Remanufactured Cartridges

Have you ever wondered why some ink cartridges cost almost as much as the printer? Many manufacturers offer discounted printers but overcharge for the cartridges, meaning you pay more over the life of the printer! Stores offer rebates for used cartridges because the manufacturer reuses them. Our remanufactured cartridges function just as well as new ones and save the cost of having to buy a brand new cartridge. Contact us for details on the makes and models of recycled cartridges we carry.

Will using remanufactured ink and toner cartridges void your printer’s warranty?

Many people would prefer to use economical, environment-friendly remanufactured cartridges, but hesitate to do so, for fear of invalidating their printer warranties.

It’s a common belief that printer manufacturers can (and do) require the use of specific brand-name cartridges as a condition of warranty validation. Some folks even think it is illegal to use store brands or remanufactured cartridges in a brand-name printer. (And some dishonest salespeople encourage these misconceptions.)

The truth is that it is against federal law for any printer manufacturer to require the use of a specific brand or type of cartridge as a condition of purchase or warranty. Such “tie-in” purchase requirements are specifically forbidden by the Magnuson Moss Warranty Improvement Act of 1975.

This is the same law that forbids, say, the Acme Sewing Machine Company from refusing to honor a sewing machine warranty unless the seamstress only used Acme Brand Thread.

Consumers have additional legal protections from portions of the Sherman & Clayton Antitrust Acts, which also do not allow manufacturers to require (or imply it’s required) purchasers to use only their brands of disposable materials, replacement parts, etc. with their machines.

The point is this: not only is it absolutely legal to use compatible generic and re-used ink and toner cartridges in any printer, it is also against the law for a printer manufacturer to refuse to honor a warranty because of such use.

There is one exception to these laws, however. If a manufacturer can prove that the use of a cartridge expressly not recommended in the warranty was the direct cause of damage, they may have grounds to invalidate a warranty. This is why it is wise to purchase your remanufactured cartridges from a reputable, U.S.-based seller, rather than chancing buying cheap, overseas knock-offs which are likely to leak and possibly cause damage. That said, unless an ink or toner cartridge has been the cause of damage to your printer, the manufacturer must honor your warranty.