Price increase of HP Instant Ink

[mjcuk]

 

It’s tricky isn’t it?

Even when I went to downgrade my subscription to the 99p plan, it stated it was still 15 pages with 45 rollover and that one final payment of £1.99. 

Just checked the email and it states the above tells me that it’s effective from 12th February. 

Then below that part of the message that it shows a table of prices that are effective from 8th feb and show the new prices.  

Considering they can’t even get their own marketing and subscription services to display the correct rates without contradiction, I’m not sure that anyone at HP will listen to a few people kicking up a fuss. 

Out of principle I might just cancel outright and buy the cheapest highly rated 3rd party carts I can find. 

[UnhappyPH]

What will probably happen - as happened to me  - is that a new customer is offered instant ink at the 'old' price. Then the next day - in my experience within less than 24 hours - I was sent about email about 'Plan changes and information'.
This increased the subscription prices exactly 30 days later, apparently as per T and Cs.
They must have known about this 24 hours previously when I signed up. So, it's a bit underhand.

Others report that they received price increase emails (or as HP put it 'plan changes and information'), some 10 days or more previously.  Therefore, arguably it's false advertising to lure customers in.  

As others have mentioned, instant ink is still promoted on HP's website with the old (and better) plans - more pages and or cheaper. A 50% increase is exceptional and should really have been communicated better.
If it wasn't inconvenient, I'd be tempted to cancel the printer and instant ink - I'm sure there is a return policy regardless of whether goods are faulty, if items are purchased remotely online, as mine was. I did buy via a third party retailer not HP though.

[UnhappyPH]

That first price point used to be free too.
It was apparently advertised as "free ink for life" - hmm.

It then changed to £0.99 for 15 pages, and now only 10 pages.

I signed up for the £1.99 plan during free trial, thinking I might be able to get away with the 15 pages and anyJ rollover amount.

However, the now measly 10 per month is very tight for the £0.99 price point. And very expensive per page.
I was tempted to go with instant ink as I worked out it would be beneficial. But the next day the savings reduced by around 50% (ish!).

[ValerieBH]

If enough of us canceled our subscription HP would get the message. Perhaps they will bring the prices back down

[UnhappyBunny2]

I found there is the ability to send a "CEO email" see https://ssl.www8.hp.com/uk/en/contact-hp/connect-with-hp.html so I have sent a message; I don't know if this will get anyone's attention or not but perhaps if sufficient people write in with their concerns  (politely expressed of course!) we can but hope someone might pay attention. Needless to say despite submitting a few days ago I've not heard anything back yet.

[UnhappyPH]

I'm not sure that this will have much impact. However, if we all provide feedback via this route, perhaps it will generate action - or at least reach the CEO.

[UnhappyPH]

I guess the other thing we could do is raise via other channels such as Martin Lewis team. The CEO route might be effective too if enough people register a polite complaint. 

[Jaytee888]

I have raised this with UK Trading Standards, not because of the unconscionable price increase (that’s HP’s prerogative to do so), but because of the continued marketing of the previous plans and immediately notifying new customers, once ‘locked in’ of the new rates.  

[UnhappyPH]

I also contacted Martin Lewis news team. Hopefully between trading standards, CEO contact and Martin Lewis contacts, we can get some traction with this.

[UnhappyPH]

That is exactly the issue. As you say it's not the price itself  - even though that's galling and much higher than anticipated. It's the way the service is being marketed, and still being pushed at the original rates. We know what's around the corner now -  new customers don't. Very disappointing from a major company such as HP.