Buying printer ink is a rip off!

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

I paid about $60 for a new Epson computer printer, which didn't seem too expensive at the time.  Then, I ran out of ink, and the nightmare began!  To replace all four standard colors(black,blue,yellow,purple) cost me almost $58!!

What's wrong with this picture?  At first I thought....well, it's the color of course!  I'll just by black ink, which runs between $17 and $19 a cartridge, and blow off the other colors!  WRONG!  You can't just replace the black ink!  You must get all four color  cartridges, that is, unless you can figure out which color is totally empty.  Then and only then, can you buy just one empty color....and that seldom happens.

If you are lucky, you'll be back printing for between $12 and $15, which is still expensive!  It seems just as economic to buy a new printer each time, rather than pay to refill its ink!  Where is the light at the end of this nightmare?

I talked with a sales guy at the 'Office Depot' on Bascom Avenue in Campbell, California, and told me there is some hope!  He said you can always get cartridge refills, however, not with all brands of printers such as Epson or the new HP models....but, you have to shop around.

If you own Cannon, Brother, Dell, Lexmark, or an older HP model printer, many stores such as Walgreen's and Office Depot have refill centers for certain printers. Going online helps even more. Check out sites like 'Ink Technologies.com', 'Ink Grabber.com', and Cartridge World.

Cartridge World offers anything and everything involving printer color and toner needs, and they have more than 600 stores in the United States....including Bay Area locations such as San Jose, Campbell, Milpitas, Sunnyvale, Redwood City, Hayward,  San Leandro, Pleasanton, and San Francisco.

Like many places, they take online orders with cheap shipping deals, however, keeping your printer filled with ink still costs consumers an arm and a leg--while companies who sell them get mega-rich!

Black ink costs the most because it runs out the fastest (of course), and in most other cases, all four colors either run-out or dry-up at the same time!  The best advice is to print as sparingly as possible, and check the color levels closely.  In many cases, the printer window on your computer will display a color gage.  Use it, if you have it!

Meanwhile, let us all hope that someday, printer ink prices will go down....the same way calculators, digital watches, and vcr's did!  It's possible...but, highly improbable!

Take care, and keep the faith

Sincerely,  PeteCam4

"Best Wishes"--PTCJr