HP Instant Ink Price Increase

[Llanelliguy]

@Bob_headrick Hi Bob, looks like you have been on the HP forums for some time, do you think these price increases are fair?

I hope you do not mind me asking this question . It will be nice to find out from someone like yourself if they are or not.

I am a complete novice on these forums, which you probably can tell 😉  you have over 30K posts to your name so you probably have seen more than most of us.

I am just curious, some call it nosey lol. 

[Bob_Headrick]

@Llanelliguy  - what I think about this is that every Instant Ink user will need to decide for themselves whether the new plan(s) pricing meets their needs.  Based on my usage I made a decision for my two accounts, my reasoning may or may not apply to your situation.

If you had asked "was this handled well" I would have had a different answer.  I have communicated my feelings on that subject to a number of folks in various positions in HP, I will not be repeating them here.

[UnhappyPH]

I don't want to call out any individuals but after being invited to a private chat with an HP representative, comments such as the below are not helpful:

"Apologies, but the prices cannot be changed and there is nothing we can do. 

Hope this helps!"

[Jaytee888]

@unhappyph.  I’ve checked my HPSmart app too … thanks for the prompt.  I still have 8 months trial left and it is still showing £1.99/50ppm when the trial ends.  I intend to make as full use as I need/can of the ‘free’ 700ppm allowance before September.  The printer might fall apart or melt before then😁

[Jaytee888]

@unhappyph

The 99p or 99c plan won’t go away and will probably be here “forever”.  The only way they can increase their revenue from this tier one plan is to reduce the output, probably to the point where it becomes laughable to expect anyone would ever want to sign up for it.  The advertising psychology of the number 99 isn’t lost on the HP boardroom.  99 is a big number but when combined with a ‘p’ or ‘c’ magically becomes very, very small.  To be able to present banner headlines of “Plans from 99p” can be a magnet when people are shopping for a new … anything.  And although HP have now, 4-6 weeks late! updated their pricing on their internet shop, they are still headlining “Starting at 99p”, quite legitimately.
They then temper expectations by adding a forest of all those small superscript numerals and burying ‘modifiers’ in their Ts&Cs which in HPs case aren’t easy to find.  They are buried behind a drop-down labelled ‘Disclaimer’ in faint grey text, tucked away half way down the page, which presents the truly small print in truly small grey print on a grey background.  For me personally, this is impossible to read without screenshotting and viewing the pic with pinch to expand.  
These tactics are not propietary to HP … they ALL do it.  I’m pretty sure the 99p burger was much bigger years ago. 

[Bob_Headrick]

@Jaytee888 - just a minor correction - the $0.99 / 99p plan has been a relatively recent addition, just a bit over a year ago.  It was preceded by a "Free printing for life" plan, where users were able to print 15 pages per month free.  I actually bought my Deskjet 2622 printer during that time years ago, but I never set the printer up until July 2021 so I missed out on the free plan.  My understanding is that after some great pushback about the free plan being converted to a $0.99 plan they grandfathered in the folks already enrolled in the free plan.  Some posts for this can be found here.

[UnhappyPH]

Yes, I read about that 'discontent'. Seems to have caused quite a ripple and seems to be some difference of opinion in what 'free for life' means!

I signed up well after the free print offer was out there. But it has quickly gone from free for life to 15 pages for £0.99 to 10 pages for £0.99. 

That's understandable given the losses HP has made in printing services and instant ink in particular. Oh, hold on a second!
Not a loss - reported operating profit of $998 million - up 7% year on year..

[Jaytee888]

Thank you Bob.  Yes I had heard of the Free Plan but have little knowledge of its background.  In my part of the UK, we have a saying which goes “ You don’t get owt for nowt “, which in English means you don’t get anything for nothing … forever.  I’m sure when HP introduced that free plan, it was in their sights that it wouldn’t last forever but misjudged the outcry and so grandfathered in the continuation until it dies a natural death.  The strength of feeling is here and now.  But they’ve been prepared to dig their heels in and offer a few inducements of token free months or cash compensation to quiet the masses … and it appears to be working.  The increase is now out there.  It’s no longer hidden behind a veil.  Give it another 3-4 weeks and it’ll be just a ripple in HP’s chequered history.  Until the next time.. 

[Jaytee888]

Well it’s now nearly a week since there was any addition to this thread.  HP appeared have weathered the storm.  Their have been one or two additional posts elsewhere about the price increase but these appear to have been instantly shut down by Admin tersely stating if you don’t like it … cancel your subscription.  
But to reiterate MY standpoint and before Admin marks this as Solved……..
HP and all printer manufacturers are entitled to increase prices of their consumables.  It would be great to think they would keep it to a ‘reasonable’ level but 50% for the 50ppm plan is unacceptable.  So, my primary concern is that HP were continuing to advertise the old rates while selling printers  AND advising existing customers of the price increase.  This situation existed for, I believe, 5-7 weeks.
The campaign sought support from various consumer organisations in bringing HP to book for their activity.  It seems to no avail except that some people have accepted ‘compensation’ for their ‘inconvenience’.   I’ve had no apology from the CEO.   No further response from Trading Standards.  I’ve seen no further info from the Advertising Standards Authority.  I know these organisations are currently inundated with problems regarding anything Customer Services related, so I understand the delays.  There have been a couple of references in The Register.   In the meantime …. Wake up and smell the stench people.  HP are getting away with. HP HAVE got away with it.

[amanda_mcd]

I think those of us who decided we were not standing for this have or will soon leave them.

With you, for me it's the bigger picture. 50% isn't justified. Any conversation I've had over phone or message has been unable to offer a sensible justification.

So what happens in six months or a year when they rise by another unjustifiable percentage just because they can?

I will use compatible cartridges for now but my next printer will not be HP nor will any other product in the future. Their morals here are non existent.