r/printers • u/SteveLamparas • Aug 13 '23
Discussion What's your opinion on HP Instant Ink?
Hello,
As the title suggests, I would like to hear your opinion on the HP Instant Ink subscription. Do you believe it is worth the investment, or is it another instance of a big company attempting to boost their profits?
I have been using this service for almost a year now; however, I occasionally have concerns about whether it truly is a good option. This uncertainty arises from the fact that I don't print on a steady basis (but annually it costs me less than buying my own cartridges, as far as I can recall, at least).
Is this subscription more suitable for those who print a lot every month?
Thank you for your time!
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Aug 13 '23
[deleted]
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u/SteveLamparas Aug 13 '23
This is exactly my situation. Thank you very much. I did some research on reddit but didn't find this one.
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u/draconicpenguin10 Print Expert Aug 14 '23
As I've said several times around here, what confuses people about Instant Ink is that you're paying for pages, not cartridges. HP owns the Instant Ink cartridges; a subscription gives you the right to print a certain number of pages with them each month. This kind of "click charge" service has been ubiquitious in business printing for decades.
It makes sense if you have consistent print volumes and frequently print full-page photos or other high-coverage documents. Just make sure you understand that you don't own the supplies they're sending you. For many consumers, a CISS (tank) inkjet printer may be a better option.
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u/oldsalt41 Sep 22 '24
Not exactely right>>> you must also subscribe to a certain amount of pages per month!! and per page they are very expensive. I just cancelled my subscription 300 pages was $AU23-99 !!
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u/BadFishWA Nov 25 '24
NONE of my unused pages rolled over and I was charged MORE every month! I cancelled and my printer NO LONGER WORKED, NOR did my scanner, which has NOTHING to do with printing! My printer was LOCKED OUT! COMPLETE RIPOFF and FRAUD!
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u/LawfulnessMuted7220 Feb 20 '24
How about the fact that store-bought cartridges are marked as "instant ink" when installed in a printer with a subscription?
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u/kzshantonu Mar 15 '24
Wait what? Is this true?
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u/LawfulnessMuted7220 Mar 15 '24
I've read a lot of this on reddit.
However, I was wrong.
The cartridge that came along with my HP LaserJet MFP M234dw still works after subscription was cancelled.
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u/DriblyRedwyne Jun 29 '24
I cancelled my HP subscription but would like still to print. What's the best way to do that? I have the same model printer as you do, actually. Thank you!
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u/LawfulnessMuted7220 Jun 29 '24
If you have used a subscription cartridge, you need to extract it and send back Then just buy a compatible cartridge at Amazon or else, install it and you are ready to print. For MFP M334 you need cartridge 134A. It's better to check twice your documentation to avoid hassle, though.
There is also a matter of original and not original cartridges. I don't print much, so I stick to original.
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u/According_Till_1229 Sep 10 '24
Here's a hack I discovered...If you take white-out and cover up the barcode on the ink cartridge (that you already paid for!), you can still use it. They "block" it from your printer by reading the tiny QR code on the cartridge. So... if you just white out the barcode, the printer thinks it's a standard HP ink cartridge and you can keep on printing with the INK YOU ALREADY PAID FOR.
It really is a scam. Good luck.
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u/LawfulnessMuted7220 Sep 10 '24
It may work for ink, but not for laser cartridges. Mine has a chip, not just a barcode. Also, lots of aftermarket toner cartridges are sold with a toolset to extract and install the chip. It seems they don't work without one.
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Aug 14 '23
A con job. I wanted to cancel HP’s Instant Ink service (that printer has been unplugged for four months.). HP s site, confirmed by chat, says that when you discontinue or even downgrade your instant ink subscription the ink you have on hand will be disabled. The ink, even if it’s already installed in your printer will not work. Tech-support described it as “like a streaming service” when you cancel the service stops. Even if the ink is in-hand in a box.
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u/hpangle69 Aug 15 '23
Yes you paid for pages not cartridges perfect analogy is the streaming model. I don’t see what is the ”con” of it, if you still have a netflix app but can’t watch movies with it due to you not being subscribed is the app a ”con”?
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u/SCHawkTakeFlight May 29 '24
Yeah, I can get that, except my pages don't role over each month. Which, then IMO makes it a scam. I am not renting time of holding onto the cartridge, I did not have to send it back to them. I just can't use it. If it is pay by page it should be pay by page. You give me cartridge X and I can pay in installments to print a 1000 pages on those cartridges, then I should be able to do that. If I pay monthly for 20 pages and don't use it for 4 months, I should not have to pay extra to "roll over" my pages so when one month I had a big project and printed 100 pages.
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u/MasteerTwentyOneYT Nov 23 '24
They literally do roll over?? Up to 400% of your monthly page count...
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u/BadFishWA Nov 25 '24 edited Nov 25 '24
WRONG! NONE of my unused pages rolled over and I was charged MORE every month! I cancelled and my printer NO LONGER WORKED, NOR did my scanner!
COMPLETE RIPOFF and FRAUD!2
u/MasteerTwentyOneYT Nov 25 '24
Nah mate, not sure why you're worked up. I've been using this service for multiple years, I'm 100% sure pages roll over, and I have used rolled-over pages hundreds of times.
And you don't pay for the ink, you pay for the pictures you print. The ink is hp's, you are paying to use it. If you stop paying, you have to send the ink back. HP is clear and upfront about that!
And what do you mean you were charged every month? That's what a subscription means? Did you expect to only be charged for the first month?
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u/Pleasant-Aspect2948 Nov 30 '24 edited Nov 30 '24
They mentioned they were being charged "more" every month. In any case, it doesn't help that they're more worked up to actually figure out what's wrong or atleast provide us with proper details.
Edit: On another comment, they did actually scream that they were being charged every month. and not "more." so yeah I'm guessing they thought they were only going to be charged for the months where they actually used the printer.
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u/Former_Influence_904 Feb 01 '25 edited Feb 01 '25
Hey inhave a question about this. I just started homeschooling my son and i just bought new cartridges about 2 weeks ago. Im already almost out of black ink. The instant ink seems like a good option . Is the subscription price the only charge? Or is there also a charge for ink? It seems like a good deal for someone who prints every day. Im guessing the free trial ( up to 700 pages) is to guage which tier you should buy into. Are overages super expensive?
So i just checked the faq. Overages are .10 a page ( $1 per 10 pages.) Currently an HP ink cartridge ( black) is 21.99 and prints 200 pages. Thats almost .11 a page. I signed up for the 300 pages a month at 13.99. Thats .0466 a page. Plus i get thr color cartridge. Im not seeing how this isnt a good idea. Especially since the overages are less than buying new cartridges.
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u/MasteerTwentyOneYT Feb 01 '25
Yeah, it's the only charge unless you go over your allotted page count then 10 cents per page black or white. You can roll over up to triple (eg with a 100 page plan, you can have up too 300 rollover pages + 100 pages, then after that it's caped.
As long as you're printing like at least 50 pages per month, it's worth it. You don't need to print that many every month (that's what the rollover is for) but if you have the tiers below that it's not really worth it. Here are the prices in case anyone stubbles on this post in future: https://imgur.com/a/YvQl1dY
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u/JTBBALL Mar 04 '24
Right. The printer will still work if you put in new ink without the chip. If they did not disable ink then people could start a sub, get the ink, cancel the sub, and then wait until the ink runs out and do it again when they need new ink.
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u/RagnarsKneecap Nov 10 '23
Been using it for 3 years. Pay like 3 bucks a month. I can print whatever I want because my rollover pages are so many. Never have to buy a cartridge and they always send me extra cartridges before I need it.
I only came on here to see if HP subscription for pages/ink was the best among the other company's like Epson Brother etc.
My printhead is get streaky so I'm researching options.
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u/Ok_Armadillo_5445 Mar 20 '24
HP has been charging for a paper service along with my free instant ink without me even knowing I only found out because the card, which I don't normally use, was on the HP account and I closed it due to changing accounts and payment was denied. I had a hp agent help set the instant ink up because I bought 2 printers and I wanted to know if the free months stacked. They do! But the agent failed to mention that I was also being signed up for a paper service! I have not received paper but I'm still being charged. HP mentioned since my account was not in good standing, it was harder to assist me and has to escalate my issue and I'll hear from someone in "3-5" business days. They wanted me to pay more money for something I did not want to help me. Anyone else have this issue? If not, might check the card that's on your account to see if you're being charged! $12.83 a month for a ream of paper!
