Released by Which?:
Printer ink – a bottomless well of expense?
Computing Which? investigates the cost of printer ink
With consumers paying on average of £69 a year for their printer ink, sometimes more than the printer itself, it’s hardly surprising stacks of cartridges have been run dry writing on the subject, says Computing Which? today.
In fact, when it comes to the value offered by printer ink, only a quarter of those questioned in a Computing Which? survey said their cartridges were worth what they paid.
Manufacturer-branded ink cost on average £77 a year and non-original cartridges around £60 So, it’s hardly surprising that over half of respondents to the survey rated the value for money delivered by their printer ink to be poor .
And a third of those who replied saying they opted for branded ink cartridges did so following manufacturers’ advice. Understandable, as several say they won’t cover damage to printers caused by using third-party cartridges.
Jessica Ross, editor of Computing Which? said:
“With printers costing as little as £30 to buy but as much as £400 a year to run depending on usage, printer ink really could be the new black gold.
“Such is the expense and luxury of printer ink that a recent investigation in the US uncovered an unhealthy trade in imitation branded cartridges.
“Ultimately, it does boil down to what the printer is expected to deliver. While respondents who use branded ink were slightly more satisfied with the results of their printing, the perceived difference in quality was relatively small..
“Until branded ink cartridges come down in price, third-party cartridges are a good option for consumers concerned about cost. But they need to be careful not to invalidate their warranty in the process.”
Respondents were also asked about their make of printer and preferred choice of ink cartridge. Two thirds of hp owners were selecting manufacturer-branded ink, which meant they paid a higher price to print (on average £74 a year). Canon owners, however, pay less for their ink, typically £52 a year, while Epson customers more likely to opt for a third-party provider – a choice that could be the result of the manufacturer’s policy of using ‘chipped’ cartridges.
Epson claims its ink cartridges are ‘chipped’ to ensure they’re replaced before they empty too much, which they claim can allow potentially damaging air bubbles into the printer’s system. However, Epson has been criticised for forcing its customers to replace cartridges before they’ve actually run out. In the Computing Which? survey, six out of ten Epson printer owners agreed with this statement, which may explain why over half of them preferred to use less restrictive third-party alternatives.
Lexmark owners were also less satisfied than average with the way their printer ink performed. Six in ten said they didn’t realise how much the printer would cost to run when they bought it and 29 per cent described the ink for their printer as very poor value for money.
www.computingwhich.co.uk
