Refilling Ink

[hpsucks]

I choose not to get ripped off, so I refill my ink cartridge. Why should we put up with a "nag screen" telling us we are voiding our warranty  if non hp ink is used?

Any way to get rid of this? I will NEVER support/buy hp again. It's the worst printer ever. Mine loves to jam, and put dog ears on the sheets it does  print, even since new.

[cstone]

{sorry, I can't figure out how to link back to the ORIGINAL conversion, that I'm receiving emailed replies... seems they are making this more difficult than necessary???}

Yep, As a matter of fact, this NEW printer is the 3rd I've had to buy in 3 years due to changing drivers, Vista, etc.  The other 2 were also HP & still in perfect working condition-- actually worked BETTER & used much much less ink. Now, I see that "Nucote" makes cheaper replacement cartridges for EVERY other model of HP printer/scanners, EXCEPT mine & newer!  When store talked me into buying this one [HP photosmart 4240]--- Wal-Mart & similar stores sold the cartridges at reduced prices & combo deals  & larger amounts AND most carried the XL=extra fill [~15 mL] ones as well.

 NOW-- they "no longer are supplied these from HP" & HP raised the prices considerably since I was convinced to buy this 1 that I would NOT have otherwise wanted! [all they sell now contain just 4 mL & 3.5 mL ink each] vs. the "off-brands" that contain 13-15 mL each!

I also see that "Lexmark" has a new "reuse-recycle" program, where you buy remanufactured ones from them IF you send in old ones, etc [couldn't read whole details without buying it].... HP answered my question about what was done with all those recyclable cartridges I have faithfully sent back to them, with: a link to 1 of their websites, where it EVENTUALLY explains that returned items ARE reprocessed by completely "shredding" them & make into "other products"... which may, as they claim, reduce overall greenhouse emissions, etc...however, it does NOT help those of us that have to keep buying more & more inefficient  & smaller ink amount cartridges from them!

I'll likely be looking at other brands of printers next time, due these hassles! I may also try the suggestion of Walgreens.... I am told that one can take them ANY kind of cartridge and they will refill them for $3-$5 {HP included]. Has anyone tried this??

From: Community Mailer

Sent: Thursday, January 08, 2009 04:57 PM

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Subscription to thread: ink levels (1 Message)Subject:  Re: ink levels Author: tims (Visitor) Date: 01-08-2009 04:57 PM

I don't know if this relates or not but I have a Deskjet 5550 that I bought new about 3 years ago, perhaps a little less.  When I did a clean install of Vista I lost the ink level information I had with XP.  HP support acknowledges that the company made a decision for my printer (and I'm sure many others) not to write new drivers for Vista and that the generic Vista drivers don't provide the ink level information.

Initial Support response (last night, 1-7-09):

, in response to youre mail I would like to inform you that it requires full feature driver to show ink level and other features. Since your present operating system is Vista andI regret to inform you that for Vista there is no full feature driver available. Therefore you will not be able see the dialog box to check the inklevel. 

Follow-up Support email (this morning, 1-8-09):

I deeply regret the inconvinience caused however with your kind permission Ias an representative of the HP tech support would like to explain few points so as to regain your trust in HP. Please understand that with time Microsoft had continuously upgraded their Operating Systems from Windows 95 to 98 to ME,2000,XP and now Vista thus marking the older versions as obsolete. We do have to purchase the new Operating System as the old one is categorized as discontinued or obsolete. Unless the older Operating System is discontinued the new Operating System cannot be sold. With each new Operating System we have somenew feature or capability than the older ones. This is how any company would operate to sell there new product. This is technology.

Considering the above mentioned fact our printers has operated with all theversions of Windows starting from Windows 95 to Windows XP. However thesituation changed as Vista is a new set of codes which has compelled ourresearch and developement team to take a new approach altogether. 

My rant in response (made me feel better even if it didn't accomplish anything else):

There is no need for a call back.  I get it.  You made a strategic decision not to provide updated drivers for some (many? most?) consumer printers including those that were still in the stores when Vistashipped, even though you knew ? or should have known - that they would bepartially obsolesced with the new OS and you had access to the necessary information from Microsoft several years earlier during Longhorn development.  Basically, it looks to me like:  unsophisticated consumers x low cost printers x cost of writing new drivers = let them eat cake.  (And maybe even sell more cartridges in the meantime since they?ll always have to have 1 or 2 spares on hand, even though they might replace theprinter before they ever use them.  Win-Win for HP, in a masterful Gillette-razor-esque kind of way.)
 
I?ve been using HP printers at home and in the work place for almost as long as you?ve been making them. I believe they are the best printers available for both consumer and enterprise use.  However, getting burned on this one by being forced to replace it during its still productive lifespan if I?m to have full functionality sorely wounds my HP enthusiasm.  Windows7 goes to wide beta tomorrow.  Will my next HP printer also be obsolesced because of your disrespect for consumers? 

I got another reply but it didn't add anything new and didn't address my (sort of) rhetorical question about Win7. The support people did add, though, that they're just employees, have no control over corporate policies, and are "in the same shoe" as I am.  I guess I can give the people on the firing line a little slack for that.  Of course, I knew I was shooting the messenger anyway, but I always try to make clear that I'm aware of it and they shouldn't take it personally.

[joserval09]

I did go to Walgreens for their recycled ink cartridges....they must have a droplet of ink in them because they do not last at all!!!   HP ink cartridges are waaaay too costly for me anymore - I am switching to Kodak!!!