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Printer Cartridges FAQ

• What does OEM mean?

OEM is an acronym for Original Equipment Manufacturer. These are products that are sold under a major brand name although they may in fact be manufactured by another company under sub-contract For example, Joe's Cartridges might be manufacturing cartridges for, say, Canon, and so the cartridges would have the Canon name and logo on them. Because of the branding these cartridges are usually expensive and of good quality, but not necessarily of better quality than unbranded cartridges, which may be manufactured by the same sub-contractor.

• What is a remanufactured cartridge?

When a cartridge runs out of ink, it can still be used again rather than just thrown out. A remanufactured cartridge is one that has been taken apart, cleaned and worn parts replaced. It is then tested for damage and, assuming it passes, refilled with ink and tested again to quality standards. This is far better than just recharging or refilling the cartridge as a remanufactured cartridge will either meet or exceed the OEM standards.

• What are compatible cartridges?

These are cartridges that are manufactured by a third party manufacturer but not branded as a major brand. These are new cartridges, not recycled or remanufactured, and are manufactured to meet specifications  and standards used by the original OEM models. They should be at least comparable in quality to OEM cartridges. These are also sometimes referred to s generic cartridges.

• What buy compatible printer cartridges?

Compatible cartridges are as good as, sometime better than, original cartridges but without the branding and associated costs that entails. Therefore compatible cartridges are always cheaper than original cartridges, sometimes up to 75% cheaper. This means you keep the savings and get a product just as good as an original one.

• Are compatible cartridges available for all printers?

Compatible cartridges are available for most printers with the exception of Lexmark and Hewlett Packard and some Canon models. All other printers do have compatible cartridges available that are just as good if not better than the originals.

Lexmark and HP cartridges are manufactured with the printer head incorporated into the cartridge itself and so can only be manufactured by these companies or under contract to them. However, there cartridges can be remanufactured and refilled at a discount price.

• What shelf life do compatible cartridges have?

All cartridges generally have a shelf life of 20-24 months from manufacture and so will almost always be used long before the expiry date under normal printer usage.

• What is an ink refill kit?

This is a kit containing the component parts, ink, syringes and clips, to refill your depleted cartridge with new ink, This is certainly the cheapest way of extending your cartridge life but does take some skill, time and effort. Care needs to be taken that the ink goes in the cartridge and not all over you.

• Will using compatible, remanufactured or refilled cartridges void my printer's warranty?

IN a word, NO! In the past companies did threaten to void printer warranties if refilled cartridges were used. However, legislation has since been introduced to prohibit this the voiding of warranties for any reason. To be specific, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Improvement Act states:

United States Code Annotated Title 15 Commerce and Trade Chapter 50 Consumer Product Warranties 15 Section 2302 (C)

"No warrantor of a consumer product may condition his written or implied warranty of such product on the consumer's using, in connection with such product, any article or service (other than article or service provided without charge under the terms of the warranty) which is identified by brand, trade, or corporate name; except that the prohibition of this subsection may be waived by the Commission if -
(1) the warrantor satisfies the Commission that the warranted product will function properly only if the article or service so identified is used in connection with the warranted product, and
(2) the Commission finds that such a waiver is in the public interest."

Read Full Code Excerpt

In short, this mean that printer manufacturers are unable force you to use their printer cartridges or refill kits when alternatives are available. However, although the warranty is still in force if you do use an alternative product, if damage ensues as a result of that alternative product then the printer manufacturer is not responsible for warranty repairs.

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