Will someone take a minute to chat with me about an HP printer issue, please.

[brer cat]

I recently bought a HP 2545 all-in-one inkjet printer on Amazon. It was very inexpensive, but I normally don't do a lot of printing (mostly scanning) and didn't want to spend a lot.

When I ran the install disc, one of the fields was location. The drop-down only listed countries in Latin America and would not let me enter USA. I thought this was very strange, but I needed to get some things printed and scanned, so chose Mexico and proceeded to complete the install.

Since then, I have learned that the only source for replacement cartridges is Amazon, and HP tells me that the warranty for this printer expired in Aug. 2015. The seller on Amazon answered my question of whether there was a compatible cartridge that I could use (answer "no&quot , but has ignored my question about whether this was made for a Latin American market and why that wasn't in their description or a warning given when I wanted it shipped to a US address and why HP is showing an expired warranty.

It is obviously my fault for not doing due diligence before buying it, and I can order cartridges from Amazon, although it will aggravate me, and probably get enough use for the money I spent.

But I am baffled by the whole situation. Is it normal for printers and other items to be made for a specific market like that, and shouldn't the seller be required to note that in their description? Or are they dumping out of warranty products? Am I making a bigger deal than necessary that it was for a different market? Should I make an issue of it with Amazon since imo the seller didn't do full disclosure?

[Pharaoh]

1. you are getting screwed

The good news is Amazon won't put up with that shit. Dispute it and you will get your money back. Hopefully you still have the box it shipped in.

[brer cat]

4. I do have the box

although I did use the printer.

[TreasonousBastard]

2. I would complain to Amazon, athough I don't know if...

it would do any good. Can't hurt.

And, yes, electronic stuff is made for specific countries for a lot of reasons-- language, software licenses, power outlets, patent and copyright issues, local regulations and customs thingies, and other seemingly ridiculous reasons. Makes life a real PITA for us mortals.

And yes, in a just world the sellers would be required to tell you the printer is not licensed for the US. It's possible they might not know about that, but Amazon should know.

Too late now, but new printers are ridiculously cheap if you wait for Staples to have a sale. I got an HP do everything printer a while ago for a hundred bucks or so but it died in a couple of months. Thing was a piece of crap to begin with so I didn't bother with the warranty. Found an Epson wide carriage printer with scanner, fax, and everything else for 200 bucks and have had it for years.

[SwankyXomb]

3. These days it's almost cheaper

to buy a new printer once the original ink runs out.

[TreasonousBastard]

6. It once was, but printer manufacturers noticed and...

starter cartridges don't have that much ink in them.

You can get a new Brother no-frills laser printer for under 50 bucks but you only get a few hundred pages before you have to buy a real cartridge. I have one and I love it, but it still pissed me off.

[brer cat]

5. I am going to give it a shot through Amazon.

The principle if nothing else is important. I know I should have done more research, but I do think sellers have responsibilities also. If the product wasn't for this market, they should have said so up front. I suspect the issue with no replacement cartridges being available is precisely for this reason.

[Pharaoh]

7. let us know how it went

[brer cat]

8. Will do.

I appreciate the answers here. I am almost 70 and feel a bit like a foolish old lady for not doing more research before buying it. However, it would never have occurred to me to ask before hand if the product was only licensed for somewhere else or whether the warranty had expired. I have owned several printers and also purchased cartridges for many work computers and I have never had one where I couldn't buy replacements at retail stores.

At least I learned something from this experience...buy locally!!!

[Pharaoh]

9. not to worry

I am 60, I would not have thought of that either

But you do need to be cautious of seller accounts.

There are usually reviews of the seller you should look at first.

[brer cat]

14. UPDATE

I have never had a problem with anything I bought on Amazon before, and I am amazed at the response from customer service.

First, I didn't request a refund. I told them that I had installed it and used it for several days and it was working fine.

I expressed my concerns that it was apparently intended for use in Latin America which was not disclosed...warranty expired...would I have problems in the future...yada yada.

I received a response from customer service within two hours, and it was personalized not just boiler plate "we are sorry you are disappointed, you can file a claim here..." Nope. The rep said s/he read the product description and reviewed my correspondence with the seller and noted that they had not responded to my concerns.

