65 black ink cartridges not working

[Lori722]

I purchased an Envy 5055 all-in-one printer/scanner a year ago from Amazon. Unfortunately, the original ink cartridges that I ordered at the same time as the printer seemed dysfunctional - printing only every other line or having white lines in the middle of lines. I replaced them with another new set of 65 ink cartridge (also from Amazon) which had the exact same problem. I didn't address the second ink cartridge problem for months because I moved cross-country and also contracted Covid. I tried to solve the problem with the second black ink cartridge but didn't succeed.  I just needed my printer to print, so I simply purchased a third black cartridge. Guess what? It has the exact same problem. I have tried all the suggestions and directions, watched the youtube videos of how to clean and rehydrate, etc, but NOTHING WORKS. Plus, every time I need to print something, I shouldn't have to remove and rehydrate the cartridge. Now this NEW black cartridge, the THIRD NEW CARTRIDGE I have tried to get to work on this Envy 5055, does not work AT ALL. And these are all authentic HP cartridges that came in original packaging.

By the time I was able to pursue help online here at HP, I was told that my printer had just gone out of warranty, literally days before, and now I have a gigantic loss where I have purchased an HP printer and three new cartridges, I have nothing working, and my warranty has expired. I threw away a lot of money and still do not have a working printer.

[Bob_Headrick]

Did the printer you bought come with setup cartridges or were the cartridges sold separately?

Cleaning the electrical contacts on the printer as shown in step 3 in the document here may help resolve the missing lines in your Envy 5055.

[Lori722]

Thank you for your swift reply. However, the link you provided does not have the information you indicated it would.

[InfiniteTrouble]

Interesting, I bought one from amazon too. June 29, 2020. HP ENVY 5055 Wireless All-in-One Photo Printer

I have only used it a few time. Had issues a while back, but moving also. Had half full cartridges and had printer problems. Bought new ones and installed them today. Printed the alignment page, and it was only red and blues. Printed my UPS label I needed, and it was gray and could barely read it. I have factory restored and reinstalled the software and nothing works. Seems like a hardware issue and it's defective junk.

[Lori722]

Also, let me answer your question. There were no setup cartridges. I had to buy them separately. I bought printer and all cartridges so far from Amazon, just for what that's worth.

[InfiniteTrouble]

I bought my new cartridges from walmart with expiration dates of jan/23. I was looking at my old cartridges and they are both leaking ink after I took them out of the garbage. They still had ink in them. When I 1st got this printer, I was able to print high quality photos on photo paper. I printed my 3 of them. One day I was trying to print something, and it wouldn't, I used all the printer tools to fix the problem and nothing worked. Gave up and later bought new cartridges, and when I needed it, like today, I installed them. I tried the answer above on cleaning the contacts, and it didn't work. I looked at the black cartridge and it looks like it is leaking. The head has ink all over it, but nothing is ending up on the page. Software or hardware issue.

[Lori722]

Personally, I agree with you. It is a piece of junk. Lots of junk gets sold on Amazon because it is not monitored for quality control such as you would find at Best Buy. Yes, you have convenience and possibly a better price, but many vendors sell the junk they can't get rid of any other way. I have experienced many examples of this across the board.
But this is really egregious, especially since I have hardly used this printer and can't return it or repair it. I am stuck, a sucker who bought junk and got Covid.

I AM NEVER BUYING ANY HP PRODUCT AGAIN. Terrible customer service and terrible business philosophy.

[Bob_Headrick]

@Lori722  OK, if setup cartridges did not come with the printer and you needed to buy retail cartridges it means the printer was not new, it had at least been previously set up (and presumably used) with setup cartridges.  

Sorry the link I gave was not recognizable as what you needed, but it likely is...  Click the link here, then scroll down the page to the line that says Type 1, where you will find the cartridge types used in your printer.  While the description on the page may not appear to be your issue, the symptoms you describe with a series of lines not printing properly even after cleaning the cartridges indicate an electrical contact issue.  The page in the link above addresses this issue, even though in your case you are not getting an error message described in the page there.

Click on the "+" sign for type 1, which will expand the section.  Follow the steps here:

 @InfiniteTrouble  - I would suggest you ask your question in a new thread rather than piggyback in a thread that is a different case than yours.

[Lori722]

Thanks again, Bob. I already followed all those instructions - distilled water first, then alcohol after cleaning with distilled water did nothing. The printer is a lemon. Luckily, Amazon saw some validity in my situation and refunded me. I will go to Best Buy and buy another printer,  just not an HP printer.

By the way, on the Amazon website, they provide a link for personal support at HP, and EVERY SINGLE PHONE NUMBER THERE WAS BOGUS.

Thank you for your service, Bob Headrick. I remain unimpressed with HP and the products and service they provide.

[Bob_Headrick · Accepted solution]

Sorry you had such a bad time with your purchase.  It appears you were dealing with an unscrupulous seller*. 

I am glad Amazon stepped up and refunded your purchase.  Sorry to hear you will not be buying HP in the future.  I suggest that, whatever brand you choose, you deal with a valid seller.  I would suggest sticking to a factory new printer from an authorized seller.

* Amazon is somewhat like eBay, in that many many different folks sell through their website.  You were not dealing with HP or an authorized HP sales outlet when you purchased the used printer (perhaps incorrectly described as new).