European Print Cartridge Problem

[spg]

Hi Garen T.  (Stephanie Germain here.)

I posted my problem here back on December 16th, and have been trying to use up my French 363 cartridges in the meantime before contacting HP customer service and requesting the codes to change my  HP Photosmart C5180 over to the American 02 ink cartridges.  

I have to say that I find the issue very maddening as I read the other posts regarding the post-warranty fees, the runaround at customer service, etc...knowing that although I'm currently living here in Venezuela, buying cartridges in the States - as they are not available here, I will most likely be moving back to France in about 18 months, hence the problem will resurface.  

I wish I had known about this issue before I bought the 80$ worth of cartridges in the States (and spent literally hours chasing down a solution).  I could have saved myself the hassle and just ordered them in Europe.  Now I'm out the money and HP is going to ask me for a fee for the codes necessary to use the cartridges their own website recommended I buy? 

I would love an easier solution - as in dezoning the machine as is now possible for DVD players.  Further, I would recommend that the company change their cartridge refill pop-up wording to warn customers as to this glitch when replacing cartridges.  A "no travel" warning on the product description would be appropriate as well...

Good luck and thanks for reading this. 

Stephanie Germain 

[ukadamwest]

GarenT

I hope you can help me as well, I have a 7410xi that I purchased when i used to live in the US.  In the past I purchased 96/97 cartridges from high street retailers though now i can only purchase 339 and 343 cartridges in the UK.  The 339 and 343 cartridges show as incompatible with the printer and i just spent one hundred pounds on new cartridges from PC world which will not work so would like to change the region to the UK.

[HPranger]

Found an/the answer on 

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/fastFaqLiteDocument?lc=fi&cc=fi&product=12019&dlc=fi&docname=c00060793

For me the power cord unplug, #3 and power cord back in did a partial reset allowing me to choose a new region. All without voice support or chat.  

[Bob_Headrick]

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HPranger wrote:

Found an/the answer on 

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/fastFaqLiteDocument?lc=fi&cc=fi&product=12019&dlc=fi&docname=c00060793

For me the power cord unplug, #3 and power cord back in did a partial reset allowing me to choose a new region. All without voice support or chat.  

---

Which printer model?  I believe it is easy to change the regionalization for telephone protocol and languages, the cartridge regionalization is a different matter.

Regards,
Bob Headrick, Microsoft MVP Printing/Imaging

Message Edited by Bob_Headrick on 06-04-2009 08:40 AM

[HPranger]

Bob,

I'm absolutely right! A assumed that the new (US) cartridge was already in hence the smooth partial reset. However, turned out that the Euro ink was still in it. After putting the part 94 cartridge in my 7210 all-in-one, the reset did NOT work and got stuck with error '94 not compatible with this printer'......

Too bad, HP chat center gave me 1-800-474-6836 to have further support. Will call them soon.

To be continued. 

[HPranger]

I'm sorry Bob, I meant to write YOU are right.....

[AnneHolland]

Hello Bob,

first of all: thanks for taking responsibility for this problem. I hope they solve this problem at xx.

I must say it took me at least 5 hours and 3 visits to the store to buy another cartridge and 75 euros before I found this page. Very annoying.

Could you please give me the instructions?  

thanks,

Anne

[DexterM]

If you need to change the regionalization for your printer, then you need to call HP Tech Support in the country that you're residing in right now. Make sure you have a set of the old and new cartridges, and access to a computer to which the printer is connected to.

[meharris]

Same problem here. Customer service ignored all my requests for regionalization reset (I have a UK C5280 and have moved to the US) and took me through the old hold OK+? routine.

After a print self test, they told me my firmware was corrupted and tried to sell me a new printer. Extremely unimpressed. The diagnostic menu seems to work fine, it works fine with my (virtually dead) UK cartridges installed.

Semi-full and partial resets allow me to change the country preferences but not the region code. It is pretty ridiculous. Scratch that - region coding ink is insulting, time-wasting and alienates the very customers you would think HP might be trying to attract. All for the sake of charging more for the same ink in different regions. Shame on you.

All I want to do is reset my printer to region 2 (USA) or the US cartridges I have just bought to region 4 (Europe). I have my full (3) resets remaining, and all 50 reset attempts. How hard can this be? Anyone? Or shall I just bin my HP and go back to Lexmark?

[spg]

Hi MeHarris,

Me too.  I have been stuck  for over a year with the 2 full sets of US-02 ink cartridges ( that maddeningly enough - HP site recommended I buy  after it had automatically consulted with my machine!) incompatible with my French-bought printer.  

I am giving up on trying to change my region codes as life is short and we'll be moving back to Europe within the year, but rather looking for someone to trade my brand new US cartridges for the European ones.  (anyone interested?)

In the meantime, I have dusted off my old HP Deskjet 5550, bought in 2002,  I can buy compatible ink cartridges in any country.  What a revolutionary idea!  Maybe someone should pass it on to HP marketing?