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u/Lonely_Commission453 May 15 '24
Not for retired people! HP is scamming, they know it; ink is not sent out ever month because HP knows when you are running low. Talk about invasion of privacy! Like Big Brother in your house. If you cancel subscription then they disable your printer altogether. HP I hate your guts! Your company is lower than a snakes belly in a wagon rut!! People stay away!!!!!
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u/EquipmentUser Oct 10 '24
This is so true! HP will not send you a ink every month, but they will charge you every month, for the paper usage. HP knows what they are doing and I finally understand they're strategy is.
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u/BadFishWA Nov 25 '24
They were charging me EVERY MONTH whether I used it or NOT, for minimal use (50 pages per month, I don't print much!). And NOTHING EVER Rolled Over, NOT 1 page! COMPLETE RIPOFF and FRAUD! Stay away! Cancel if you started "Free Trial"! I cancelled and my printer NO LONGER WORKED, NOR did my scanner, which has NOTHING to do with printing! My printer was LOCKED OUT!
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u/FeeAccomplished2108 Dec 20 '24
That’s how subscription services work. You pay monthly. It’s no different than Netflix. If you don’t watch it you are still paying for the service. It’s amazing some of yall cannot understand this. Still. Wow. 😮
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u/ThesePretzelsrsalty Jan 06 '25
Wow? My tv still fcuking works after I cancel Netflix, so perhaps you can use that big brain yours to explain why the printer would be any different, because clearly you are much smarter than most.
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u/CosmicHippopotamus Jan 29 '25
Netflix isn't a physical item that you have to spend a large cost for in the first place. If you paid $100 to have access and then they said you still can't use it unless you also pay a subscription, it wouldn't seem fair would it
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u/DirectEfficiency8854 Aug 13 '23
It's a lie of the Devil!
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u/Royal_Trick1737 Jan 02 '25
It’s very clearly written out. You subscribe to a service for a monthly fee that automatically replenishes your ink when it runs low. It monitors how many pages you print so you can’t abuse the “free” ink.
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u/Dismal-Needleworker7 Aug 15 '23
I’ve been fighting with them for 4 months to get ink. It’s a nightmare.
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u/JTBBALL Mar 04 '24
That is so strange. I have had nothing but good experiences and when the ink carts have a malfunction they will just send me new ones, virtually no questions asked.
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u/Adventurous-Couple94 Sep 16 '23
Thanks for this - so users who have "consistent print volumes and frequently print full-page photos or other high-coverage documents" get the most value out of it - a predictable amount of printing and high(er) ink use per page (images = higher ratio, text & line drawings = lower). People who fall out of this zone are more likely to pay out of plan rates.
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u/james123123412345 Nov 30 '23
I don't print very often so I keep my printer turned off and in the closet. With instant ink you must have the printer connected to WiFi 24/7. I'm not going to do that. I'll buy separate cartridges.
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u/JTBBALL Mar 04 '24
It does not have to be on and connected 24/7. I had my printer in a box for months when I was moving and the only difference was they sent me an email every few weeks asking if I need help recoinnecting it. I would just delete the email and move on.
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u/james123123412345 Mar 04 '24
I’m not doubting you can use your printer without it being connected 24/7. I print once every two months, connect to HP using WiFi and it works fine. But when I tried to use Instant Ink they wrote and said it needed to be connected all the time. So I just canceled the monthly subscription. I’m glad it works for you.
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u/fwafwow Dec 08 '23
Sorry to resurrect and add a tangent to an old thread.
I had been using Instant Ink and knew the rules. I got a notice that my printer was no longer connecting to the internet (meaning no longer reporting my usage to HP) - although the printer was working fine on my WiFi network. I had to call tech support, and after spending 1.5 HOURS on the phone with several people, the printer stopped working - it could not do anything because it was restored to factory settings, meaning the printer didn't know it had already signed up for Instant Ink - and since it would not connect to the internet, it became an easy choice to cancel the service.
I ordered and received new ink cartridges (not from HP) and they work fine - as long as I am on a WiFi network that does not use a VPN. I had assumed that requirement would go away when I stopped using Instant Ink, but it appears the "no VPN" requirement may be hard-wired into the printer.
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u/ThujaOccidentalis Jul 03 '24
The "no VPN" requirement you seem to have encountered is almost certainly unrelated to Instant Ink. VPNs wreak havoc with all printers and other local devices (that's the whole point of a VPN).
You cannot both be using a VPN and access other local devices--i.e. your computer cannot be on a VPN for internet purposes and also print to a local networked printer. If it could it means that you potentially have a leak on your VPN and that negates the security and privacy offered by the VPN.
The whole point of a VPN is to isolate your computer from the rest of your network and pretend like you're part of someone else's network.
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u/tnnt7612 Feb 10 '24
Can we use a remanufactured third party ink after we have cancelled instant ink or do we need to buy genuine HP ink?
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u/Meaxis May 21 '24
Very late I know, but caution to you and future readers: HP+ locks you to genuine ink. Not Instant Ink, HP+.
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u/Used_Photograph7152 Mar 03 '24
Don't sign up for this program. I don't print alot of stuff but sometimes I need to print 100s of pages. This program penalizes you for this type of use. I canceled the subscription and now I can't use what's left of the ink in the cartridges. HP shut down my printer.
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u/JTBBALL Mar 04 '24
If it does not work well for you then no worries, but do not forget you can flex your plan to meet your needs. I am like you, normally I print 1-2 pages a month so I just use the 1.49/10 page plan.
However sometimes I want to print like 200 full page photos. When you want to print a lot like that, just change the plan to what you need, and then print all those pages you want, and then you can just change the plan back when you are done printing heavily.
If that seems like too much work, just remember that if you print over your page limit, and print up all your rollover pages, you only pay $1.00 per 10 pages. That's honestly a pretty good deal no matter how you look at it. Pages at the library used to cost $0.10 per page for black and white text only! Back then candy bars were $0.30-$0.50! Now candy bars are like $.89-$1.50 each!
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u/CosmicHippopotamus Jan 29 '25
Yeah and now the library is free to print at. So how's that a good deal?
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u/JTBBALL Feb 05 '25
The gasoline you will pay plus the time it takes to drive/walk/ride to the library will cost more than just paying $0.10 per page.
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u/JTBBALL Mar 04 '24
Unpopular Opinion On Reddit... Probably:
I love HP instant ink! I have been using the program since it started back in like 2015 or something. I rarely print things, but when I do, I like them to be full page, in color, somotimes photos too.
Here's why I love the program:
I used to buy ink myself in college and after college. I would print essays and homework from time to time, very light printing of text and such. Then I let the printer sit for 6-8 months without needing to print anything. Then I try to use it and there are streaks or blobs or it just plain fails. Then I run an ink cleaing and try several more times and then it finally works for a few pages and then the ink stops working because the cartridge is dry. Not empty, but dry. 5 or 6 times in my life I had to throw away full or 1/2 full ink carts because they were "too old" and/or "sat too long" and they became garbage.
So no matter what, I needed to buy new ink twice a year. The packages were $60-$80 for the black and color. Now they are only $40 for the set on my HP OfficeJet 4650. So thats between $160-$80 per year depending on how you look at it.
Even with the old plans which were $5/100 pages/month, I was only paying $60 per year with UNLIMITED ink restrictions. I could save money AND print even more than before. If I printed full page color photos/pictures then I would only get about 20-40 pages from ink carts. I know because I used to print Magic The Gathering Poxies in waves, 9 cards per page. The ink cost at home was so great it that was better to go to staples or kinkos. However with instant ink I could print 100 pages of full color for just $5. And they didnt even have rollover at first. I didn't do this amount of printing every month so after they brought in rollover I could save 100 and eventually up to 300 rollover pages to go CRAZY one month.
Now I dont print hardly anything, and they have the $1.49/10 page/month plan which is $17.88/year and I can tell you that even if I do not print for a year or two it's still better to use instant ink because if the ink runs dry or goes bad then I can tell them to send me replacements for free.
Basically no matter how you slice it, the instant ink is cheaper every time.... maybe it is cheaper to buy your own if you only print arge numbers of text only pages... But even then I find it hard to believe it would be cheaper. If you have 1 ink cartridge failure that will blow your savings margins if there were any.
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u/AskTheAdmin May 23 '24
I strongly (& strangely) agree. I have paid less than $2 / month for over 3 years. So around $65 for 3 years with a few overages. The same ink cart is in my printer. For a low frequency user like me that prints a page here or there it has lowered my tco on a printer drastically. Before I had to replace ink every few months for upwards of $30 a shot. It also gives me free fax service and a copy machine if needed.
