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Discount Ink Cartridge

by Kwan H Lo

Consumers say "no" to high-price replacement cartridges. Discount ink cartridge picks up market share.

Despite the steep drop of printer price, printer ink remains to be one of the most expensive liquids in the world. According to a recent study by the UK Consumers Association, printer ink costs even more than French Champagne per milliliter.  

Many consumers are fed up with the high price of OEM replacement cartridges. Many of them bought a cheap ink printer for home use, only to find out that they have spent more on ink cartridges in just a few months. This is why discount ink cartridges become so popular among bargain hunting consumers these days. 

Discount ink cartridges are mostly compatible cartridges, also known as generic cartridges.  They are like the generic drugs in pharmaceutical industry. Compatible cartridges are made brand new with the same specifications of name brand cartridges but are generally 50-75% cheaper. 

One consumer was quoted saying "I was amazed at the money I save using these discount ink cartridges. I can print as many color photos as I want now". Another consumer said "I was a bit concerned about the printing quality at first, but it worked out great". 

The other type of discount ink cartridges is remanufactured cartridges.  They are name brand cartridges which have gone through one cycle of use, but refilled and sometimes installed with new components.  Remanufactured cartridges are a bit more expensive than compatible cartridges but still offer a big savings compared to OEM cartridges.  In addition, they are very popular among environmentally concerned consumers.

Although many stores offer discount ink cartridges, consumers are advised to choose the products carefully. In addition to price comparison, they should seek out suppliers who can also provide good service, good refund policy and extended warranty.