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Discount Toner Cartridge

by Kwan H Lo

Economical and environmental concerns change consumers’ buying pattern.  Discount toner cartridge invades the market of OEM cartridge.

Due to the drop in price, laser printer has gained popularity among small offices and home offices in recent years. The cheapest laser printers are now selling under US$200 and outperform inkjet printers in both speed and printing quality. Nevertheless, since most small offices have to print a lot of documents, the cost of drum and laser toner can still be prohibitive to those who are on a low budget.
 

Because of this, many consumers are turning to compatible and remanufactured laser toner cartridges these days. Compatible or generic toner cartridges, are like the generic drugs in pharmaceutical industry. They meet the same specification of name brand cartridges but are offered at one-half or one-third of the price. On the other hand, remanufactured toner cartridges are name brand cartridges which have been through one cycle of service. They are usually disassembled, cleaned, repaired and refilled before releasing to the market again. Consumers who buy remanufactured cartridges are not only concerned about the price, but their benefit to the environment as well. One consumer was quoted saying “I buy the remanufactured cartridges because it is good for the environment, the lower price is just a bonus”.

With these discount toner cartridges taking up market share, printer manufacturers are working hard to protect their profits. Some manufacturers try to ban the sales of compatible cartridges in courts, claiming that they have violated patent technology. Others have incorporated smart chips into their cartridges to prevent consumers from using compatible cartridges or remanufactured cartridges from third-party manufacturers.  Nevertheless, the market for compatible and remanufactured toner cartridges is still blooming.  Unless the price of OEM cartridges come down remarkably to make them more competitive, many smart consumers would still look for cheaper alternatives to meet their printing needs.