Consumer Awareness Regarding Inkjet and Toner Cartridges
One of my clients recently received a call from a Pitney Bowes Sales Rep. They were calling to see if my client needed additional red inkjet cartridges for their Pitney Bowes mailmachine. My client informed the Pitney Bowes rep that they had purchased their ink from Print Green USA, Inc., and at substantial savings. The Pitney Bowes rep then stated that using cartridges that weren’t Pitney Bowes brand would void the warranty on the mailmachine. That is not the case at all. In fact it is illegal for a manufacturer to require that a consumer use a certain brand of product as a condition of the warranty. This is covered by the Magnusson Moss Warranty Act. (Details at the end of this article)
Per the Federal Trade Commission: OEM(Original Equipment Manufacturer) cannot, as a condition of the warranty, require the use of a certain brand of cartridge. Note that exceptions can be made to this only if the government decides “the warranted product will function properly only if the article or service so identified is used in connection with the warranted product, and the Commission finds that such a waiver is in the public interest.” Currently, no printer products appear to be included in this list, and any new applications must undergo review and public comment.
The HP inkjet warranty is clearer than most: “For HP printer products, the use of a non-HP ink cartridge or a refilled ink cartridge does not affect either the warranty to the customer or any HP support contract with the customer.
Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act
The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975 states that, in the United States at least, the warranty cannot be voided because of the use of aftermarket products. This is commonly known as the Act’s “anti-tying” provision because it prevents a manufacturer from “tying” its warranty to the use of specific products.
If you would like more information regarding printer cartridges or your printer warranty please contact Print Green USA Inc.
