I just got back from Costco/Office Depot. Bought a couple ink cartridges (black and color) for my not-all-that-old Lexmark all-in-one printer - cost $98...gack.

Then I went over to Costco and priced out printers due to my disgust witht he cartridge pricing - brand new all-in-one HP printer, smaller more convenient footprint than my monster - $89. You KNOW that printer came with a couple cartridges, too.

I don't think I'll be buying anymore Lexmark cartridges.

[in other news, took 479 used-up cartridges to Costco to use their cool cartridge-refill service (about $20 total for two refilled black and color). Guy behind counter says "Oh, these are remanufactured cartridges - we're not allowed to touch them; You know, maybe ink incompatibilities, etc". Poop.]

Thanks for the tip.

Yeah, that's the more cost-effective way at times.

But they've wised up to that plan these days. Most only come with "starter cartridges" now which only have about half the ink.

Go laser if you don't need color.

Or thermal if you're doing a lot of labels. No ink at all.

I heard that some walgreens stores will refill particular brands for like 7 bucks. I have never looked into it but I have heard it enough to believe it to be true.

It is true but I think it is a bit more around the $12-15 mark. Still cheaper than buying a whole new cartridge. They do b&w and color, for HP stuff and some other brands.

heard it Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I heard that some walgreens stores will refill
> particular brands for like 7 bucks. I have never
> looked into it but I have heard it enough to
> believe it to be true.

True Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> But they've wised up to that plan these days.
> Most only come with "starter cartridges" now which
> only have about half the ink.


that sums it up, usually with the starter cartridge you get maybe two pages of text before it bums out.

My wife also discovered this recently.

the cartridges that come with the printer are low-capacity cartridges.

I heard somewhere that the sale of the printer itself is actually a loss leader and that the retailers intent is to jam you with highly marked up cartridges later. I guess they figure out that most people will buy them from the same place they bought their printer.

idontlikebeingrightaboutshitlikethisbutiam



Edited 21 time(s). Last edit at 5/31/1967 05:57AM by WingNut.

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And if you don't need to print in color? Go laser. Your start up costs are more but, your per-page print cost is dirt cheap.

^^^^ This- I've been using my laser printer for the past three years for many documents, and with no degrading of quality or replacement of ink. It cost $100 . . .

WingNut Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I heard somewhere that the sale of the printer
> itself is actually a loss leader and that the
> retailers intent is to jam you with highly marked
> up cartridges later. I guess they figure out that
> most people will buy them from the same place they
> bought their printer.


Yup. Kodak did the same with cameras--they'd practically give the cameras away to sell the film. And today it's cell phones--you get a nice piece of electronics for free, or for a few dollars, but then you have the regular cell phone service, the data plan, and so on.

It's a time-honored tradition.

Here, hold my dick for free, but it'll cost you 3 rapes.