Ten Myths About Compatible and Remanufactured Cartridges

Many customers have concerns when they purchase compatible and remanufactured printer cartridges for the first time. Although they know that these discount cartridges can help save them 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 manufactures 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. There 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 toners 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 and toner formulation so it is not possible to collect and reuse the old ink and toner in the old cartridges. In addition, contaminated ink and 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 manufactures are as environmentally friendly as purchasing remanufactured cartridges.

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

9)      OEM cartridges are made by the printer manufactures in the USA.

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

Statements like “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 and remanufactured cartridges from other makers.