S/he initiated an investigation of the seller to determine if the they were in violation of Amazon rules. I would not be sent the results, but wanted me to know they were investigating.

S/he filed an A-Z claim on my behalf for a refund. I should hear from them within 1-2 weeks. I was quite surprised that they filed a claim and didn't just give me a link. That is good service!

I will let you know what I hear next. Thanks for your responses.

[Pharaoh]

15. yes they do a pretty good job

When dealing with seller accounts.

They'll ban the seller if they get too many complaints,

Just buy a new printer, save a lot of headaches!

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

10. I found these:

http://www.rakuten.com/prod/hp-662-black-original-ink-advantage-cartridge-inkjet-120-page/270074180.html?listingId=354798868&sclid=pla_google_Compumay+Usa&adid=29963&gclid=CK3jz_-Hvc0CFUg8gQod1LgDDA

http://www.rakuten.com/prod/hp-662-tri-color-original-ink-advantage-cartridge-inkjet-100-page/270074300.html?listingId=354798888&sclid=pla_google_Compumay+Usa&adid=29963&gclid=CK7R4qSIvc0CFdgOgQodh6cOyg


I found this from HP to download the drivers and software:
http://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/HP-Deskjet-Ink-Advantage-2540-All-in-One-Printer-series/5285095/model/5285096

Perhaps the reseller you dealt with had bought these targeted for Latin America. Perhaps the HP software download will have an English/USA option. Before you do anything verify that you have an HP Deskjet Ink Advantage 2545 All-in-One Printer.
Check for panel on the back or bottom.

Good luck.

[brer cat]

11. Thanks.

That seems like pricey ink for 120 pages, although it does include shipping. It galls me to have to pay shipping for something small like this that I should be able to pick up locally.

[ThingsGottaChange]

12. I buy from the HP Store

Free shipping and usually next day or two day. http://store.hp.com
Good luck with everything!

[Historic NY]

13. Go to support and check for updates......

http://support.hp.com/us-en/product/HP-Deskjet-Ink-Advantage-2540-All-in-One-Printer-series/5285095/model/5285096/drivers

I'm still using an hp laserjet 3200 since 1996 and still managed to get support you may need to update language driver.

Walmart seems to have replacement cartridges

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Genuine-HP-61-Black-Ink-Twin-Pack-in-Retail-Packaging-CZ073FN/16817925?action=product_interest&action_type=title&item_id=16817925&placement_id=irs-2-b1&strategy=PWVAV&visitor_id&category=&client_guid=2a74693f-63fa-4ee1-a6d9-e8a53601683c&customer_id_enc&config_id=2&parent_item_id=10710278&parent_anchor_item_id=10710278&guid=20da6574-9f9e-4a1d-bebd-0113ade78ed5&bucket_id=irsbucketdefault&beacon_version=1.0.1&findingMethod=p13n#about

[brer cat]

16. Thanks.

That ink is HP61 and this printer requires HP662. When I discovered that getting ink was going to be a problem, I looked for the same model printer by other sellers. I found them (at higher prices) and they use the HP61, but my seller told me it was not compatible with this printer. I am wondering if the printers using HP61 are the ones licensed for US and the HP662 is for Latin America.

If you are interested, I have posted an update of my correspondence with Amazon customer service in a post above.

[ArtD48]

17. Grey market?

I don't know about printers but I learned years ago that some stereo equipment is manufacturer for certain parts of the world and not meant for other parts (but don't know why). Here is what Wikipedia has to say about grey markets.

A grey market (sometimes called a parallel market,[1] but this can also mean other things;[2] not to be confused with a black market or a grey economy) is the trade of a commodity through distribution channels that are legal but unintended by the original manufacturer. The most common type of grey market is the sale, by individuals or small companies not authorised by the manufacturer, of imported goods which would otherwise be either more expensive or unavailable in the country to which they are being imported. An example of this would be the import and subsequent re-sale of Apple products by unlicensed intermediaries in countries such as South Korea[3] where Apple does not currently operate retail outlets and licensed reseller markups are high.