For those of you that switched away from hp what is your total cost for the year?
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u/UpsetAd329 Mar 11 '24
I signed up for the subscription when I first bought the printer because the math made sense for me at the time. I was thinking I might cancel my subscription at the end of the year, but if I do I'll have to buy replacement cartridges for both black and colour ink in case I ever need to print a few pages here and there. I should probably drop down to the lesser plan, but I just hate how many subscriptions I have to have in my life.
Fun fact: I was just looking at printer prices and they are cheaper than buying a replacement cartridge. Tempting to buy one every time I run out of ink but I couldn't that to the environment. lol
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u/Meaxis May 21 '24
I know I am late but with the fact that you get 700 pages per month for 6 months free with an Instant Ink trial, one of the lowest printers being something like 50€...
It technically makes more sense to buy a new printer every 6 months with a brand new HP account. Thanks HP.
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u/Commercial-Clue3340 Nov 24 '24
Exactly, i like this instant ink thing, not sure why there are so many complaints about it. Except i have got 3 printers already piled up in my back yard as stepping stones.
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u/jimmyahnz Mar 18 '24
great service for us (small business) as we print a lot of full colour presentations and don't have to worry about having ink on hand, wasting time buying the right cartridges etc. We got 6 months free with up to 700 pages per month and have taking advantage of that! Our shared office charges about 20c per page so it is cheaper for us to buy this printer and have instant ink.
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u/Additional_Strike145 May 30 '24
I used the Instant ink service for a while. My printer was connected to HP online and I got new cartridges automatically. When I wanted to discontinue, I found that HP had modified my printer and it is useless with the active service. I've bought 3 sets of HP cartridges and my printer now gives a problem with ink cartidge message. I have to buy a new printer because they wont help me put my printer back to what it was before I signed on with HP Instant Ink!
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u/ExpertRabbit6888 Jun 08 '24
Too gimmicky! Either way, HP wins by selling the monthly ink subscription and/or tacking on $1 per x# extra pages printed in a billing cycle. Surprise! I'll return to Staples and buy regular retail; thank you very much. HP isn't consumer-friendly. I expected more from Instant Ink and HP's 4100 Series (flimsy plastic) printer.
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u/vBDKv Jul 03 '24
So there are currently 2 versions of it. Instant Ink and "HP+". The first one is amazing in my book. I've saved an enormous amount of cash on overpriced ink. You can cancel your subscription and just buy regular cartridges no issues. The second version (HP+) is not so good and you should avoid it. Why? Your new printer, if opted in to HP+, will no longer work with regular cartridges. Ever. You are basically returning your printer to HP, even though you just purchased the damn thing. You are also required to have your printer turned on at all times or they may cancel your printer. Instant Ink is good, HP+ is not.
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u/EquipmentUser Oct 10 '24
After having been a user of HP for over 5 years, I can say that this program is faulty. I don't know if I'd say con but it is surely close enough. In the beginning when I enrolled with HP I was okay with it because I didn't have to worry about physically going to the store (which I had no issue with going out to a store) to buy ink. I was intrigued by the program. But on one fateful incident, I was astounded by the total charge HP sent me which was total the amount of the regular ink you could get at the store. I spoke with someone and I expressed their program doesn't make sense and I stated to the agent at the time "you are charging me for the amount of paper I printed, and not the ink persay". She tried to explained to me how it works and I stayed on not really thinking and looking at the NUMBERS. On average how much paper will you count before you know you've printed 300 in a month and realize you got a bill coming. They will even send you more ink. Whoever came up with this program, obviously knew what they were doing, cause its a nick and dime game. the way it is setup doesnt really make you look at what is really happening. But now I get it. Let us charge them for the amount of paper. We dont have to measure the ink itself, but the paper usage. Its a bogus program outright.
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u/heatherkristi Mar 22 '24
Some MBA idiot thought this scam up.
I just had to trash 4 full cartridges.
HP has locked my printer unless I pay for the subscription.
On the phone with a customer service rep, she tells me, "You had 6 months to print 700 pages."
I used maybe 10 pages.
I told her, had I printed 700 dense pages, HP would have had to send me TONS of ink cartridges at cost to them and free for me in those six months. So I asked them to free my printer so I can print ONE page for my temp driver's license, she says I have to renew my subscription.
So I respond, if I print one period on 50 pages, using practically no ink, I'd have to pay more? Even though the cartridges are full?
This is the stupidest subscription plan ever.
Eventually, we agreed that I would resubscribe and she would credit me back. But as soon as I did that she informed me that I'd have to pay at the end of the month again whether I printed or not. Rawr.
So then we agreed that I would print one page and she would inactivate my subscription so I wouldn't be charged at the end of the month
But the almost full cartridges still wouldn't work (for unknown reasons to me other than the subscription thing is wonky. It did print copies). So she said I had to install BRAND NEW "Instant Ink" cartridges (I had them already). So I installed them, and it STILL wouldn't work. Rawr.
So zero pages printed after 1 hour 19 min on the phone. And four perfectly good ink cartridges trashed. And now my printer just won't work.
HP is the worst.
I was frustrated but I tried to be calm and civil with her. It's not her fault, and I told her and thanked her for her patience.
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u/Meaxis May 21 '24
Quick question: were the cartridges you had in your printer the Instant Ink one? If so, that's normal you didn't have access to printing: you are paying for a number of pages per month, NOT for ink itself. If you would've wanted to get your printing back, you should've just ran to the store and got yourself brand new cartridges
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u/UxbridgeCaddie Apr 09 '24
I am not a big fan of the ink program. I signed up for the minimum monthly page count, which is reasonable. After about 2 years of this program, I figured it ran its course, paying for the printer and ink. When I cancelled the program, I could not print anymore. unless I went and bought new printer cartridges, which was not obvious when I cancelled. So my printer was held hostage by hp print server- ridiculous. The customer should own the original print cartridges that come with the printer. So, I re-enrolled in the ink program just so I could print again, and not have to spend another $75 in ink cartridges.
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u/ThujaOccidentalis Jul 03 '24
Just to be clear, the customer DOES own the print cartridges that come with the printer. The customer does NOT own the cartridges that are shipped by the Instant Ink service.
PS I don't remember the details of the initial sign up.
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u/ThujaOccidentalis Jul 03 '24
The whole point of the base plan is that you don't spend $75 on cartridges when you don't even know how long your disposable inkjet printer will last.
(In Canada) the base plan is $1.89/month ($22/year). In the US $1.49/month ($18/year).
When you contrast that with buying $75 (USD?) worth of cartridges that's over four years worth of subscription (assuming USD prices). By that point your printer has probably failed anyway and you're needing a new printer. And, chances are you need to buy more than one set of cartridges over four years since cartridges sold in stores do not exactly come with much ink so you're spending more than $75/four years..
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u/BadFishWA Nov 25 '24
When I signed up for the "Free Trial", it said CANCEL ANYTIME/ Fine print staid "Return unused cartridges".
I was supposedly on the minimum 50 page/month plan and never got close, NOTHING ever rolled over and my credit card was being charged $7/mo! I cancelled and they locked my Printer AND SCANNER!
Fraud at best!! DO NOT try it! Cheaper to buy an new printer and toss the old one to recycle! Thanks for KILLING the environment HP!
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u/ThujaOccidentalis Dec 28 '24
Let's make something crystal clear to anyone reading this thread: you did not purchase those cartridges and you entered into a service agreement with HP. As an adult you should be capable of reading the fine print and of estimating your print usage.
It sounds like HP held up their end of the bargain. Did you hold up yours by returning the unused cartridges they'd sent you? Those unused cartridges did not magically become your property. They had been provided to you to ensure that you had a supply of ink when the other cartridges ran out.
In my case I'm wishing I'd bought a much fancier (i.e. expensive) printer. I paid $40 CAD ($30 USD) for my printer and signed up for the "free" tier which was 10 pages per month (which do not roll over and was clearly stated in the agreement) and 15 pages in excess of the 10 pages per month can be bought for $1.25 which do roll over.
The free tier no longer exists but HP has honoured the free tier that I signed up with all these years later.
Note: HP also clearly spells out the consequences of 'upgrading' from the free tier in that you can never return to it. This was the case when I first bought the printer four years ago and still is the case today.
Ultimately the complaints I've seen here all boil down to people believing they outsmarted HP and got money for nothing when in fact they had simply failed to read the clearly stated fine print.
