C
CPLTD
- Original Poster
- #1
Having worked in the IT supply industry for a number of years it's noticeable that ink & toner cartridges are becoming an increasingly confusing area for many, as some suppliers are blurring the lines and misusing terms to mislead customers as to what they are actually getting. I thought it worth clarifying a few things (especially in current climate with people looking to make savings wherever possible) and yes I know ink/toners arent the most exhilarating but we all use them so may as well ensure that you know what youre getting! Below Ive outlined the key things to consider when stocking up your print supplies:
1. Original, Compatible, Remanufactured/refilled?
This is the cause of most issues as some in the market are using some of these terms interchangeably, below Ive outlined what each actually means and a current ex vat costing for Q6000A toners to show comparative difference:
Original- This is a cartridge manufactured by the printer manufacturer (OEM) they are made of 100% virgin parts and generally have a very low return rate. If you wish to maintain you warranty on your printer you must use these throughout the warranty period as using any other type invalidates your warranty. The big downside of these is cost though with the £ to $ rate stabilising the big monthly price increases people have experienced over the last 2 quarters are starting to recede- if your supplier claims different Id advise shopping around. Cost £48.50
Compatible- These are a source of much confusion as some unscrupulous firms are using the term to describe their remanufactured/refilled offerings, the key question to ask if youre getting bombarded with sales spiel is is this made from 100% virgin components?. These are cartridges manufactured by other manufacturers to the printer but to an official released patent/ design as such they are often not available when a printer is first released, for a few months, as the printer manufacturer holds off release of design until they have recouped some production costs through sale of original cartridges. Return rate very much depends upon brand; always look for one with a refund/ replacement guarantee (preferably covering damage to the printer as well). Some brands have a return rate almost identical to OEM inks, others are a bit less reliable though overall they are considerably more reliable than remanufactured and on price offer large savings compared to original though more expansive than refills. Cost £38.20
Remanufactured/ Refilled- These are the embodiment of the old adage you get what you pay for; on the plus side yes they are cheap as chips, available for the vast majority of printers on the market and offered by an array of suppliers. On the downside they utilise previously used components, invalidate any warranty on your printer and offer a false economy as the time taken to resolve the issues caused by them frequently far outweighs the cost saving of using them- Ive heard endless stories of people and printers covered in ink/ toners, ruined print heads, poor quality print transfer, the list goes on... On monochrome laser printers they can be useful as they tend to be more successful with less issues developing but in general I would consider long and hard whether you can handle the hassle for the sake of saving a few pounds. Cost £29.00
2. Size matters- on some cartridges various sizes are available, generally the options are standard or High Yield/ Capacity, always ask for confirmation of page yield as some unscrupulous suppliers will happily tell you its High capacity and then supply a standard yield. On HP toners the vast majority will have the suffix X on the code if it is high capacity but it can still be worth confirming page yield to be sure.
3. Check for extra charges: Im frequently amazed by the number of people who do a line by line comparison but neglect to check for carriage charges, minimum order values/ small order charges/ order processing fees and other miscellaneous margin boosters! If a price appears to be good always confirm that there are no additional costs and get this confirmed in writing.
4. Stock: Always confirm stock availability, any reputable firm will be able to confirm when youre asking pricing, if they cant be wary; Theres nothing worse than discovering that your printers are dry and your suppliers holding off delivery for another week as theyve got no stock! On your main printers Id recommend ordering on a plus one basis to give you a buffer- i.e. 1 spare always on site. It takes pressure off you on ordering and means that youre not going to be caught short.
5 Cartridge codes: Its useful to keep track of which printer uses what cartridges- In the past Ive come across people paying different prices for the same cartridge as they order by printer model rather than cartridge code. When asking a potential supplier for comparative pricing ask for them to include the code: not only does this make it easier for you to carry out future comparisons but it can also help weed out suppliers who value customer service as they will be the ones wholl come back with listings rather than slipping away to find someone easier to rip off. Another benefit is that this is a foolproof method of checking that you are being supplied the appropriate version of cartridge i.e. High, standard or low yield.
