*NEWS*RADIO SHACK:REMAN INK VOIDS WARANTE/2004-09-21

Toner News Mobile Forums Latest Industry News *NEWS*RADIO SHACK:REMAN INK VOIDS WARANTE/2004-09-21

Date: Sunday June 23, 2013 04:21:28 am
Viewing 1 post (of 1 total)
  • Author
    Posts

  • Anonymous
    Inactive

    Dear Radio Shack..
    take down those signs

    Radio Shack touts voided warranties with remanufactured toner cartridge use

    Editor’s Note:The following Letter was sent to Radio Shack after it was discovered that the company has been misleading consumers in its retail stores regarding the use of off-brand ink cartridges and warranties

    "A New York-based member visited a Radio Shack outlet recently and discovered a new display of brand name inkjet cartridges. Part of the display included a sign that reads as follows:
    “Remanufactured ink cartridges void your hardware warranty”

    This is incorrect. According to the stated warranty policies of Hewlett-Packard, the use of a non-HP or remanufactured cartridge alone does not affect either the printer’s warranty or any maintenance contract the customer may have with his printer. The only time that such use voids a printer’s warranty is when the damage is found to be directly attributable to the use of an aftermarket cartridge. (And the warranty remains intact on all other components and parts).

    It is my understanding that all of the printer manufacturers have a similar warranty policy. Xerox, for instance, does not repair printer damage related to the use of another’s cartridge however, “the warranty on the equipment will not be void if competitive toner or inks are used.”

    The International Imaging Technology Council represents the thousands of toner and inkjet cartridge remanufacturing businesses in the United States and around the world. Starting in the late 1980s, cartridge remanufacturing has been a growing business. It is now an $8 billion industry.

    Remanufactured toner and ink jet cartridges provide a cost-effective alternative to new cartridges. They also offer an environmental benefit as reusing cartridges keeps tens of thousands of tons of industrial grade plastics out of landfills.

    Cartridge remanufacturing is also a scientific trade. Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Center for Remanufacturing and Resource Recovery has an imaging supplies lab that routinely tests remanufactured cartridges alongside new ones. In many cases, the performance of the remanufactured cartridges meets or exceeds new ones. Our members that have passed such rigorous standards proudly display a seal that shows they are compliant with industry standardized test methods.

    International Imaging Technology Council members stand behind their products. They offer warranties on their cartridges and repair any damage that results from a defective cartridge, just like the printer manufacturers do. Therefore, their customers and their printers are protected. Cartridge customers should never buy cartridges without such warranties.

    Your claim that the warranty is voided is not only incorrect and misleading, it makes an illegal statement. It is considered an antitrust violation to tie a product like a printer and its supplies together. If this were not so, you’d be required to use General Motors gas in your GM car or IBM CDs in your IBM CD drives. Radio Shack-brand products would all but disappear.

    Please remove these offensive signs immediately. Further, the International Imaging Technology Council requests that you replace them with signs that state as follows:

    “The use of remanufactured ink does NOT void your warranty, as previously stated in this store.” And we would ask that you leave such signs in place for no less than 60 days to assure that all your customers see them.

    More than 480,000 US workers are employed in the remanufacturing industries. Your misleading statements about remanufactured products jeopardize their jobs.

    How many do you suppose shop at Radio Shack? The member from New York who alerted me to this situation went into your store to shop, and left angry and empty handed.

    Radio Shack, take down those signs."







    * Post was edited: 2004-09-21 11:53:00

Viewing 1 post (of 1 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.