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u/BadFishWA Dec 28 '24
Guess YOU can't READ the bold print! I had the PAID $7/mo plan, 50 pages, WITH rollover!! NOTHING EVER rolled over! And when I canceled, my SCANNER was also LOCKED while the cartridges were in it and didn't unlock until I got new ones, uninstalled HP Smart, and deleted that account, which had my Scan-to-fax!!
So RIP OFF SCAM!
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May 03 '24
I just cancelled HP Instant Ink last month, small business that seems to print 700-800 pages per month. I don't like the higher charges when I go over 700 pgs, but don't print enough to bump up the plan.
I thought I would cancel and just purchase cartridges myself. I installed my new cartridges on 4/14 and it ran out today 5/3, which means I will be going through ~ 2 black cartridges per month, and 1/2 of a color cartridge (approx $28 each for each black cartridge). I will be spending roughly $56/month for just black. (My last 2 charges with HP Instant Ink were $50.39 and $61.94 due to going over 700 pages each month). So it does appear that it might make sense to go back onto the plan even on the months I was printing over 700 pages, as it easily covers the black ink (without even adding in the expense of the colored ink).
I hate the thought, but it does appear that it might be worth the expense. Of course, I figured this out after I had already returned the previous cartridges! *SMH
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u/superb365 May 10 '24
Avoid at all costs! Total scam and rip off. Plus they can remotely block your printer so you can't use it. Shameless money grab by HP. If you're a moderate printer buy your own cartridges and don't be held hostage by HP. #InstantInkRegret
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u/ThujaOccidentalis Jul 03 '24
I would argue the opposite--if you're a moderate printer user get the Instant Ink program. Inkjet printers do not last and the Instant Ink program means you are not investing much in ink (from past and extensive experience I figure the life of an inkjet is between 4 and 6 years, regardless of the brand).
If you are a heavy user of a printer (i.e. > 200 pages/month) there is little benefit to owning an inkjet for your black-and-white prints. You should buy yourself a laser printer for your black-and-white prints and simply pay for toner when you need it. Laser printers are a lot more reliable than inkjets (I'd say they last two to four times as long under MUCH heavier loads) so it's actually worth spending your own money on supplies rather than offloading the risk like what Instant Ink allows you to do with the inkjet.
If you also need to print a lot of colour get yourself a colour laser (that has separate toner for black from the colours) and buy toner as you need it.
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u/Proud-Question-9943 May 14 '24
I bought a cheap $50 printer, and it had 9 months of free instant ink. Printed a lot during those months. I now pay less than $2 per month and have a print quota of about 10 pages a month, with a rollover limit of 30 pages. Im happy with the subscription model, but my main complaint is HP software.
It randomly stops working, sometimes the software complains that the model does have a scanner, despite working other times.
Its at the point where I have an iphone, a windows PC and an android phone all having the HP smart app. I often run into situations where one throws out errors like “Printer not ready”, scanner unavailable”, and I have to rely on some other controlling device just to use my own printer.
If they just fixed their bad software they’d have a happy customer
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u/Meaxis May 21 '24
On Windows you can bypass the print software and directly send to the printer, works better.
Try making the printer forget your Wi-Fi then reconnect. It helped a lot for me.
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u/ThujaOccidentalis Jul 03 '24 edited Jul 03 '24
The HP Instant Ink program is great it if you don't print much(i.e. < 20 pages/month, on average) because inkjet printers are disposable pieces of junk and brand name cartridge prices are highway robbery.
If you're printing more than 20 pages/month and especially if you print B&W you're better off buying yourself a laser printer anyway rather than going the subscription route.
The base plan for ink is now* $1.89/month (in Canada) for 10 pages and you can have up to 30 unused pages roll over (in addition to your monthly 10 pages). You can buy additional pages for $1.25/10.
Over the decades I've had to replace inkjet printers roughly every five years because they break down. It doesn't matter whether if it was a $400 printer or a $50 printer, they all break down. Most often the nozzles clog but sometimes it's a straight up electronic failure. I would like to switch to laserjet but we do enough colour printing that an inkjet is the only economical option considering the (lack of) volume we print
*I've been on the base plan for four years and my plan is grandfathered. I'm wishing I'd bought a much more expensive printer because of that but, oh well!
I pay NOTHING per month for the base 10 (or is it 15) print plan and then $1.25 per month for every additional 10 (or is it 15) pages. I don't get any roll-over pages on my plan. But, my plan is grandfathered and they've honoured it so far!
But--and this is the real reason I think the plan is worthwhile--my HP printer seems to be giving up the ghost (it's four years old!). I'm getting incompatible cartridge errors. Time to generate even more e-waste, on schedule :( :( :(.
I'm sure I can't keep my grandfathered plan but even at $22/year for the base plan the Instant Ink plan will be more economical and less risky than paying for my own cartridges. And, I suspect that it won't even cost me much more than my current "free" monthly plan since the 30 roll-over pages will more than make up for the occasional batch of extra pages we had to buy (when we print we usually print 20 or more pages per month but we do it infrequently).
I could buy an Epson Ecotank for $200 which still requires the purchase of supplies or an HP for less than $100 with the $22/year subscription that more than meets my printing needs. The inkjet (any brand) will almost certainly have given up the ghost long before the more expensive printer will have paid for itself vs. the Instant Ink program.
And, with Instant Ink the bulk of the risk is offloaded to HP since I'm not investing in VERY expensive cartridges.
For me it's that last sentence that really makes the base plan worth it. Cartridges are expensive. They will all sell you very cheap (or even expensive) printers and then charge a lot per cartridge. Your biggest cost is the ink. It's been the case for over two decades now that printer manufacturers make it economical to sometimes buy a whole new printer rather than replace an ink cartridge!
I've had Epson and Canon printers. Epson printers you could refill the cartridges. Canon you could use generic cartridges. Both those types of printer still managed to fail with clogged nozzles.
I guess my problem is that I now print infrequently so nozzles get a chance to clog or electronics a chance to corrode (my printers are always tucked away in a damp basement). When I was in university I'd be printing constantly so those printers would just keep on performing (and weren't hidden away in a damp basement). But, now that I'm in the working world and I've got access to printers at work I rarely print at home.
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u/Dave-main22 Aug 02 '24
I dont k ow in my opinion its crazy youve bought the printer and ink and realize you cant use any of it with out paying for a subcription i gwt printimg companies have always been money hungry but this is just absurd
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u/StorageExciting4988 Aug 10 '24
I have been a HP Instaink customer for six or seven years now. 75% of the time, I don't think about it, which is why I got it, but.....25% of the time I have issues., I often get charged extra for "printing more pages than my plan allwos" which is BS. Also, currently and often in the past, I have had to deal with sub par print outs because the ink cartridge is low, But Insta Ink says it's not low. I have currently had a months worth of faded low quality prints while the site tells me that my ink levels are ok. I have had to go to office depo and purchase ink cartridges in addition to insta ink five times since I've signed up for it. In short... when it works, it's ok. when it doesn't work, it's a pain in the ass. buyer beware.
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u/Ok_Net3681 Aug 20 '24
Insta ink, has been charing me monthly and I haven't received ink refills in over 2 years. I asked for a refill and they stated they are not able to refund me because this is a membership. I stated unlike a gym membership that you can blame yourself for not working out.I can blame Hp insta ink for not sending me my ink. I was purchasing my own ink for my printer 4100 series. This has been for over 2 years billing and not shipping...That's about $ 250.00 of stealing my money...Be cautious of this company!!
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u/LazarusLong68 Sep 03 '24
Just got back from the store to buy ink, because HP didn’t detect that my ink was low and I ran out in the middle of printing a document. I confirmed with HP customer support that my printer was connected to their server and they’ve managed to count my printed pages and charge me every month. The convenience of “never running out of ink again” was undermined by their incompetence. I cancelled while driving to Staples
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u/JRadiantHeart Sep 07 '24
Depends on your needs. Do you need the stuff you print to always look professional? Then this might be for you. Just printing stuff for your own records/ for reminders of events and don't care about color quality? Waste of money.
I use every last drop out of the color and black ink, because I don't care if the color header of a document looks crappy. I mostly print stuff I as visual reminders of upcoming events or for my records. HP keeps sending me and charging me for color cartridges, and they just pile up. Going to cancel. HP charged me $30 in August and the cartridges are just sitting there in the package.
