do i have to buy color ink cartridges? HP Officejet Pro 8600 Plus Windows XP

[MAM17]

I found out today - the middle of a busy work day - that even though I just replaced two ink cartridges, my HP 8600 printer will not print using only black ink.

I'm not sure how HP sleeps at night, but I feel it is my responsibility to tell as many people as possible never to buy an HP printer - or any HP product because  you never know what else they have lied and mislead customers about.

At this point, I have spent half the cost of the printer on ink and it will not print.

Today, it is as much about being a complete inconvenience as it is about being a dirty little trick you only find out about when its too late.

I can only imagine the college students with papers due, as well as business professionals who have a presentation first thing in the morning.

HP, a word of advice.. these are not the people you want to piss off. These would be the people who keep you in business.

Every unhappy customer tells, on average, 25 people.

I plan to start talking today.  

[pcwizard]

Yes, you will need to replace the color cartridges in order to continue printing. Below is a good explanation of the print mechanism designs, and what is required in order to keep them in good working condition. Your printer falls under the user replaceable printhead. With this printer there are ink lines which need to stay filled with ink this way the print head doesn't get clogged jets in turn causing poor print quality issues.

Note written by Bob_Headrick on thread: http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Other-Printing-Questions/Officejet-8500-won-t-print-Black-ink-only-if-o...

HP, like other printer manufacturers, offers printers with permanent printheads that require ink for all the colors to keep from damaging the printheads.  HP, like some other manufacturers, also offers printers with user replaceable printheads.  These may of may not require ink in all colors to print, although damage may occur if printing with empty cartridge.  Finally, HP like a few other manufacturers also offers printers with the printhead built into the ink supply.  It is replaced at each cartridge change.  These printers will happily print with a supply low, empty or for many models even removed completely.

When you buy your next printer (from HP or another manufacturer) make sure you understand what the printer type is and pick one that matches your needs.

[RKHX]

Thats an egineering flaw, that you need to have color ink, in order to print black only.  There is no excuse for this, you can give us the mumo jumbo about clogged prtinheads and tubes etc..

I've owned bubblejet / inkjet printers since they came out and you could continue to print even if color ink was out.

If you are tired of seeing people complain, then here is a simple solution for you.

Put a sticker on the printer that says   "This printer requires that all 4 ink cartridges have ink in them in order to print, even when printing black only"

[MAM17]

I am happy to buy a printer that "matches my needs" from another manufacturer.

I was unaware that this printer did not "match my needs" because there is no disclosure of the highway robbery that is coming until you have bought and are using the printer.

If I had known the scam that was going to take place, of course I never would have purchased this printer as it would not have "matched my needs."

Instead of putting the fault back on the customer for picking the wrong printer that did not disclose its faults (as I'm sure no one would buy it if it had), how about taking responsibility for misleading your customers and just say - it was wrong - we are sorry - here is a way to over ride  the problem - or HERE IS YOUR MONEY BACK.

Telling me I bought the wrong printer...Really? That's a blinding glimpse.

[sysfx]

When you buy your next printer (from HP or another manufacturer) make sure you understand what the printer type is and pick one that matches your needs.

---

I respectfully disagree. HP can and should...

a) build an adequate printer and

b) describe it properly.

In either case HP would have retained its reputation and my confidence.

About item a), this printer has ink level sensors, so it takes but a few lines of code to deactivate the printhead(s) when dry. If the printhead(s) cannot stay dry, make them of a different material, provide an oiled protective tape to stick over them or whatever.  if I can think of two easy solutions, your specialists should be able to do a lot better. If they cannot, then why should I buy anything designed by incompetents?

About item b), your failure to disclose the real requirements and constraints of the product may be illegal, but I wouldn't know without a lawyer and, as someone already posted, it is a lot easier to move on and learn from the experience.

Why am I disappointed?

Hewlett Packard was my favorite brand since high school, when we all dreamed of a HP25 or 25C, the calculator that replaced the slide rule. Later, in college, the instruction manual for the HP41C was the masterpiece that taught me how to write instruction manuals. And the HP inkjets were a great improvement over the noisy dot matrix printers.

Today all this expertise and reputation is used for what? Make purposely degraded printers, delivered with nearly empty "setup" cartridges, in order to sell overpriced ink to angry customers?  Who would trust a company that does business this way?

Good luck with your new customers. 

Luiz S. - civil engineer, etc.

User/owner of HP products since 1975

[pcwizard]

Hi Everyone,

Below is information pulled directly from Page 237 of the User manual which i have attached below.

HP Officejet Pro 8600 User Guide

[sysfx]

"Below is information pulled directly from Page 237 of the User manual which i have attached below."

Your post implies that customers must study all details of the user manual before they buy a product, least they are fooled by the manufacturer.

Once again, I disagree.

Any data necessary to calculate the actual cost/page and the operational requirements should be clearly stated in the specifications shortlist, not implicit on a text hidden on page 237 of an even larger instruction manual.

You failed to disclose that this printer does not work when any of its four ink cartridges is empty and this is not good practice. Shame on you.

[rlstockwell]

pcwizard,

Please go ahead and forward my consumer complaint as well to the right people regarding return of product. Had I known I would be forced to have all ink colors and no option for B&W only to do a simple print job- I too would NOT have purchased this printer. 

Please ask them to reimburse me the 3% commission I am losing on a $550,000 contract I am unable to print becuase I am out of yellow!!!

I just purhcsed the largest new black ink refill tonight- by the way only comes from HP proprietary, no savings from buying from another ink company. 

Please send me to the proper channel.

Appreciated

RLS

[kdejonge]

I totally agree with all the complaints. I understand that the printer mechanism requires yellow, but HP should make clear to the user that the printer refuses printing in case the yellow cartirdge is empty!

I have a deadline. Only need a printout in black and white and without any notice the printer stops after two pages and refuses to print!!!

SOLVE THE PROBLEM and don't be arrogant HP! And don't try to teach us a lesson about reading manuals!!!

I'm sure that there is a solution which would make it possible to continue printing even in case yellow is empty!

People run into troubles the way the printer behaves right now!!!

[kdejonge]

Solution as proposed by HP employee PCWIZARD on ‎06-19-2013 from the manual doesn't work...