Was given a printer with HP instant ink with it but can’t print

[Cycy92]

So a family friend had given me her HP DeskJet 4155e printer with some extra ink cartridges included because she needed something different. I get home and set it up and see that the ink is HP Instant Ink. Well I added the printer to my HP smart account but the printer is saying it won’t let me print because the payment method needs to be updated on the instant ink account. Well I tried making my own instant ink account but it said that the cartridges were already enrolled in a different account. I tried reaching out the previous owner of the printer but because she is old and easily confused, she had no idea what I was talking about or what to do about it and has just been kind of evasive about it. What should I do? If I do the HP Secure Erase thing will that reset the ink cartridges? They are full cartridges and I even have extra for them.  WhAt do I do? I just want to print stuff!

[Raj_05]

Hi @Cycy92,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

It sounds like you're facing a situation where the ink cartridges in your HP DeskJet 4155e printer are enrolled in an HP Instant Ink account associated with the previous owner, and you're unable to print because of this. Here are steps you can take to resolve the issue.

• HP Secure Erase: This option erases the printer's internal memory, which includes stored information such as WiFi settings and ink levels. However, it may not reset the ink cartridges to factory settings or dissociate them from the previous account. It's primarily used for clearing personal information rather than resolving ink enrollment issues.
• Factory Reset the Printer: This can be done to reset all printer settings to default, but it may not affect the ink cartridge enrollment issue. 
• New Instant Ink Enrollment: If HP support confirms that the cartridges cannot be enrolled in your account due to the previous enrollment, they might provide options such as a replacement set of cartridges that you can enroll in your own account.
• Verify Payment Method: Ensure that your HP Instant Ink account has a valid payment method added and that your account is active to avoid future issues.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

Alden4

HP Support 

[Cycy92]

So that doesn’t really answer my question on what I should do? That just tells me what all the points I brought up in my question are. The payment method part is not the payment method on my account. This would be the payment method on the previous owners account. What I want to know is what do I need to do in order to start using this printer for printing? Because as it is now, it’s useless to me. It won’t do anything without the cartridge issue solved. Gosh why can’t printers now a days be like how it was when I was younger, you get a printer, plug it in and plug the ink in and go. No super smart chipped ink cartridges, no headache.