if you start seeking out cheap cartridges claiming to be name-brand products.