I've used HP inkjet printers for years. They're usually pretty good until they die. They're not too expensive, it's the consumables that tend to cost a lot of money. You're talking about £20 for a black cartridge and about £25 for a colour one. But this isn't too bad because you don't have to replace them all that often and the supermarkets tend to do their own that are just as good for a lot less money.
Embarking on an art project that would require printing out lots of 6x4 prints, I decided that I might as well replace my nearly empty Tesco black cartridge. So off I pootled and was disappointed that they only had HP brand cartridges for my printer in stock - at about twice the price of their own. But I wasn't too bothered since I don't have to replace them that often. I just wanted the thing tonight so I could get on with stuff.
First problem: getting into the cartridge.
Why is this so bloody difficult? First off you have to cut through that super sharp, super tough plastic security packaging while trying not to impale your hands on the razor-like corners and edges. Following this, with aching hands and bleeding fingers, you must negotiate two layers of cardboard packaging before finally getting to the cartridge. Before installing it, you recall the last time you used an HP brand black cartridge in the very same printer: somehow on that occasion the metallic communication strip on the cartridge had become mangled as you tried to install it. You remind yourself to be extra careful on this occasion!
You try to put the cartridge in the designated slot. Despite being as careful as possible, it doesn't seem to go in as easily as the colour cartridge and your worst fears are realised when the orange light flashes to tell you that there's an incompatible cartridge in the machine. Yep, the fucking thing has got mangled and has been rendered totally useless. That's £20 down the pan again, thanks to shitty HP cartridges.
Bastards.
I'm so pissed off. Next time I buy a printer, I must remember to get one that is compatible with the cartridges that we have at work.
13 comments:
The words 'destroy' and 'utterly' spring to mind.
I caught the beginning and end of a news slot last night about the amount of wasted packaging. Write or email the store's headquarters to complain about the amount of packaging.
There's also some official now responsible for packaging complaints but I didn't catch his name or email address.
Screw that, just take the printer from work home.
Aw that's thieving you bad bad girl.
I always forget to remove the strip so I get blank pages but then I'm a bit f'kin ditzy.
Yeah, I could do with a big, fuck-off laserjet in here.
Here's a revelation - the HP15 cartridge is exactly the same as the HP45 cartridge. We have loads of HP45s at work. Unfortunately, the one I brought home to try got mangled too. Pile of wank!
I'm going to get one of those refill kits and just suck the ink out of the mutilated ones. Then squirt it into the eye of this fucking cat who won't leave me a-fucking-lone!
Hi there party, btw.
That plastic packaging makes me do bad things.
Help me baby Jesus.
Help me Tom Cruise!
Tom Cruise? I don't think Rat Boy could help anyone unless they had a few million to donate to his freakoid cult.
He's a cunt.
Unless we're talking about the sauce. Then, I heart HP.
I hate HP.
We no longer heart HP sauce since production was moved to Holland with a loss of hundreds of UK jobs. Fuckers.
Crap on a stick.
i'm not a fan of Hewlett Packard. i've never held down much of a job. Having said that, I can tell you that in high school HP was nothing to write home about. You're a great girl, Sniffy! I applaud you!
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