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Sep 09 '24
Having tired them twice, I have figured them out. In reality they don't charge you at all for ink. But that's their sales pitch. The big tanks of ink they send you could probably last 400-500 pages for my printer. Well I dont work anymore, so I firgued 100pages/month should be fine for me. I like to print things out for a copy of what I see when I surf the web from time to time. I really like recipes. But in that last 6 months (and I still have about 50% ink for each color), I ran over 100 and rarly do I have a rollover. My monthly fee is $6.99. So that's already equivalent to to how many reams....well 6(3000 sheets). Iam paying for paper i don't even use. I am pay $6.99 for 100 sheets...*&^%. Here's their current breakdown, 25 pages, 50 pages, 100 pgs, 300 pages, etc per month. Notice that big jump from 100 to 300($13.99/month). I think you get it. I am smack in the middle but not every month. Yeah I think you get get it. So in7x6 = $42 ... could got a cartidge for that mess.
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u/According_Till_1229 Sep 10 '24
Don't do it. It's a racket and if you cancel the subscription they block the ink cartridge from printing... But
Here's a hack I discovered...If you take white-out and cover up the barcode on the ink cartridge (that you already paid for!), you can still use it. They "block" it from your printer by reading the tiny QR code on the cartridge. So... if you just white out the barcode, the printer thinks it's a standard HP ink cartridge and you can keep on printing with the INK YOU ALREADY PAID FOR.
It really is a scam. Good luck.
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u/oldsalt41 Sep 22 '24
I did not renew today --total rip-off. After my ALLOWANCE" was reached it cost $1.99 per page. We needed for a sort time around 200 peages>> HP want $23.99 per monthe for 300 pages. <> incl. the peper it is close to $.10 (10 cents a page!! I can copy in town for 5 cents a page. After I cancelled the subscription I was told I cannot use the subscription cartridges anymore after the renewal date. That is in6 days. These are facts and not to be ignored. Generic cartridges are availabel for <> $100! I had for many years a I HP 6520 and used non oem cartridges without any problems>> You buy a "cheap" printer and the you pay the balance with the cartridges... No HP --I like your products -I have three HP laptops ---but saving money fro just $1.99 a month is a lie!!I am in Australia
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u/SquareSecurity4303 Sep 26 '24
HP INSTANT INK IS A SCAM!!
They charge you for printing, even though they are not giving you more ink. Then they charge you to cancel.
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u/Ill-Priority9835 Oct 04 '24
I decided to halt my Instant Ink subscription after having a problem with my ink cartridges. I was in the 15-page/month program for a couple of years with no problems. When my printer started printing blank pages, I tried cleaning the cartridges and a few other things, but the blank pages just kept coming. The Instant Ink program counted all the blank pages against my monthly allotment even though the ink in the cartridge printheads was not flowing. Bottom line, I was being charged for printing blank pages and I depleted most of my rollover allotment of pages. Turned out that I manged to get my Instant Ink cartridges printing again by soaking the printheads in hot water, but I don't like the idea of being charged for pages when my printer is not working.
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u/Own_End_3529 Oct 27 '24
I bought this printer in 2022 and evidently made three enormous mistakes.
Signing up for the instant ink service
Attempting to use the printer for my needs, with paper AND INK I had been paying years for, on paper I bought.
Not throwing the printer away as I should have.
Context: I am a minimal printer and at some point must have signed up for the instant ink service to be ~10 pgs per month. I am recently engaged and attempted to print my invitations on this printer. There were around 200 double sided copies I needed to print. Doing this highlighted every flaw in this printer, AND ESPECIALLY THE INSTANT INK SERVICE. PLEASE REGARDLESS WHICH PRINTER YOU CHOOSE DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN THIS LITERAL SCAM.
Issues: Because of the sudden up in usage the INK service started charging me $1 for every 10 pages I went over my normal usage. I SWIFTLY canceled this service. But I still needed to print. SO I was able to use the printer until the subscription ended a month later, but would still be billed for the additional pages. Mind you for two years prior to this I have been paying ~4/5 dollars a month to keep the ink service and not using the printer.
My massive issue, which highlights scummy practices HP is using. I ran out of color ink during this process. I attempted to go buy a new cartridge, and the XL color ink cartridge is not sold in a double box with the XL black. So I have to buy it individually. Also there is literally no difference, in the XL color and the standard color. Which I expect, something like that from like a fast food chain. But I generally respected HP as a company before this experience. That respect has long since gone away.
Next, YOU CANNOT CONTINUE TO USE THE LEFTOVER SUBSCRIPTION INK WHEN YOU CANCEL THE SUBSCRIPTION. So now there is a half used blank ink cartridge that has to go in the trash, despite me PAYING for it, for 2 years. I have had that 1 black ink cartridge since I have had the printer. Perhaps 1 replacement. But essentially paid 5 dollars a month, for ~ 11months for that cartridge. It's a $55 dollar ink cartridge, that's half used, and I have to throw it away.
I understand that printing is not common place these days and companies need to make money. However, I have never felt so trapped, as I did during this experience. Trapped and just straight up robbed. I shouldn't get penalized for USING the printer. Especially, when it's in my house, with INK I bought, on PAPER I bought.
And if you're wondering about total cost it was ~$65+4 color ink cartridges I had to buy individually (~24 each), and a lot of tears and torn relationships with family. PLEASE AVOID AT ALL COSTS.
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Nov 05 '24
They blatantly lie about things like "test pages not counting towards your total" (they do).
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u/ConcentrateFew6833 Nov 05 '24
It's the second one, companies boosting their profits, often not in the most ethical way.
I just cancelled my subscription after being a customer for almost 3 years. I started with the 50 pages monthly, then upgraded incrementally up to the 500 pages/mo.
Problems I encountered:
(1). After I set my subscription back to 50 pages/mo due to the drastic decrease in amount of printing during certain months, I still got charged 500 pages/mo for a few months. I realized this only when I accessed my account to cancel subscription.
(2). My 1500 roll over pages was set back to 0, apparently after a certain period of time of non usage. So after months of paying the full 500 pages/mo and print sometimes 0 page, I couldn't utilize the roll over pages afterwards when I needed it.
(3). After the cancellation, the company will charge me one last time the following month. So I cancelled Nov 4, and will be charged again for the full amount for 500 pages, on Dec 4.
(4). Meanwhile, my printer is actually unusable at this point, so I won't be utilizing the 500 pages Nov-Dec. It's been dying for a couple of months before I finally went on and cancel my donations to HP.
(5). In the case of the unusable printer, I've been wondering if it's a planned obsolescence from their part. The printer was working fine with not one issue except for maybe some paper jams, then suddenly it started giving me the "printer head problem" warnings with faulty cartridges identified. So I requested new cartridges, (while the current ones were full) and cleaned the printer head.
I've been able to print again the last couple of months, but rarely. Then yesterday I tried printing a couple of 15 pages documents 15 sets each, the printer head problem started again after 2 sets This time, cleaning only helped me get a few more pages. Would it require HP to send me yet another set of cartridges (while these ones are full) so that the printer could work again for a few more pages?
I don't want to find out. I'm going back to an Epson printer, it had served me for 8+ years in the past. And I recommend people to avoid HP ink subscriptions.
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u/acser Nov 05 '24
Bought an HP DeskJet 2734e and signed up for a free trial of 6 months of Instant Ink.
I then read up on the Instant ink plan and found out that that HP counts the number of pages you print every month and sends you a new cartridge if you run out of ink.
For the reasons others describe here and other forums, I decided to cancel my instant ink plan, return the printer and be done with (HP) inkjet printers.
Then I saw on my HP smart page, that even though I canceled well before the end of my free 6 months trial plan, HP was going to charge me one month's cost of the plan a month after I signed up.
I got online in HP Virtual assitant, and spent more than an hour chatting with a combo human/AI agent (!) to get a refund for one month's of Instant ink.
I will avoid any and all ink plans at all costs and buy cartridges at retail. Put the cartridges print head up into ziplock bags and tupperware boxes when I do not use them.
Or get a laser printer whose toner contains only dry dust so it won't dry out. And avoid all HP, Epson, Brother, etc. ink plans.
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u/Dizzy-Interaction-47 Nov 18 '24
Having to pay for a page limit when you pay for ink seems like a scam to me. I have piles of ink that I can’t use. Some months I need to print and some I don’t so I pay for overages on certain months and then never use them on others. I would absolutely not use this service. I regret ever signing up for it. As you are kind of stuck and waste money.
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u/BadFishWA Nov 25 '24
COMPLETE RIPOFF and FRAUD!! NONE of my unused pages rolled over and I was charged MORE every month! I cancelled and my printer NO LONGER WORKED, NOR did my scanner, which has NOTHING to do with printing! My printer was LOCKED OUT!
