DISQUS

Connected Internet: Why Do Printer Ink Cartridges Cost So Much?

  • Angie · 2 years ago
    It's all a racket, as my dad would say!
  • Angie · 2 years ago
    It's all a racket, as my dad would say! We nned the ink, though. We are dependent on this sort of technology. May as well buy it as inexpensively as possible.
  • Martin · 2 years ago
    I'd say it is that expensive because the market pays the price. It is probably cheaper to replace the printer instead of buying a new cartridge for it.
  • Mike · 2 years ago
    My weapon of choice is the HP 2575 - it's an awesome piece of kit for it's price. Made even better now I've found a cheap place to pick up cartridges!
  • Ceglie Messapica · 2 years ago
    Because printers cost so little.
  • Everton · 2 years ago
    I finally went to the HP site to see if I could get my scanner to work....very embarassing. The scanner was setup by Vista. I didn't realise I had to use Windows Photo Gallery :-(

    I guess I can use the money I would have spent on a new printer to fund cartridges!
  • Mosey · 2 years ago
    I bought my parents an HP Officejet 7410 which works quite well (the black and white printing is almost as fast as some older lasers!) The only downside is that it's a little noisy when printing, and the HP software that comes with the thing (should you choose to install the full package) is more bloated than a full-blown puffer fish. :)
    Absolutely agree about the printer cartridge prices! Aside from CDs/DVDs, they're probably the next big consumer rip-off?
  • Sanketh · 2 years ago
    I think the price is because of the demand in the market...
  • Everton · 2 years ago
    definitely not! If it wasn't for price fixing from the big guys and 3rd parties being prevented from entering the market, prices would be significantly lower
  • NLP Master · 2 years ago
    HP, Canon and EPSON sell printers at near cost of goods simply to promote their extremely high margin ink products. The money is in the ink!

    And now that ink manufacturers realize this, they offer alternative inks at prices 1/6th that of what Epson offers.

    I never believed "Use only Original Epson Ink". All my printers used none-originals and lasted for 4 years on the average.

    All thirty printers!
  • Sergio · 2 years ago
    Dell and lexmark printers ink cartridges are ridiculously high. I would rather but a refill kit for it.
  • STEREO · 1 year ago
    Interesting, how these are priced in different world regions?
    Here in Ukraine a typical laser printer (Xerox) is $100, while a cartridge for 3000 copies goes for $70.
  • Plastkort · 1 year ago
    Good job explaining and I do agree - buy the generics whenever you can.  In most cases, these are just as good as the name brands.
  • Lucy WItty · 1 year ago
    I totaly agree they are 2 expencive
  • Au pair · 1 year ago
    It is like selling drugs to the inocent, first for free and when your hooked you pay
  • hp ink cartridges · 1 year ago
    yup this is how they get everyone.  The replacements are nearly as much as the printer.  Just for my black inkjet its like 30.00.  I use to own a cheap laser printer i mean cheap 130.00.  Im sure the replacement toner cost that alone.  So its a disposable.  It never did run out and I printer a load of labels with it.  I just gave it away to someone who needed a printer. 

    Read hp ink cartridges's latest blog post....lexmark ink cartridge>>>
  • Mobile Blogger · 1 year ago
    I've debated about this with my collegues and they refuse to touch independnant cartridges claiming that 'the quality is pish' etc. Personally, I think they're fantastic....but I guess you can't win everyone over.

    Read Mobile Blogger's latest blog post....Nokia 5610 XpressMusic>>>
  • AFRIC · 9 months ago
    Hi,

    I am looking for ink cartridges for the Epson CX3100. I have bought compatibles in the past but the ink quality is not so great or the chips dont recognise. Any help would be appreciated :)
  • Jon In Kent · 6 months ago
    I've bought 2 Cartridges for my HP F4272 Deskjet Printer/Scanner/Copier & they cost £3 MORE than the MACHINE!!!
    What a Rip off.. It's cheaper to get copies done at the SPAR Shop!!.
  • Coloursave ink · 3 months ago
    That's why they are called "consumables". You can only sell the printer once and it lasts for about 5-10 years, but the ink is where the money is for the big companies like HP and Lexmark. So they use the printer as a loss leader and make sure you keep coming back for more ink by only partially filling them. For example, the HP 21 cartridge has 5ml if you buy the HP one at about £20, but you can pick up a remanufactured one with 20ml of ink for about a tenner. Four times as much ink for half the price! I know which one I'd use lol.
  • Matt · 2 months ago
    There is just waaayyy too much money out there in ink. As digital as the world has become so many of my clients have a printing addiction. I see people (usually old) stock up on ink like there's going to be a 3 month snow storm. So, I see little reason why they would drop the price since people will pay almost any amount of money for their precious prints