HP's "Reman Myths" Questionable

From therecycler.com:

"HP has released a set of what it calls myths about remanufactured toner, claiming that aftermarket cartridges “end up costing you more”

See the whole recycler article here.

In HP's set of what it calls "myths about remanufactured toner" the company states the following:

"Remanufactured cartridges do not save the consumer any money because of hidden costs. According to the OEM, the cartridges “may quit working, stranding toner in the cartridge”.

“Certain non-HP cartridges are more likely to fail out of the box, fail after installation, and may leak into the printer”

“The generic toner and aftermarket replacement components can create charging issues that impact performance.”

“print quality degrades, resulting in pages that are not fit for use”

“In fact, 94 percent of remanufactured cartridges sold will ultimately be thrown away due to the remanufacturers’ preference to work with cartridges that have never been remanufactured and the unavailability of recycling for non-usable cartridges and replaced parts.”

First off I would like to explain the difference between bargain cartridges and remanufactured cartridges as pertaining to how we here at Expert Laser Services remanufacture our cartridges.

Some of you may remember the "Drill-n-Fill" debacle of the 90s. During that time period there was somewhat of a boom in the remanufacturing industry and (not unlike MPS) everyone and their cousin was doing it.

Those who wanted to get rich quick would quite literally drill a hole in an empty toner cartridge, refill it with toner, seal the hole and then re-sell the cartridge...

These cartridges always have been and will always be junk.

However a true remanufacturing company such as us use a highly sophisticated process of rebuilding the entire cartridge.

First the used cartridges are fully dismantled. Any and all moving parts are recycled and replaced with brand new OEM quality PCRs, mag roll sleeves, wiper blades, doctor blades, drums... everything is replaced with brand new parts.

The cartridge is then reassembled to OEM standards with new toner, tested multiple times and then repackaged for sale.

Below I am going to debunk these claims. (Granted you may think I am biased because we remanufacture toner cartridges here at Expert Laser Services. However if you want to challenge the integrity of our product or test HP's claim for your self, come buy a cartridge from us and if your not happy we will gladly refund your money)

"Remanufactured cartridges do not save the consumer any money because of hidden costs. According to the OEM, the cartridges “may quit working, stranding toner in the cartridge”.

HP fails to tell you that the same risk is inherent with their OEM cartridges as well. There is always a small possibility with OEMs and remans that you may get a non-working cartridge. To suggest that the issue stated above pertains only to remanufactured toner cartridges is misleading at best.

I would also go on to say that remanufactures like Expert Laser Services will make good by replacing any defective cartridge free of charge.

“Certain non-HP cartridges are more likely to fail out of the box, fail after installation, and may leak into the printer”

A simple self test will prove to any consumer the amount of truth present within the above statements. If you buy a remanufactured toner cartridge from Expert Laser Services (or multiple cartridges for that matter) and test them against the statements above you will in the very least discover that our products will not reflect those "certain non-HP cartridges" as mentioned above.

“The generic toner and aftermarket replacement components can create charging issues that impact performance.”

If one is to do a little homework and speak with their local remanufacturer they will generally find that the replacement parts are equal in quality to OEM specs. And if your local provider does not use said parts you can easily find a provider who does via the internet.

“Print quality degrades, resulting in pages that are not fit for use”

Expert Laser Services uses brand new toner powder equal to the quality you can expect from an OEM HP Toner Cartridge.

“In fact, 94 percent of remanufactured cartridges sold will ultimately be thrown away due to the remanufacturers’ preference to work with cartridges that have never been remanufactured and the unavailability of recycling for non-usable cartridges and replaced parts.”

Here at Expert Laser Services we have proven, time and again that we can remanufacture toner cartridges to OEM specs 7-8 times per cartridge. That means every one of our cartridges is able to be used from full to empty 7-8 times before the cartridge is broken down and its components are recycled.

Before you buy into the content of any press release, white paper or literature of such...

Do your homework. You may be surprised at what you find.

Have you "Hurd" about HP Japan?

From therecycler.com

"The article said that the Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau found that HP failed to declare JPY 47 billion (£349 million) between October 2004 and 2006.

According to the Ashai, HP Japan pays over JPY 20 billion for administrative costs to its US parent branch, which tax authorities said should not have been claimed under expenses."

See the whole article here.

With shady tax dealings in Japan and former CEO Mark Hurds strange "not exactly" sexual harasement situation you have to wonder, what is up with HP lately?

Perhaps the problem is within HP's less than stellar Marketing efforts...

From Death of the Copier

"I've said it before, HP is great at making really cool things, but marketing, not so much.

A quote from Ellison,

"...The H-P Board just made the worst personnel decision since the idiots on the Apple board fired Steve Jobs many years ago. That decision nearly destroyed Apple and would have if Steve hadn’t come back and saved them. H-P had a long list of failed CEOs until they hired Mark who has spent the last five years doing a brilliant job reviving H-P to its former greatness..."

Agreed.

If there are any doubts, Ellison crystallizes with this,

"...Publishing known false sexual harassment claims is not good corporate governance; its cowardly corporate political correctness. Those six directors caused H-P to lose a nearly irreplaceable CEO. Those six directors who voted against Mark can try hard to hide behind a claim of “good corporate governance” but their decision has already cost H-P shareholders over $10 billion … and my guess it’s going to cost them a lot more..."

Read the whole article here.

I am honestly wondering when HP's Reality TV show will go into production. Perhaps they could get Ben Stein to Host it...

Is HP ready to Battle?

With not only Xerox but Ricoh readying the troops for a battle against the old giant HP one has to wonder does HP have what it takes to hold its ground? At the same time one might consider how long Xerox or Ricoh would last should they dethrone the behemoth that is HP. With hardware sales projected to be down by as much as 30% by years end these "big boys" of the printing industry know that what will make or break them is the strength of their MPS programs which of course are newbies compared to some smaller companies that have provided solid MPS programs for a decade or more.

Of course the sheer power of the "big boys" will for now provide a shield against any real competition from these smaller groups but all the "jocks" of the industry still have to worry about each other and HP with a 25 year head start in the industry should be pretty embarrassed if they get knocked off their high horse after such a head start.

When one looks at Xerox and Ricohs various strategic alliances with computer manufacturers and some of the acquisitions they have made, it would be wise for HP to get a reality check if they wish to defend their position within the industry. I suppose in the end only time will tell but for now, lets sit back and enjoy the carnage. The "big boys" screw ups which will inevitably happen as time goes on will make good commentary for the little guys while they chuckle and rest upon their years of experience.

In the words of Mills Lane........ "Let's Get It On!"