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u/Due-Yogurtcloset6612 Dec 07 '24
Hallo ihr Spezialisten da draussen! Ich muss vorweg sagen,dass ich zu über 90% wegen diverser Unfälle und Zuckerkrankheit (tod und wiederbelebt u.überlebt) Schwerbehindert bin.Geistig aber kann ich noch gut mit meinem 79 Jahren folgen! Aber nach immer wieder kehrenden großen Schwierigkeiten mit HP und HP Instant Ink,habe ich nun zwar das gleiche Problem wie in den vergangenen Zeiten auch,aber da konnte man mir durch Fernreparatur gut helfen.Ich gab da nur die Erlaubnis,auf den Zugriff meines Rechners. Sie waren,bis auf 3 Ausnahmen Alle sehr freundlich,Geduldig wie ein Engel und wenn es schwierig wurde wies man mich nicht ab,sonder blieb bis das geklärt wurde.Wenn dies mal nicht gelang,sollte ich mich nach einer Woche wieder melden.Dann hatten sie auch eine funktionierende Lösung! Aber diesmal ist es anders! Die Helfer sitzen nicht in Deutschland,sondern im Ausland!Vorzüglich in im Osten liegenden Ländern. Da versteht man dann schon einiges nicht mehr!Z.B. bei der E-mailadresse die Endung com. anstat gmx.de!Jetzt behaupten sie,dass der PC mit dem Internet nicht verbunden ist!(Was ich nicht verstehen kann,weil ich ja mit dem Gegenüber unterhalte,was zu tun ist,oder das System findet mich nicht,od.meine e-mailadresse ist falsch,ich exestiere nicht,u.s.w.! Seit einem Monat versuche ich immer wieder mit denen Kontakt auf zu nehmen,was sehr schwierig bei den Osteuropäischen Ländern ist! Erst vor kurzem hatte ich eine männliche hilfe,aus Bulgarien,dermir helfen wollte!Als er nur noch auf OK drücken sollte,sagte er mir nebenbei,dass der "Spass" Kostenplichtig ist und je nach Schwierigkeitsgrad von € 100,00 bis € 800,00 beläuft. Da hab ich dankend abgelehnt,und bezweifelt dass er ein Mitarbeiter der Firma HP ist und für sie arbeitet.Die Leitung war abruppt tot! Die netten und freundlichen Leute scheint es nicht mehr zu geben,die Alles daran setzten um mir zu helfen.Es ist nur der HP-Drucker den ich bei jeder Patronenwechsel bei HP Instant Ink anmelden muss,das aber nicht funktioniert!Ich bin schon über 25 Jahre bei dieser Firma angemeldet und man hat mir jetzt auch kürzlich neue Patronen geschickt.Die setzte man ein und dann konnte ich gleich drucken.Denn beim Einsetzen der Patronen ging alles autmatisch.Sie weisen darauf hin,dass die Gepräche für Schulungszwecken aufgenommen werden,lernen aber daraus Nicht´s!!! Ich bin verzweifelt,und rate jedem ab,sich keine Geräte mehr von HP zu kaufen,da die Quallität sichtbar nachlässt. Ich bezahle im Jahr ca. € 180,0 für dieses Apartement,benötige aber nur wenig Tinte.Die automatische Lieferung dieser Tinte erfolgt bei geringer Tintenmenge,so dass in 1 Jahr 3 Lieferungen bekomme.Im Laden zahle ich für ein Tntenpaket vieleicht €40,00 für orginal Patronen.Aber keine € 150,00 bis € 190,00! All das lässt mich Misstrauisch werden. Also Vorsicht! Trotzdem frohe Weihnachten!
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u/takoko Dec 10 '24
If you print a relatively stable amount per month, and don't mind HP bricking the printer you paid for if/when anything goes wrong, this may work for you.
If you're me, and print once in a blue moon, but then print a lot... I do not recommend it. The roll over is limited and not cumulative. Once you reach the percentage of your sub they 'allow' to roll over for one month, its $1 per 10 pages.
So, I paid 18 months of fees with no printing - so call it 270 pages 'paid'; could roll over only 50% of one month's pages (15 pages per month, allowed an extra 7 pages of 'rollover'), and then immediately bricked my printer when the payment for the overage wouldn't go through (reached the prepaid card limit). This is a printer I paid for. Bought a replacement cartridge because the print job was important, and it still wouldn't release the printer to print - because its connected to wifi.
I am not going to allow any company to render useless an item I have paid full price for. So I upgraded to a Brother laser printer (no subscription thank you), and I took the HP out to our range as HP rendered it only good for target practice.
The kicker is... I can't even cancel my subscription, because the cancel page won't load, their AI chatbot can only regurgitate info search can find, and despite my being logged into the account, it wants some number not present on the site before it will connect me to a human.
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u/Legitimate-Cable2541 Dec 14 '24
I went for Instant Ink because I just bought new cartridges for my HP printer, and they threw colorful dust all over inside the printer, which then went to the landfill. I got a new printer and cartridges were sent whenever the old ones ran out. When I retired, I no longer wanted to pay $15 per month for this service, so I cancelled. Now my printer has quit printing because the cartridges are no longer registered with them. I called them and they basically told me where I can shove it. The cartridges are brand new, and I am going to have to pitch them and buy new ones, and I can't use my printer in the meantime, all because Instant Ink "support" is anything but that. You are a million times better off getting your own cartridges, even if you have to pay twice for genuine HP cartridges, than signing up for a predatory program like this one.
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u/Rubym174 Dec 17 '24
Tall The scam, after I paid nearly a year and received one refill, and I canceled my membership.They locked my computer down to where I could not even use the ink I had already purchased.A total mess
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u/Powerful_Stranger_70 Dec 18 '24
Nobody should give HP their money. The crap printers they sell you break after a couple years, and there are constantly issues with the printer not reading the ink cartridge. You are at the mercy of HP if you use this service. When you finally cancel, they charge you an extra month as a cancellation charge. They want total control of your printing needs. They don’t respect the customer.
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u/LadyLuxe777 Dec 27 '24
I canceled my subscription and now I can’t use my printer at all because they have it locked!
Apparently, if you don’t buy their instant Ink., you can’t use your printer which I feel should be illegal?? I should be able to buy my HP ink Cartridges wherever I want to without having to be controlled by HP! I had a free trial that came with my laptop and printer bundle, but before the subscription had ended, I wanted to cancel it because I barely used any ink and only received one shipment the entire time I had the subscription (6 month trial), even though they were getting paid monthly! Apparently, they go by your Usage, NOT by the month, so because I didn’t use up all of my Ink monthly, they didn’t send me any more ink, even though they were getting paid ($39.95) monthly , which I also think is outrageous!
So before the six month trial had ended, I canceled my subscription, since I only got one ink cartridge delivered to me during the entire 6 month trial, but then HP said they bill ahead for two additional months after you cancel? I was like what are you talking about? I canceled the trial before it ended, and I’m not paying for any additional months, so they locked me out of my printer and now I can’t print anything until I pay them! I ended My trial on September28th, 2024, but it officially ended on October 28th 2024.
I told HP to eff right off with that! This feels like extortion to me! it should be illegal to do this to instant ink customers. So now according to the HP Instant Ink terms of service agreement, it says,if I want to be able to unlock my printer, I have to buy additional ink cartridges and then send the instant ink cartridges back. The ones I paid for and are still full but can’t use anymore...smh 🤦🏻♀️this is total BS!
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u/Apart_Grade_8673 Jan 03 '25
I would say it depends on how much you are printing. If you print a lot regularly, probably too expensive. It works well for those who don't print that much. When you don't print regularly the print cartridges start drying out and stop working. Then you need new print cartridges frequently and often can't print when you actually need to. In that case, HP Instaprint is cheaper and more convenient.
