HP Store Online - HP ink jet cartridges = extortion?

HP ink jet cartridges = extortion?

The question itself could be a news paper headline. I want your opinion on Hewlett Packard's brutally expensive ink cartridges. Am I the only person who thinks that HP is extorting money from owners of their crappy home/office printers by making them pay $20+ for new cartridges?? In comparison, these cartridges contain as much plastic as the average McDonald's kid's toy, except with chemicaly engineered liquid inside. The cost of prducing one cartridge can't be more than $5-10 for HP meaning their profits on each sale is at least 200%! To me that is alarming. 1) Does anybody else think this is more or less just consumer extortion? (I paid more for ink this weekend than I did for 60L of gas) 2) Can somebody recomend a cheaper solution? (I'm stuck with this HP printer for a while now so a new one isn't an optoion) Thanks

Public Comments

Try re-fills. I hear that you can get cartriges re-filled cheaper than you can buy new ones. not sure where you can get it done though..
I agree dude. Have a hp printer myself. last time got the cartridges filled at some photo place and they didn't work. Printed all in green, red etc. Print was smeary So we're stuck with it. Consolation is that ALL printer cartridges are expensive. It's a passing technology; in 10 yrs printer cartridges will be gone.
I agree, they are very expensive. The next printer I get, I'll check the prices of the refills first. You can get them 'filled' at some of the office stores.... By the way Canon is worse, I have a scanner/printer, and the refills are over 100 dollars, I never use it.
You've met the reason why inkjets are cheap: they sell them at or below cost (and bundled into computer sets for free), and make the money back on the cartridges. It's not just HP, it's all inkjets. If cost per page worries you, try laser; the cartridges cost a heck of a lot more, but they PRINT quite a heck of a lot more too, and don't dry out like ink does. If you're printing THAT much, then you may want laser anyway -- they're heavier duty printers than inkjets. Since you say you don't want a new printer atm, though, you could look into off-brand inkjet refilling solutions. They're all funky brands nobody's ever heard of, and it voids your warranty if it clogs your printer, but it's cheaper than buying new.
you can buy refill kits but they generally suck, and yes i agree it is a ripoff. try the refill solution, there are instructions on the internet that show you how to trick the printer into thinking you put in a fresh cartridge. good luck!
Pull out the phone book - many office supplies offer refill services - and the next time you buy a printer, check the refill prices first....(I had an HP - which is why I have a samsung laser printer now - the printer was cheaper than a couple cartridges of black, so I said "wrap it up, I'll take it!")
I agree 101 % . I was reading an article a few months ago about how ink barons were holding the word to ransom, it is ridiculous. And especially all the crap about about using genuine manufacturers cartridges. like you say its a rip off, when i look for a printer i always ask how much the cartridges are and also look around the supermarkets for generic ones which are usually half price. I have even filled up the black cartridge using syringe and a bottle of ink for a fountain pen and it works. Your not the only one who grudges the cost of cartridges!!!
No wonder they are giving these printers away in promos. At least we got ours free.
refill them yourself!!!! try this http://refills4all.com/instructions.php
almost everyone asking a question in reply of a question, ,,, but i tell u all......... HP printers have a strong smart chip (all other brand's printers have, but hp printers have very bad chip) because in upper model printers of Hp,,, printer stop printing and give "ink system failure" error because of refilling....... so i suggest to use epson printer with CISS (Continuous Ink Supply System) such as "Epson Stylus Photo R230"............ for more information on this topic anyone can mail me...... i'll be very happy if i could help( mintu_singh01@yahoo.com)....... i had bad experience with HP printer.
Refills are your best bet, Check around town for a reputable place and have it refilled, be sure and ask for a guarantee, in case it doesn't work. If you have ANY issues, I'll send you one myself, on the house. Just Ink
u can use lipi printer & cartridges.