Ink warning: Printer Fatal Error
I have (had) a very nice printer/fax/copier/scanner for years. Then it happened. I ran out of ink. Of course I'd run out of ink before, but this tine there was a "SALE!"
Normally I buy only the name brand ink because...well, I'll explain in a minute. But like I said, there was a sale! 'nough said. I could buy 3 ink cartridges at a lower price than I could buy one! Who wouldn't want that? PLEASE DO NOT FALL FOR THIS!
So, I bought it (of course or there would be no blog about it). I have an HP printer/everything else. It's been very good to me and I've enjoyed it for many years. Matter of fact I've enjoyed it so long that they don't make them anymore.
I read the directions after the printer message said, "Fatal Error" "Printhead" . So, I thought, "I must need to run the "clean the cartridge" and "align the printhead". NOPE! Did not work.
So, I took the printhead apart to see what the problem was. Well, there was ink everywhere. I cleaned it up and thought, "Okay, now it will work". Only it printed with lines through the ink.
I read the online manual and it said, "If all else fails try ...." So I thought, I tried everything else. I took it apart and did as the instructions detailed. I paid very close attention to every detail. NOTHING!
So, I took a look at the instructions again and there was a flashing warning sign ( not really, but there should have been one). Do not use refurbished ink. It will damage the printhead. WHAT?
So, I took those ink cartridges out and replace them. Thinking "Well, that should solve the problem. I just put the wrong ink in." I purchased the correct ink and guess what? Nothing. Now the black wouldn't print and it wasn't the refurbished ink. So I cleaned it again...nothing.
The next day I loaded up this printer and took it to a printer store. I said, "I have all of this ink. Can you fix my printer or do you have another one that uses the same ink?" After I got up off of the floor from shock of the price to replace the printhead I said, "How much is a new one and does it use the same ink?" Of course not! Nope it seems that my printer was the last printer made to use that ink. Ugh!
Well, thankfully they were having a sale! Yeah! or not. You see, I had spent so much money on the ink that it was an insult to have to buy a new printer and new ink. But it had to be done.
I told the manager how much ink I had purchased (after I was informed that indeed the "cheap" cartridges had killed my printer) and he said that if I could find the boxes for the ink that HP would credit me back for the "real ink".
I got home and searched through the trash. I hate doing that. Thankfully it was just paper and oh... ink cartridges... My hands are blue...not because I'm cold either. I had the cartridges in a plastic bag, but that didn't help.
You see, now this is the important part, if you buy a refurbished ink cartridge you'll note that there is a metal bubble that is not on the original ink cartridge. This is where they have broken the seal in order to "refill" it. That is a VERY bad idea. That bubble cost me an entirely new printer. So, I saved about thirty dollars only to spend another one hundred and thirty dollars. UGH!
It's not as bleak as it sounds though. God redeems "stupid". lol. I couldn't say that I didn't expect less from the cheaper brand, even though it was the same brand. I could say that I did not expect it to ruin my printer. So I call that a "Duh event". Never ever repeat a "Duh event".
I took the failed ink back to the store and the multiplied replacement ink cartridges that I had purchased trying to "fix" the disaster to the store I bought it all from. What did I have to lose? The other dealer said they would give me credit, but I wanted this store to understand the damage their product had caused to my printer. "Fatal Error" Never a good sign.
So, I took it all, boxes and ink (still blue hands) and explained what had happened. I found favor in the sight of....whoever that lady was (and the Lord of course) and she returned all the ink including the ink that had KILLED my printer. You know what's funny about all of that?
The price for the new printer was equal to the price of the returned ink. Now talk about ironic.
God is good even when people are not or when I am "ignorant". lol.
You get what you pay for! (or worse)
Normally I buy only the name brand ink because...well, I'll explain in a minute. But like I said, there was a sale! 'nough said. I could buy 3 ink cartridges at a lower price than I could buy one! Who wouldn't want that? PLEASE DO NOT FALL FOR THIS!
So, I bought it (of course or there would be no blog about it). I have an HP printer/everything else. It's been very good to me and I've enjoyed it for many years. Matter of fact I've enjoyed it so long that they don't make them anymore.
I read the directions after the printer message said, "Fatal Error" "Printhead" . So, I thought, "I must need to run the "clean the cartridge" and "align the printhead". NOPE! Did not work.
So, I took the printhead apart to see what the problem was. Well, there was ink everywhere. I cleaned it up and thought, "Okay, now it will work". Only it printed with lines through the ink.
I read the online manual and it said, "If all else fails try ...." So I thought, I tried everything else. I took it apart and did as the instructions detailed. I paid very close attention to every detail. NOTHING!
So, I took a look at the instructions again and there was a flashing warning sign ( not really, but there should have been one). Do not use refurbished ink. It will damage the printhead. WHAT?
So, I took those ink cartridges out and replace them. Thinking "Well, that should solve the problem. I just put the wrong ink in." I purchased the correct ink and guess what? Nothing. Now the black wouldn't print and it wasn't the refurbished ink. So I cleaned it again...nothing.
The next day I loaded up this printer and took it to a printer store. I said, "I have all of this ink. Can you fix my printer or do you have another one that uses the same ink?" After I got up off of the floor from shock of the price to replace the printhead I said, "How much is a new one and does it use the same ink?" Of course not! Nope it seems that my printer was the last printer made to use that ink. Ugh!
Well, thankfully they were having a sale! Yeah! or not. You see, I had spent so much money on the ink that it was an insult to have to buy a new printer and new ink. But it had to be done.
I told the manager how much ink I had purchased (after I was informed that indeed the "cheap" cartridges had killed my printer) and he said that if I could find the boxes for the ink that HP would credit me back for the "real ink".
I got home and searched through the trash. I hate doing that. Thankfully it was just paper and oh... ink cartridges... My hands are blue...not because I'm cold either. I had the cartridges in a plastic bag, but that didn't help.
You see, now this is the important part, if you buy a refurbished ink cartridge you'll note that there is a metal bubble that is not on the original ink cartridge. This is where they have broken the seal in order to "refill" it. That is a VERY bad idea. That bubble cost me an entirely new printer. So, I saved about thirty dollars only to spend another one hundred and thirty dollars. UGH!
It's not as bleak as it sounds though. God redeems "stupid". lol. I couldn't say that I didn't expect less from the cheaper brand, even though it was the same brand. I could say that I did not expect it to ruin my printer. So I call that a "Duh event". Never ever repeat a "Duh event".
I took the failed ink back to the store and the multiplied replacement ink cartridges that I had purchased trying to "fix" the disaster to the store I bought it all from. What did I have to lose? The other dealer said they would give me credit, but I wanted this store to understand the damage their product had caused to my printer. "Fatal Error" Never a good sign.
So, I took it all, boxes and ink (still blue hands) and explained what had happened. I found favor in the sight of....whoever that lady was (and the Lord of course) and she returned all the ink including the ink that had KILLED my printer. You know what's funny about all of that?
The price for the new printer was equal to the price of the returned ink. Now talk about ironic.
God is good even when people are not or when I am "ignorant". lol.
You get what you pay for! (or worse)
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