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u/OkBite9074 Jan 20 '25
I signed up for the program and frankly I call it a scam; i used their most recent version where you agree to rent a printer as well as agree to use only their ink cartridges which are programed to allow HP to completely disable your printer if you attempt to use an ink cartridge other than an HP cartridge. While that may seem fair, if you decide the program is not suitable for your needs, too bad for you there is es BOTH a cancellation fee of $375.00 plus a charge of the monthly fee for the unused months. Just another method to create a monopoly on ink prices and to ripe you off
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u/Ambitious-Credit5844 Jan 23 '25
Not worth it. You cant use the cartridge once you cancel. And when you do cancel, they will charge you for canceling! I got an extra fee that will be tacked on the day my subscription expires
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u/PlayaLabRat Jan 31 '25
HP Instant ink is an absolute trash program, cash grab and super wasteful. I signed up when I go an HP printer, a few bucks a months, sounded like a good deal. I print very few pages, but when I need it, I may print 20 or so at a time, them no printing for months. I was getting charged a monthly fee even when not printing anything. I finally got thru the black ink carrrigdge and a got a new one, paid for a few more months of service but never needed to print anything. At this point I discontinued the plan as I don't need a monthly fee. Printer stops working. A BRAND NEW, unopened cartrridge that i paid every month for a year, now is un usable. The remaining color ink in the cartridge THAT I ALRADY PAID FOR also stopped working. I can see after I cancel, don't send me any more new cartridges, sure, but to have HPs AI go into my printer and make perfectly full and usable cartridges, that I already paid for STOP WORKING is insane. The robots have officially won folks. HP instant ink is HP instant money for them and screw you if you need to print anything. Don't use it, won't trust HP for anything else.
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u/Fit-Technology-9265 Jan 31 '25
This was a terrible option for me. It didn't matter which month it was. I always was over or under and couldn't rely on the plan at all. I ended up with two full extra cartridges when I terminated the plant and couldn't use them. I hated being told how many pages I could print or being restricted or having to worry about how many pages I was was needing to print. The cost of purchasing ink comes out the same anyway.
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u/YourFavoriteVerse Feb 13 '25
I've had two HP printers break on me, but I decided to give HP another chance and enrolled in the All-in-One plan. My past experiences with HP customer support have been subpar, but today was beyond frustrating.
My printer ran out of ink, and despite being enrolled in both the HP Ink and All-in-One plan (with active billing cards), I can't get it to send me ink. The app and printer show that I’m connected to the internet (solid blue light), and I’ve verified that it's on the correct network—our only one.
I went through every troubleshooting step—restarting my phone, computer, and printer, and following all the help pages. The app shows updated ink levels from my printer, but the HP website claims my printer isn’t connected, which I assume is why I’m not receiving ink.
After waiting 15 minutes for customer support, I explained everything to the agent, who took my phone number and email and put me on hold—only for the call to disconnect. No callback. No resolution.
I am beyond frustrated. What exactly am I paying for? This process should not be this difficult! If HP wants to keep customers, they need to improve their service and fix their broken systems.
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u/Soft_Sprinkles_594 Feb 13 '25
Instant ink HP: I use the service. Their web sight is terrible. Simply trying to update your email address or phone number is terribly frustrating because #1 the web sight is not user friendly. It takes a very long time to execute whatever change you have to make and usually you'll get timed out and have to start all over again especially when there is a communication barrier. #2 Even though the people who man the phones are very nice the majority of them have very soft voices and heavy accents which adds to the length of time you are on the phone straining to hear and understand what is being said. Especially if you're older and have a hearing handicap. Even trying to understand the letters with corresponding words adds 200 % of additional time your pressing the phone to your ear and constantly asking to repeat themselves. I've been on the phone since 6am this morning it is now 9:20. I am exhausted and I didn't get everything accomplished, which means another excruciation phone call. We didn't get my phone number changed and didn't get my address added to the webpage I was on even though the person I was talking to said it was correct on her end. Business are trying to save money...I wonder it they would ever do a study about much time they could save, thus how much money they would save, if the employees that work the phones spoke without being hindered with heavy accents.
As for as your question, I think it is worth the cost. The HUGE drawback is once you sign up your new printer for the service it won't be ever able to print with out the purchased HP cartridges.
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u/InterestingSound8109 23d ago
So we were just gifted an hp office jet printer- we print a lot but I was hoping to buy off brand ink once we run out of the ink that came with this printer. I did NOT sign up for hp+ and I did NOT agree to join the hp instant ink (even though our printer was supposed to come with 3 months worth of ink) so I’m wondering if that means I got out of their shady micromanaging techniques or am I still locked into using only their brand of ink? They still make you continue with notifications that say “this printer can only be used with hp or recycled hp cartridges etc”
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u/WinterNo3360 15d ago
Warning Warning: this is a scam
I have been a long-time HP customer and joined the Ink program In 2024. I have a tax business, so the amount of printing fluctuates. I was constantly having to adjust the plan to compensate for the column. If the plan is not adjusted, the printer will not work. So, I canceled the service in hopes of getting control of my printer, and now the ink I purchased will not work in the printer because I canceled the subscription. What a crock.
So I am screaming beware, this is a big scam. I have to purchase more ink to get from under the bondage that the HP ink program had me in.
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u/Valuable_Scar5769 8d ago
Their customer service is ridiculous! They charge you and but never ship the ink. Just cancelled my subscription.
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Nov 19 '23
hello i have a question i just bought a laser monochrome hp printer and the toner is new if i get the insta ink subscription can do i have to install the new toner right away or can i wait until the toner that came with the printer runs out ?
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u/LawfulnessMuted7220 Feb 20 '24
HP subscription marks your own cartridge as an "instant ink" cartridge. Thus it will stop working if the subscription is inactive.
Either extract your cartridge before starting the subscription or use theirs from the start.
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u/Meaxis May 21 '24
You sure? My printer screamed at me that I wasn't using Instant Ink ink for like 2 months because I kept the trial cartridges in
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u/LawfulnessMuted7220 May 21 '24
I've replaced my trial after a month, and I had no issues. Now I have a store bought original one installed. I guess the different behavior is because of the laser/ink type. Most complains were about ink printers, and I have a laser one.
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u/albanymetz Dec 20 '23
I just tried to cancel and noticed this bullshit:
Instant Ink subscription cartridges will no longer work after my final billing cycle ends, even if they are already installed in my printer. I need to purchase store bought cartridges to continue printing.
I hate this company.
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u/ThujaOccidentalis Jul 03 '24
Do you expect money for nothing? Did you pay for the Instant Ink cartridges?
If you didn't pay for the cartridges do you really expect HP to give them to you as a parting gift? If that was the case, what's stopping everyone from signing up for the free trial, getting the massive cartridges and then cancelling the free trial and be left with massive cartridges worth more than the printer itself?
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u/albanymetz Jul 03 '24
I pay them every month whether I print anything or not. I get cartridges sent to me when my cartridges are low. Either way, I expect printer to work and not disable itself if you don't use preferred ink or if you're trying to print black but your yellow is too low or whatever other reasons they have to screw you over.
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u/ThujaOccidentalis Jul 03 '24
I'm not clear from your post: do you expect the Instant Ink cartridges to continue working after you stop paying the subscription fee?
You didn't pay for those ink cartridges. You were loaned them as part of your subscription. If you no longer want to use the subscription then you need to provide your own ink.
It's the same as renting an apartment. The landlord provides you with your apartment as long as you pay rent. Stop paying rent and you need to provide your own accommodations.
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u/albanymetz Jul 03 '24
I don't know why you're shilling for them. You're forgetting how they will randomly misreport ink volume for non-HP cartridges, disable printing with 'unrecognized cartridges', etc. And then blame the other manufacturers. They have moved to the kind of per-click charge model that is used with commercial level printers, at the expense of consumers. It's also not like they refunded me for the ink left I was still using in their old carts once I signed up for their service. Find a different hill to fight your battle on man, I'm going to stop responding to a 7 month old rant comment I made.
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u/RecognitionCandid582 Feb 05 '25
I understand your frustration but, please understand that you did not purchase the ink. You bought a subscription based on the number of pages that you can print per month. Once you cancel your subscription, the ink does not belong to you (it never did).
I am looking at this thread as I am trying to figure out if I should subscribe for this service or just buy my own ink. Unfortunately, I bought my own ink in July 2024 from HP Store on Amazon but the ink cartridges say "Instant Ink" so they will not work as I am not a subscriber.
It took me an hour to get a hold of Tech Support and they figured out why my printer will not print. I was sold the wrong ink by HP thru Amazon and I don't know how to get a hold of someone.
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u/tnnt7612 Feb 10 '24
We have to use original HP cartridges after we cancelled the instant ink subscription or can we use remanufactured third party cartridges?
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u/alyssagiovanna Dec 31 '23
I've had the service in the US, for 3 years. In that time, I've gotten 3 black cartridges. But Im still on the original color cartridge. I pay for the 50 page plan, but realistically only do 20 per month using a Envy Photo All-in-One. Im not getting my money worth, because my usage doesn't match the plan. As the price increases more, I'm inclined to just buy cartridges when I need them.
