HP Instant Ink Price Increase

[Jaytee888]

@Thewildrover

Right on the money, there!  I have no objection to any company increasing prices.  They’re in business to make a profit and add to that blight on modern day living … ‘shareholder value’.   But price rises have to be seen as ‘reasonable’ and 50% (for the popular 50ppm plan) cannot be justified, and HP despite being asked on many occasions, haven’t even tried to justify it.

But as you rightly say, the lack of transparency of forthcoming price rises is bordering in criminal and it is for this reason I have referred this sorry situation to UK Trading Standards.  When I bought my printer on 12 Jan, took it home and set it up, it was on the basis of up to the minute research of both purchase price and running costs.  Only 3 days later, after registration for Instant Ink and commitment to HP+ did HP advise me through their now infamous ‘valued customer’ email, of the increase.  I THEN find out that HP have been sending out price increase emails to existing users for some time prior to my purchase.  It is this despicable and dismissive attitude to HP consumers to which I object most strongly.  I only hope that people will consult this thread as part of their research before buying a printer.  I wish I had!! 

[thewildrover]

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@Jaytee888 wrote:

@Thewildrover

Right on the money, there!  I have no objection to any company increasing prices.  They’re in business to make a profit.  But price rises have to be seen as ‘reasonable’ and 50% (for the popular 50ppm plan) cannot be justified, and HP despite being asked on many occasions, haven’t even tried to justify it.

But as you rightly say, the lack of transparency of forthcoming price rises is bordering in criminal and it is for this reason I have referred this sorry situation to UK Trading Standards.  When I bought my printer on 12 Jan, took it home and set it up, it was on the basis of up to the minute research of both purchase price and running costs.  Only 3 days later, after registration for Instant Ink and commitment to HP+ did HP advise me through their now infamous ‘valued customer’ email, of the increase.  I THEN find out that HP have been sending out price increase emails to existing users for some time prior to my purchase.  It is this despicable and dismissive attitude to HP consumers to which I object most strongly.  I only hope that people will consult this thread as part of their research before buying a printer.  I wish I had!! 

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If it helps, I received my Email on 18 Jan. Seems that the only way any new customers will see the price increases is by finding these forums first. Or they find out after they subscribe.

[Jaytee888]

@UnhappyPH

You’re right. I as an individual bleating about HP will have little effect.  If I walk away, if 20, 200, 2000 of me walk away, it will have little effect on HP’s bottom line.  As you say, they will have factored this into their actions.  What they ‘may’ have miscalculated is the strength of feeling in the corporate world.  If I were still in a position of influence in IT buying decisions, HP would no longer feature as I have always made procurement recommendations based not only on price, but the ethical nature of suppliers operations.  And maybe there’s a little something in my enthusiasm for IBM AIX when compared to that aberration, that abomination that is HPUX. 

[Jaytee888]

Lots of activity on the wider forum overnight, demoting this thread to a lowly 8th on forum list in a very short time.  One higher post was an HP response  to an unanswered ‘nothing’ question posted nearly A WEEK AGO and yet, when I looked yesterday,  I saw some agents were responding to and properly resolving legitimate questions within EIGHT MINUTES. 

[Jaytee888]

I have rechecked the HP sales site and I can NOW see that the revised instantink plan prices are now being advertised,  HP have weathered this storm (in a teacup?).  Prospective buyers of HP printers can now see the true cost of their purchase going forward, which was THE primary concern to me during this campaign.  What prospective buyers will NOT be able to see is the contempt and disdain with which HP have treated their (in their own words) ‘valued customers’.  This has not been solely about a £1 or $1 per month price increase.  It’s also been about decisions made by HP employees about how, and for how long, that price increase could be hidden from prospective buyers. 

HP will have lost a few existing customers and I hope that through our efforts some prospective buyers have been given pause for thought about buying HP.  But I also hope that not only HP but all other printer manufacturers who attempt to ‘lock in’ customers through cheap hardware and inordinately expensive consumable ‘deals’, will stop and think about the longer term consequences to those valued customers, their own staffs, and their companies’ reputation for ethical and responsible trading practices.  Shouldn’t all companies, in all business sectors, do that?  I think most of us know that if we go elsewhere, we are at sometime going to have good cause for disappointment, so maybe we may as well roll with it now and just let them, whoever it is, have free access to our bank accounts.  Don’t get me started on CVDD.  
It’s been a blast.  I haven’t accepted any pieces of silver.  I have failed in my small contribution to achieve a high profile for this issue outside of this forum. It’s time to move on.  Signing off.

[Jaytee888]

……… until the next time. 🤣

[UnhappyPH]

I thought that the UK website has been updated now. But the website and HP Smart app still show the old plans and prices.

[Bob_Headrick]

The new plan prices are now online on the HP site, including the HP Shopping site, the Instant Ink site and the HP Smart app. 

[Llanelliguy]

HP instant ink prices should have been updated as soon as we all had emails, if not a day or two before.

For me and other who were once loyal customers have now cancelled our plans, and I am sure there will be more. I know it probably won't dent HP profits but maybe, just maybe they might do things differently in the future.

I contacted Xray in ITV Wales, it will be interesting to see if one of these organisations pick up on the story, with the amount of interest this thread has shown, I'll be very surprised if they do not.

Well done HP you've got a lot of very loyal customers, very, very angry with you. 

[UnhappyPH]

Thank  you Bob - although the app still shows my price plan will be £1.99 after the trial period ends!