Printer Ink: The Biggest Ripoff In History!

[rm6565]

If you only knew how mad I get at rip-offs! One of the top "rip-offs" in history has to be the outrageous price manufacturers try to charge for replacement ink cartridges. The thought of buying printer ink cartridges puts me in a bad mood instantly. You know something is amiss when you can buy a new 30.00 printer for less than what it costs to replace the ink cartridges for it. Some of you will laugh at me for this but I have spent hours trying to get ink refill kits to work on empty cartridges. I have had very little success with those. My next attempt to "beat the system" is to try "Cartridge World" (we have a store less than 5 miles from here) as advertised on R. Limbaugh's show. They apparently refill ink cartridges and resell them at a substantial savings. I wonder why their ink refills work and mine won't? They must have some secret recipe for ink that works. By the way, the fact that there is such a thing as a chain of stores like "Cartridge World" just makes my point that something is amiss!
Check them out here> http://www.cartridgeworldusa.com/

[appleman2006]

Why do you think the printers are so cheap in the first place? Technically you somewhat are paying for the printer by buying the ink.

[rm6565]

I read something like this on a forum somewhere LOL....
Imagine the landfills filling up with "hardly used", working printers because its cheaper to buy a new 30.00 printer than to buy replacement cartridges for it!

[RagPicker]

If you only knew how mad I get at rip-offs! One of the top "rip-offs" in history has to be the outrageous price manufacturers try to charge for replacement ink cartridges. The thought of buying printer ink cartridges puts me in a bad mood instantly. You know something is amiss when you can buy a new 30.00 printer for less than what it costs to replace the ink cartridges for it. Some of you will laugh at me for this but I have spent hours trying to get ink refill kits to work on empty cartridges. I have had very little success with those. My next attempt to "beat the system" is to try "Cartridge World" (we have a store less than 5 miles from here) as advertised on R. Limbaugh's show. They apparently refill ink cartridges and resell them at a substantial savings. I wonder why their ink refills work and mine won't? They must have some secret recipe for ink that works. By the way, the fact that there is such a thing as a chain of stores like "Cartridge World" just makes my point that something is amiss!
Check them out here> http://www.cartridgeworldusa.com/

Is profit bad?

As long as you purchase ink cartridges you are saying they are worth the money you have to pay. As soon as they are not worth that money you will stop paying those prices and do without.

You make a huge (and laughable) mistake by judging the validity of ink costs by the cost of a printer. Most, if not all, low end printers are sold at a loss. That is entirely legal and ethical.

I will readily concede there are some ethical problems in the world of printer ink cartridges. but the cost of new cartridges is not one of them.

I have excellent and consistent success refilling my ink cartridges. I hate paying high prices for my ink cartridges too!

[RagPicker]

I read something like this on a forum somewhere LOL....
Imagine the landfills filling up with "hardly used", working printers because its cheaper to buy a new 30.00 printer than to buy replacement cartridges for it!

Oh please. Those $30.00 printers have starter cartridges in them. If they had a regular cartridge in them they would cost more than $30.00.

Look, I am ALL for beating the system and avoiding paying those crazy high prices. The prices make me mad.

But lets be intellectually honest about it shall we?

[rm6565]

Hey Rag,
How about being more helpful here like giving us a tutorial on what refill ink you use and how you are able to get them to work so well. And in answer to your question "Is profit bad?" of course not. But rip-offs are bad! It must be that ink companies haven't had enough competition to drive the prices lower except for "Cartridge World". Lets hear it for CW! Hip hip, horaay!!

[RagPicker]

Hey Rag,
How about being more helpful here like giving us a tutorial on what refill ink you use and how you are able to get them to work so well. And in answer to your question "Is profit bad?" of course not. But rip-offs are bad! It must be that ink companies haven't had enough competition to drive the prices lower except for "Cartridge World". Lets hear it for CW! Hip hip, horaay!!

1. You are plugging a company that you have zero experience with. What if they are the true ripoff? Unlikely, but how do you know?

2. CW is only one player in a huge game.

3. Of course rip-offs are bad. But you haven't given any examples of printer companies ripping anyone off yet. As soon as you do I will readily agree with you.

4. My tips? I only have one. I carefully follow the directions. Everyone comes back with "I did too". But when I do a little digging I find out most missed a critical step or two. Shrug.

[rm6565]

You actually need examples of ink companies that rip us off? They all do! Everybody I have talked to about it complains that ink is way over priced. There is only one way I will be convinced that the high price of ink is justified. Here it is:
They actually hire commercial fishermen to go after giant squid and extract the rare, and precious ink from them to produce the cartridges that we can't do without! Only then will I agree on the high price of ink. lol

[RagPicker]

You actually need examples of ink companies that rip us off? They all do! Everybody I have talked to about it complains that ink is way over priced. There is only one way I will be convinced that the high price of ink is justified. Here it is:
They actually hire commercial fishermen to go after giant squid and extract the rare, and precious ink from them to produce the cartridges that we can't do without! Only then will I agree on the high price of ink. lol

sigh...

[appleman2006]

rm6565. why not start your own ink company? If you can really produce it for half the price you should be able to make a good business plan to your bank. I mean even if you only drop the price 20 % you could soon have a lock on the market don't you think. Being in an industry where it has become impossible to set our prices at a fair market volume I certainly do not be grudge someone who is able to st their prices where they can make a profit. My guess is that there is a reason and if not then it is only a matter of time and someone will figure out a cheaper solution.

[AKing]

You actually need examples of ink companies that rip us off? They all do! Everybody I have talked to about it complains that ink is way over priced. There is only one way I will be convinced that the high price of ink is justified. Here it is:
They actually hire commercial fishermen to go after giant squid and extract the rare, and precious ink from them to produce the cartridges that we can't do without! Only then will I agree on the high price of ink. lol

sigh...

I second the sigh. Next time you have a document you want to produce, take it to an old school printer who will typeset it, photograph it, do a color seperation, make up four plates, run about 100 sheets to proof and get the color right and then, a week later you go pick up your document, nicely printed for, just a rough etimate, 200 bucks.

[appleman2006]

And the colour was actually inferior to what a cheap home printing will do now.

[rm6565]

I guess my only reason for starting this thread was to vent the frustration of high ink prices. Is there really anything wrong with venting? For some reason it seems to do me good or at least helps me cope. I agree that its only a matter of time until the prices begin to lower. I also believe this will only happen in the arena of competition. Competition is what is good for the consumer. Competition is what has been lacking in the ink industry for much too long. Without competition, we all lose! I guess that sums up the reason for starting this topic. Maybe I should have titled it that way from the start... Without competition, we all lose!

[RagPicker]

I guess my only reason for starting this thread was to vent the frustration of high ink prices. Is there really anything wrong with venting? For some reason it seems to do me good or at least helps me cope. I agree that its only a matter of time until the prices begin to lower. I also believe this will only happen in the arena of competition. Competition is what is good for the consumer. Competition is what has been lacking in the ink industry for much too long. Without competition, we all lose! I guess that sums up the reason for starting this topic. Maybe I should have titled it that way from the start... Without competition, we all lose!

Venting about high ink prices is fine. In fact, i would cheerfully join you in that venture.

But you have been adamant that the printer companies are ripping us off with the price they charge for ink cartridges. That is why you took as much heat as you have.

There is a lot of competition. Just because you don't see it as such does not mean it does not exist.

[rm6565]

Ok so maybe I don't word things the way I should. I guess I should have said "It feels like we are being ripped off by overpriced ink prices". Would you have accepted that? I must disagree with you, however, on your point that there is a lot of competition. If this was true, we wouldn't have the over priced ink to vent about!