Hope youve found this guide useful; feel free to contact me if you have any other areas of confusion about your inks/ toners and other print consumables.
1. Original, Compatible, Remanufactured/refilled?
This is the cause of most issues as some in the market are using some of these terms interchangeably, below Ive outlined what each actually means and a current ex vat costing for Q6000A toners to show comparative difference:
Original- This is a cartridge manufactured by the printer manufacturer (OEM) they are made of 100% virgin parts and generally have a very low return rate. If you wish to maintain you warranty on your printer you must use these throughout the warranty period as using any other type invalidates your warranty. The big downside of these is cost though with the £ to $ rate stabilising the big monthly price increases people have experienced over the last 2 quarters are starting to recede- if your supplier claims different Id advise shopping around. Cost £48.50
Compatible- These are a source of much confusion as some unscrupulous firms are using the term to describe their remanufactured/refilled offerings, the key question to ask if youre getting bombarded with sales spiel is is this made from 100% virgin components?. These are cartridges manufactured by other manufacturers to the printer but to an official released patent/ design as such they are often not available when a printer is first released, for a few months, as the printer manufacturer holds off release of design until they have recouped some production costs through sale of original cartridges. Return rate very much depends upon brand; always look for one with a refund/ replacement guarantee (preferably covering damage to the printer as well). Some brands have a return rate almost identical to OEM inks, others are a bit less reliable though overall they are considerably more reliable than remanufactured and on price offer large savings compared to original though more expansive than refills. Cost £38.20
Remanufactured/ Refilled- These are the embodiment of the old adage you get what you pay for; on the plus side yes they are cheap as chips, available for the vast majority of printers on the market and offered by an array of suppliers. On the downside they utilise previously used components, invalidate any warranty on your printer and offer a false economy as the time taken to resolve the issues caused by them frequently far outweighs the cost saving of using them- Ive heard endless stories of people and printers covered in ink/ toners, ruined print heads, poor quality print transfer, the list goes on... On monochrome laser printers they can be useful as they tend to be more successful with less issues developing but in general I would consider long and hard whether you can handle the hassle for the sake of saving a few pounds. Cost £29.00
2. Size matters- on some cartridges various sizes are available, generally the options are standard or High Yield/ Capacity, always ask for confirmation of page yield as some unscrupulous suppliers will happily tell you its High capacity and then supply a standard yield. On HP toners the vast majority will have the suffix X on the code if it is high capacity but it can still be worth confirming page yield to be sure.
3. Check for extra charges: Im frequently amazed by the number of people who do a line by line comparison but neglect to check for carriage charges, minimum order values/ small order charges/ order processing fees and other miscellaneous margin boosters! If a price appears to be good always confirm that there are no additional costs and get this confirmed in writing.
4. Stock: Always confirm stock availability, any reputable firm will be able to confirm when youre asking pricing, if they cant be wary; Theres nothing worse than discovering that your printers are dry and your suppliers holding off delivery for another week as theyve got no stock! On your main printers Id recommend ordering on a plus one basis to give you a buffer- i.e. 1 spare always on site. It takes pressure off you on ordering and means that youre not going to be caught short.
5 Cartridge codes: Its useful to keep track of which printer uses what cartridges- In the past Ive come across people paying different prices for the same cartridge as they order by printer model rather than cartridge code. When asking a potential supplier for comparative pricing ask for them to include the code: not only does this make it easier for you to carry out future comparisons but it can also help weed out suppliers who value customer service as they will be the ones wholl come back with listings rather than slipping away to find someone easier to rip off. Another benefit is that this is a foolproof method of checking that you are being supplied the appropriate version of cartridge i.e. High, standard or low yield.
Hope youve found this guide useful; feel free to contact me if you have any other areas of confusion about your inks/ toners and other print consumables.
