Are there any region code for HP Officejet Ink cartridges?

[vin_yap]

I'm planning a move to North America and will like to bring along my HP Officejet 5610 AIO printer. I will like to know if the ink cartridges bought there will work on my printer bought in Singapore.

Thanks.

[Bob_Headrick · Accepted solution]

Singapore and the United States, Canada, and Mexico are all in Zone 1 of the four zones in HP's regionalization strategy, so there would not be an issue.  See the table at the bottom of this page for listings for other countries.

[ballario]

Do not follow this advice. I have moved to europe, contacted HP support and they told me this is nto possible. They also offered the 'valuable'advice that I should replace my printer because it's not possible to buy original supplies in europe for my printer. if you are planning to move, buy another brand that do not trick customers.

[Bob_Headrick]

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ballario wrote:

Do not follow this advice. I have moved to europe, contacted HP support and they told me this is nto possible. They also offered the 'valuable'advice that I should replace my printer because it's not possible to buy original supplies in europe for my printer. if you are planning to move, buy another brand that do not trick customers.

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I beleive you have been misinformed.  What is the model of your printer?

[ChrisW1958]

The problem is that HP doesn't mention anything about this anywhere, so if you move from the US to Europe, as I did, it is only after you shell out $120 for three replacement cartridges and get them home that you find they do not work in the printer.  Even the compatibility chart and boxes state that the cartridges apply to the printer.   And this being Europe, you can't take things back to the store once they are opened.  I understand from other boards that code change is a laborious process that requires being on the phone with a tech (and obviously I would have to be on the phone at international long distance rates, probably exceeding the value of the printer replacement), printing a test page that disables your printer untill the code is reset, then only allows two changes.  I move all over the world, and I need a printer that is world friendly.  Ironically, I bought the printer in Europe at a military exchange store.  Given the price of new printers that are not coded, I really have a hard time telling myself to have anything to do with HP anymore and buy a brand that doesn't screw its customers.   Does HP really think it would lose that much in grey market printer smuggling?

[Bob_Headrick]

For users that have moved to a new region you will need to Contact HP to request a "Regionalization Reset". There should not be any charge for this, it is covered as part of the cartridge warranty. You will need to have access to your computer and printer while on the line with HP. You will also need to have a set of cartridges for the new region, once the reset is complete cartridges from the original region will no longer work.  HP's web page on the subject is here.

[George_W]

Yes there are.  Example - if you buy an ink cartridge for the C4480 in the USA and try and put it in a C4480 printer purchased in the UK, it tells you it is not compatible.  So, the cartridge is electronically coded. Presumably to protect region pricing.  I thought $45 was rather expensive, but now it is wasted.

[bigtone1]

This was my scenario as well, and HP support gave the run around. I spent nearly 2.5 hours on the phone with customer support, and they would not help me. I explained I am US service member serving overseas, and that I purchased the printer at a military exchange (AAFES). Their incompetent technicians kept trying to reroute my issue to customer support in Belgium. Now I am out $75 for useless cartridges because of HP's ignorant regionalization policy. I am never going to buy another HP product again.