Generic vs OEM cartridges

I still hear so often that you should not use generic ink cartridges because they will damage your printers; discount ink cartridges are so “cheap” that they must be of poor quality and they would give poor printout; some even claim that generic cartridges have a high failure rate.

I won’t doubt that some generic cartridges (compatible or remanufactured cartridges) are not made to the same standard as the OEM cartridges. There are so many third party manufacturers making generic cartridges these days and a variation of quality and performance is expected. However, I also feel resentful that some printer manufacturers keep using scare tactics to deter customers from buying more affordable alternatives.

If you go to any physical and online shops selling printer supplies, you would find that most if not all sell generic cartridges as well as OEM cartridges. If generic cartridges damaged your printer, why would these vendors keep selling these defective cartridges ruining their own reputation?

Are generic cartridges “cheap”, so cheap that they can’t be of good quality? Cheap is only a relative term. OEM ink is one of the most expensive liquids on earth (some people say the price of OEM ink is US$5000 / gallon). Compared to OEM ink, generic ink is of course cheap. But honestly, is the OEM ink really worth that much money? No, it is a well known fact that printer manufacturers mark up the price of OEM ink substantially in order to make profit as they cut the printer price to a very low level. Instead of saying generic cartridges are cheap, I would rather say that OEM cartridges are extremely expensive.

Do many generic cartridges fail to print and are dead on first day? It depends where you buy the generic cartridges. If you buy cartridges manufactured under ISO standards, the quality of the ink cartridges is guaranteed. Most vendors also provide extended warranty period, you can return the cartridges if you are not satisfied with them.

Buying high quality generic cartridges is a legitimate way to save money but like shopping for everything else, you need to do some research first. Just bear in mind that even if the cartridge doesn’t work, it won’t explode in front of you and it is highly unlikely it will damage your printer.