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Ten Myths About Compatible / Remanufactured Cartridges

Many consumers have concerns when they purchase compatible and remanufactured printer cartridges for the first time.  Although they know that these discount cartridges can help them save a lot of money, they may  worry about print quality, printer warranty, page yield, etc.  Here are the top 10 myths about compatible and remanufactured cartridges explained. 

1)  Compatible or remanufactured cartridges won’t work for my printer

Hundreds of thousands people purchase and use compatible and remanufactured cartridges each day.  No matter which brand of printer you are using now, you can find compatible or remanufactured cartridges that work for your printer model.

2)  Compatible or remanufactured cartridges are inferior to OEM cartridges

There are many third party manufacturers making compatible and remanufactured cartridges in the market these days.  Some of them may not produce high quality products but many others follow the highest standard (ISO standard) using the same specification of OEM cartridges in their production.  These high quality compatible or remanufactured cartridges perform just as well or better than the OEM cartridges.

3)  Remanufactured cartridges are made by simply refilling the old cartridges

Not true.  Remanufactured cartridges are cartridges that have gone through one cycle of service.  These cartridges are thoroughly cleaned, with worn or damaged parts replaced.  The cartridges are then filled with new ink or toner formulation.  Microchips are replaced to ensure proper function of the cartridges.  All cartridges are inspected for leakage and tested by actual print test.  Only those that pass through strict standards will be released to the market. 

4)  Old ink or toner are used in the remanufactured or compatible cartridges

Both compatible and remanufactured cartridges use new ink or toner formulation in the production.  Each cartridge model has a different ink / toner formulation so it is not possible to collect and reuse the old ink / toner in old cartridges.  In addition, contaminated ink / toner are not reusable as they may cause damage to the cartridges and printing problems.

5)  Use of compatible or remanufactured cartridges will damage your printer

This is another myth printer manufacturers want you to believe so they can sell you very expensive OEM cartridges.  Printer cartridges are self contained units.  Defective cartridges may fail to print or may leak requiring some cleanup.  However, these malfunctions will not damage your printer and they happen to OEM cartridges as well as compatible or remanufactured cartridges.

6)  Compatible or remanufactured cartridges have limited warranty

Reputable manufacturers of compatible and remanufactured cartridges provide 100% guarantee and extended warranty (1 year) to the customers.  This warranty period is similar or even better than that of OEM cartridges.  Within the warranty period, if you are not satisfied with the performance of these cartridges, you can return them for a free replacement or full refund.

7)  Compatible or remanufactured cartridges have lower page yield

The page yield / cartridge yield of each cartridge should be stated in product specification regardless of the type of cartridges.  Many compatible and remanufactured cartridges are high yield cartridges, producing much more print output than the standard yield OEM cartridges.  No matter whether you are purchasing OEM, compatible or remanufactured cartridges, always compare the page yield and the printing cost per page before the purchase. 

8)   Returning old cartridges to printer manufacturers are as environmentally friendly as purchasing remanufactured cartridges

Only a small percentage of empty cartridges are reused and recycled by the OEM manufacturers.  The majority are dumped in the landfills or disposed in third world countries.

9)  OEM cartridges are made by the printer manufacturers in the USA

Not true.  Most OEM cartridges are not made by the printer manufacturers themselves.  They are made by third party manufacturers licensed to produce these brand name products.  Most of these OEM products are in fact manufactured in other countries.

10)  Using compatible and remanufactured cartridges will void your printer warranty

This is not true.  Under Magnusson-Moss Warranty Improvement Act, it is illegal for a manufacturer to force you to use a specific product as a condition of a warranty.  Printer manufacturers cannot void your printer warranty simply because you use compatible / remanufactured cartridges from other manufacturers.