Compatible Ink Cartridges: To Use or Not To Use?

by admin June 2, 2011 at 2:58 am

Whether you are at home, school, or work, you’ll definitely need a computer for your leisure, school research, or paper work needs. Printing documents for these purposes would require you a reliable printer with a high-quality ink cartridge isn’t it? These days purchasing an ink cartridge from your printer’s original equipment manufacturer (OEM) would cost you a lot; so to save money, like most people do, you may use compatible ink cartridges from a different vendor. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using this product? Let’s look at these one by one.

Advantages
One of the biggest advantages of using this type of cartridge is low cost. This product, similar to the original, may also provide you good quality printing usually at half the cost of your original cartridge. Aside from that, these cartridges are also eco-friendly and can be purchased easily online. Today, there are a lot of online trade portals that can meet all your specific cartridge needs. Should you worry about warranties, these online stores, especially the reputable ones, also provide their customers guarantees and warranties in case of product failure. Aside from good value for your money, it is not difficult to look for an ink cartridge that is compatible to your printer since these cartridges can also work for most brands, even the expensive ones.

Disadvantages
The main disadvantage of using this product is quality control. This type of cartridge is very easy to manufacture and in most cases can be done even in a garage at home. So, if you are looking for non-OEM cartridges make sure you only purchase from a reputable vendor that can give you 100% product satisfaction guarantee. Although these cartridges are designed to replace OEM-type cartridges, these products are reported to have caused serious damages in most brands and printer models. One problem that may also get in the way is the warranty issue. When you use these cartridges, they usually void your printer warranty though MAGNUSON-MOSS WARRANTY IMPROVEMENT ACT states the other way around.

So what will you choose? The power to choose is still yours. If you have the budget and you need 100% product guaranty, then by all means, opt to purchase OEM cartridges for your printer. However, if you need an ink cartridge that nearly has the same quality and is budget-friendly, go save money and help the environment by buying compatible ink cartridges.