HP Printer Cartridge Expiration Date Workarounds

[James Fee]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://constitutionalcode.blogspot.com/2005/02/cartridge-expiration-date-workarounds.html' target='_blank'>http://constitutionalcode.blogspot.com/2005/02/cartridge-expiration-date-workarounds.html</a><br /><br /></div><i>"In light of the <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4293427.stm">lawsuit against Hewlett-Packard</a> over the expiration date of their cartridges, two ways to fix the problem that presumably work are easily found online, remove and reinsert the battery of the printer's memory chip or change the parameters of the printer driver."</i><br /><br />If you have an HP printer cartridge and have been burned or are worried about being burned by their idiot printer cartridge expiration dates there are solutions. Or do what I have done and just walk about from HP printers. :evil:

[Jerry Raia]

I had never heard of this expiration date business. I don't have an HP printer. Why would they do something like that? It's pretty outrageous. Is there some ink shelf life or something? Even if that were the case the user should be able to judge if the quality is adequate before being forced to buy another cartridge.

[Kris Kumar]

Interesting indeed. I do have one of the newer HP printer. But have not run into this issue. But good to know. :twisted:

[Philip Colmer]

It is one of the reasons why I've gone (back) to Canon - ink catridges that are transparent so you can see how much ink is left, no chips - just optical sensors to see when the cartridge is running out.

Vote with your feet :-).

--Philip

[Crocuta]

Vote with your feet :-).

Indeed, that's the best advice I've seen all day. This is just one more nail in the coffin of the 'new' HP. Their new mission statement appears to be to alienate each and every customer, one at a time.

[Philip Colmer]

I've just discovered a stockpile of six HP DeskJet tri-colour catridges in the store room where I work ... all of which have passed their "install by" date. The five black cartridges run out in May :-(.

It will be interesting to see what the expiry date is on cartridges being sold in the local PC World. I have no idea how long these cartridges are supposed to last before they expire.

Damn, I'm annoyed with HP over this - and frustrated that I can't do anything about it, other than to replace the printers with a different brand. Time to write an email to my boss, I think.

--Philip

[Jerry Raia]

I would send HP a nice letter too while I was at it.

[Philip Colmer]

The cartridges I looked at in PC World today have an "install before" date of March 2006. In theory, therefore, you've got about a year to use a cartridge up, on the basis that once the install before date passes, the cartridge doesn't work any more.

Out of interest, I checked a Canon cartridge and the wording on that said that the ink should be used within 6 months for optimum results.

The cost of a replacement colour HP cartridge was £25 and the Canon Pixma IP1500 was £40, so I've bought a new printer :-).

--Philip

[Philip Colmer]

Is there some ink shelf life or something? Even if that were the case the user should be able to judge if the quality is adequate before being forced to buy another cartridge.
Absolutely! On the HP cartridges I was looking at today, the print head forms part of the cartridge, so it isn't even as if there is a risk of damage to the printer!

--Philip

[Jerry Raia]

It's a shame what has happened to HP. I used to work with their computers back in the mid 80's. What a difference. Sad really.

[ctmagnus]

I've just discovered a stockpile of six HP DeskJet tri-colour catridges in the store room where I work ... all of which have passed their "install by" date. The five black cartridges run out in May :-(.

It will be interesting to see what the expiry date is on cartridges being sold in the local PC World. I have no idea how long these cartridges are supposed to last before they expire.

I had a 45 sitting for fifteen months past it's install before date before I installed it and it worked fine.

[djh]

It's a shame what has happened to HP. I used to work with their computers back in the mid 80's. What a difference. Sad really.
I agree, it's sad.
HP really was a World Class company, now they are just a joke to many of us.