The Printer Cartridge Game
Think
you got a great deal on a printer? Like the rest of us, you probably
paid $50 to $75 for a decent Epson or Lexmark printer. What’s the
catch, you might have asked? Most salesmen would say there is no catch.
They’d probably go into a rant about how the printer market has gotten
more competitive, driving prices way down. While that’s a true
statement, it isn’t the primary reason for such inexpensive printers
these days.
So, why are printers so inexpensive? It’s pretty simple
– printer manufacturers need you to buy their printer model so you’re
forced into buying their outrageously-priced ink cartridges. It’s kind
of like the relationship between a gasoline company and car
manufacturer, except in this situation the printer company is supplying
both the automobile and the fuel. Gas companies wouldn’t make any money
if no one owned an automobile. In the case of printer manufacturers,
things are a little different. They don’t make any money on selling
printers – they make their money by selling you the replacement ink
cartridges.
It makes a lot of business sense when you think about
it. A consumer buys a printer every few years, but may buy ink as much
as once every three months. Printer manufacturers would much rather
have this steady stream of income. Consumers don’t factor ink cartridge
costs into the equation when they buy a printer. They look at the
features and price tag. Sure you’re getting a great printer and not
paying a lot. But if you use your printer on a fairly regular basis,
the cost of ownership over a year or two (thanks to high priced ink
cartridges) may exceed $500.
Before you buy your next printer,
remember to do some research on printers, paying particular attention
to the cost and longevity of the ink cartridge replacements. A little
research ahead of time can save you hundreds of dollars. We don’t
recommend Lexmark printers because Lexmark ink cartridges are generally
mc more expensive than those of other brands, like Canon or Hewlett
Packard. Because Lexmark embeds a special chip right into the
cartridge, the cost of buying replacement Lexmark ink is astronomical.