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The Ink Cartridge Cartel
Companies take steps to protect their profits from the sale of ink cartridges
With decent photo inkjet and all-in-one inkjet printers getting cheaper by the day, printer manufacturers are trying harder to hold onto the huge profits that they bring in from the sale of ink cartridges. And let’s not forget that many printer manufacturers include “starter” ink cartridges that’ll quickly run out of ink and have you running back to buy those expensive “genuine” cartridges. Some companies like Canon have wised up and included a chip with cartridges to ensure that you won’t be running off to buy cheaper generic carts to replenish your thirsty printer.
Epson on the other hand has a different tactic. They’ve decided to simply sue online retailers that sell third-party ink cartridges for its printers. Four German-based retailers backed down and settled out of court when the Japanese-based printer manufacturer came breathing down their neck. Epson has also been successful in past cases against companies in Europe and Asia. Next up: American based retailers hawking generic Epson inks. From InfoWorld:
The sale of ink refills is a lucrative business for printer makers like Epson. It’s also an important part of the business model typically used where little or no profit is made on the printer itself but later recouped on cartridge sales. Trading of unlicensed cartridges threatens to upset this business model.Given how protective companies are getting these days over the profits they generate from the sale of high-priced ink cartridges, I made sure that when I went shopping for a wireless all-in-one printer that I found one that would accept generic inks. Not to pick on Staples, but genuine ink carts for my Brother MFC-640CW at that store are $22.99 for black and $12.59 each for cyan, magenta and yellow. OfficeMax is about a dollar more expensive for each. On the other hand, I purchased generics from Overstock.com that work just fine. They cost me $10.99 for a 3-pack of black and $11.99 for a tri-color pack (cyan, magenta and yellow). I know that these printer manufacturers are trying to protect their profits, but I’m also going to look out for my wallet.Never mind that manufacturers don’t include USB cables so that the local sales rep at Best Buy, Office Depot or Staples can point you to the $19.95 “Gold-plated” USB cables when I get the same thing for a little more than a dollar from an online retailer. It’s a conspiracy between the printer manufacturers and retailers I tell you!!
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