Instant Ink is a scam!

[Dawn1001]

We were automatically enrolled in an instant ink program when we bought the hp 3700-- "a free trial period" they said.  "Cancel at any time," they said.  We never used all the ink sent to us.  At the end of the trial, instead of canceling our subscription because they had an old credit card, they pirated our printer and halted all printing. I went to the store and purchased the appropriate non-subscription hp ink for our printer.  I have urgent documents to print.  I called to get it fixed.  The customer "service" person insisted that I need to pay $5 to bring my account current.  I said that I do not have an account.  I buy hp ink at Staples.  He then said I need to cancel my (non-existent) account.  I said, "Do it now."  He said the billing cycle has 4 more days on it and there is nothing he can do.  It will be cancelled in 4 days, and then I can use my store-bought ink.  I went up the chain & asked for a tech.  It was a complete non-starter.  1/2 dozen hp employees, scratching their butts & completely unable to figure out how to release my printer from their control.  *Unless* I give them a new credit card right now & allow them to take my "delinquent" $5 payment.  For the subscription I never asked for and the ink I never used last month. And they pinky-swear they will cancel and not take any more money from my credit card after this.

So... I am looking at a relatively new hp printer in my office here... and I am getting my car keys to drive 10 miles to Staples to pay them to print my important documents.  Never again, hp.  Never again.