PC World Voiding printer warranties if refilled cartridges used.

I was told by a PCW employee that by using cartridges refilled by Cartridge World, I had automatically 'voided' PC's warantee on my HP printer, bought from PCW (Worcester) earlier this year. This, say PCW, is because Hewlett Packard refuses to honour warranty repairs on printers whose users have used refilled cartridges.

Now HP's cartridges come in a box with a leaflet that urges users to 'recycle'. Ironical, or not? Certainly the manager of our local Cartridge World was unimpressed.

Also, PCW neglects to mention this clause on their receipts ("We don't have to", said their Tech.Guy representative, just before refusing to give his name.)

Are PCW allowed to do this? As a retailer, surely they cannot shelter behind their suppliers' conditions?

bob

 

Actually, if you read the warranty that came with the printer, you will find that this is from the manufacturers. HP, Lexmark, Epson and Canon all state that you will void their warranty that way - how they will determin this is anyone's guess, since all you would have to do is have a set of actual un-refilled cartridges on standby. BUT, especially for Canon's, they actually have flash memory chips inside their processors to monitor the type of cartridges that are inserted into them.

If a manufacturer wishes to not to honor their warranty if it is found that a non-allowed cartridge has been used is entirely up to them. That's why it's called fine print.

As for the recycling envellope in their packages, if HP reuses their cartridges, that's a legal refill, and would not void a warranty (most toners for lasers are that way).

A-N

 

That's what (actually, exactly what) the PCW chap told me. But there was no mention of an embargo on the the use of refillable cartridges on their receipt. (there was no warranty ; merely a small, folded card inside which the reciept was clipped.)

The PCW chap told me (and, I believe, I mentioned this already) that they don't have to mention this disclaimer on their warranty, which is obviously absurd.

And what of Cartridge World? Where does this leave them?

Comments from anyone else (that is to say having at least a nodding aquaintance with the Sale of Goods act) would be appreciated.

bob

 

Well, it does also depend on where you are I suppose - when I was with Staples here in the States, they had all of the disclaimers pre-printed on the back of their receipts. Best Buy and Circuit City here does as well, so I'm thinking it's a locality situation here.

A-N