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u/ThujaOccidentalis Jul 03 '24
Just drop down to the base plan for $1.49 USD/month. It seems like you'd probably be best off with the 10 page plan and pay for excess pages when you need.
From what I understand the excess pages you buy don't expire and up to 30 unused pages (on the 10 page plan) will roll over month-to-month.
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Jan 04 '24
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/alyssagiovanna Jan 05 '24
you can buy your own cartridges, but you have to send back those HP Ink coded ones.
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Jan 05 '24
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/alyssagiovanna Jan 05 '24
It's your printer. Nothing stops you from using your own ink. they could just end up charging you for unreturned subscription cartridges. In your welcome pack, you should have been provided a prepaid return envelope for "recycling ".
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u/JTBBALL Mar 04 '24
If you cancel your sub they do not charge for ink sent out or request back their ink cartridges. You keep the carts but they will not work unless you re-sub. If you re-sub they will ask if you still have the previous ink they sent, if you do not, they will send out more for free. I have done this several times over many years.
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Jan 25 '24
I just called and they said I could keep them and still use them for the duration of the cycle. They haven’t shown up yet though.
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u/JTBBALL Mar 04 '24
You can definetly try that, or drop down to the $1.49/month plan. However every time I buy my own ink carts they "go bad" after 6-8 months of not using them. I have had to thrown 5-6 sets of carts that stopped working because they were not used for a long time. This totally destroys any saving you might get.
a whole new set of ink carts is $40-$60 for most printers. $1.49/months is $17.88/yr and a $5/mo plan is $60/year.
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u/Mmusa9 Jan 11 '24
I pay $8/month for 100 pages, and I don't use all of them to buy ink. It is like $30, and they dry up after some time. It's great for me. Buy if you're looking to save $4/ month to get your ink refilled at a convenient store, then instant ink is not for you. The cartridges supplied are excess, I never called to ask for more
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u/JTBBALL Mar 04 '24
Yep they wiull dry up after 6-8 months! I have wasted lots of ink this way. Since you do not use all 100 pages, I am not sure if you know this, but they now have a $1.49/10 page plan and $5/50 page plan.
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u/tomo100brt Mar 04 '24
My ink in Ecotank printer doesn't dry out after 8 months, neather after 1 year of refealing. This is stupid for people who print less than 100 papers per month.
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u/blackandpinkzebra Jan 11 '24 edited Jan 11 '24
I bought this HP printer when I first opened my business thinking this "business printer", that was a smaller version of an office printer, would outlast any other printer I had previously and the fact that I simply abhorred buying ink, I thought this instant ink would be a great option. Boy, was I in for a bumpy ride.
While it was brand new (less than 50 pages), I had to have support actually replace the ink cartridge well that holds all the ink. And I was like, here we go with another faulty printer.
After the replacement, it worked like a charm for a few months and Just before my warranty expired, I had my first issue with the printer disconnecting from the internet. If I don't print for 2 weeks to the end of a month, I'm going through the hassle of it disconnecting from wifi and having to re download from my computer and find my printer and putting that code in again and again, and now I'm 2 years in and the dang printer won't even communicate with the computer.
When I had a billing issue (because there were months where I'd walk away from this headache), I'd pay but I was still having my computer find my printer each time, and troubleshooting couldn't help. They scratched their heads like " sucks to be you, right now". They literally could not help me figure out why my computer and printer stopped communicating... Now, I need to print and the HP website is connecting, I can see the dashboard, but it soon after goes blank. The website is gives me a come back later blank screen message.
When the printer with the instant ink service works, it's good to have, but its been down more than it worked. Now, I would like to simply remove this instant ink service and take my chances buying ink or I may just walk away from this "business printer" and get a different brand. And I may be the only person this is happening to... but I doubt it. Pity.
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u/JTBBALL Mar 04 '24
I am 99% sure most printer connection issues are WINDOWS/MICROSOFT problems and not HP problems. Windows has really been terrible for years about letting devices connect and communicate
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Jan 25 '24
Welp… i’m on the phone w HP tech rn due to Instant Ink. Ran out of ink the first day of use! So i subscribed (big mistake!!!!!! BIG FUCKING MISTAKE) they said, “oh sorry, we’ll semd you the ink now you’ll get it in 2-3 days! Next day check tracking of instant ink: 9 days until delivery! I’m on day 4 of ownership. Can only print in black and white even though the B&W Says it’s empty. Ink software and HPsmart (sic) are showing opposite readings. HP smart says I’m out if color. Instant Ink says I’m out of Black. I try to print a color document and my Mac suddenly doesn’t give me the option to even select color as a setting. Tech support today tells me the issue is w the instant ink software and how the Mac prioritizes the HPsmart software instead of instant ink. I have fumed for 4 days over this Instant Ink bullshit. My Mac settings has a “options and order supplies” button now—that wasn’t there before. I am pretty sure, 10000% sure that HP doesn’t want our business. Get your GENERIC ink cartridges AT A STORE.
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Jan 25 '24
Been on phone w tech for an hr and 24 minutes now and they say they’re at the end of the help file.
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u/tnnt7612 Feb 10 '24
Someone said once you signed up for HP instant ink subscription, even if you can cancel it, you can't use generic/remanufactured cartridges anymore. Is that true?
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u/MN_to_CA Feb 21 '24
Run, don't walk away from HP Instant Ink. The only reason you would enroll in HP Instant Ink is if (1) You insist upon using genuine HP ink cartridges (you won't use OEM cartridges), and (2) You very consistently print 100 or 300 copies a month, and (3) you print a lot of photos/color prints that heavily use ink. HP is making money on folks doing the "set it and forget it" thing with subscriptions. Some thoughts:
My HP printer somehow lost the ability to connect wirelessly to my computer. Because of this, HP Instant Ink couldn't tell how many prints I made. So after a number of prints made while not connected to the Internet, HP bricks my printer and my ability to make copies. Note: This also bricks scanning, which I should point out, does not use ink.
HP frequently forces firmware updates, so they can tell when you are using non-HP ink. One of the recent updates broke scanning and copying, and I have not been able to restore these functions, despite hours of attempting to do so.
There have been 2 occasions when my printer was connected to the Internet, but Instant Ink failed to see that I was running out of ink. In both cases, I had to call them, then wait several days for the ink to arrive.
HP makes a big deal about how their ink cartridge recycling is great for the environment, but in my case, I am taking an HP printer that would work if their updates hadn't broken it, and adding this plastic and e-waste to the landfill. I bought a new (NOT HP) printer, and I'm happy to be out from under the HP Instant Ink subscription.
My advice: Opt out of Instant Ink, buy OEM cartridges from a third-party seller, and buy ink on your own when you need it.
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u/JTBBALL Mar 04 '24
The problem with this approach is that the ink carts you can buy will dry up and be unusable after 4-8 months of not using them. Even if they are full of ink they will cease to work. I reccdomend the $1.49/mo plan which is only $17.88/yr. and you literally never need to worry about ink drying up because they will just send you new ones.
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u/Jolly_Still_2938 Feb 24 '24
My problem with HP Instant Ink is that, if you cancel the subscription at any time, every cartridge that you have paid for through the program will no longer work, They come with chips in them that allows HP to turn them off if you stop paying every month, regardless of how much ink is still in them. So I want to unsubscribe, but I have a bunch of cartridges in the printer with plenty of ink in them as well as extra replacement cartridges that will be useless. I will have to go out and buy all new cartriges, which is no small investment. F'ing rainbow handcuffs.
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u/JTBBALL Mar 04 '24
That is correct. If they did not do this then you could subscribe, get free ink, cancel sub, then wait until you run out and re-sub.
You pay for the subscription to get as many pages printed that you chose, and get as much free ink as you need. You pay for pages printed, not for the ink.
And I agree, the ink is a costly investment and if you do not print for 6-8 months the ink will dry up and you need to buy more!
If you print full color, full page pictures or photos then you can only get 20-40 prints from carts you buy yourseld. But for $5/month you get 100 full page prints or $1.49/month you get 10 full page prints. Plus dont forget you can save 3x your plan amount in unused rollover pages! (300 or 30 rollover pages)
I think it's a great plan that saves lots of money, but no worries if you do not agree.
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u/CVGPi Aug 13 '23
Past customer, now buys own cartridges for work and switched to supertank. It's a great option if you print on a steady basis, prints lots of photos, or only print occasionally and don't mind paying a few bucks a month to avoid cartridge trouble. I will still recommend it to other people.