HP Printers locking functionality behind ink availability: Difference between revisions
Added archive URLs for 6 citation(s) using CRWCitationBot |
mNo edit summary |
||
| (2 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown) | |||
| Line 10: | Line 10: | ||
|Description= | |Description= | ||
}} | }} | ||
[[HP]] produces all-in-one printers, which are marketed as a complete solution for printing, scanning documents, and sending faxes. However, these printers enter an error state when the ink level in one of the cartridges is too low, disabling all functionalities—including scanning and faxing—even though these features do not require ink.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Harding |first=Scharon |date=15 Aug 2023 |title=Requiring ink to scan a document—yet another insult from the printer industry |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/08/the-printers-that-require-ink-to-scan-and-fax/ |url-status=live |access-date=27 Mar 2025 |website=ArsTechnica |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250804190507/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/08/the-printers-that-require-ink-to-scan-and-fax/ |archive-date=4 Aug 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=18 Feb 2022 |title=can't scan due to low ink. I shouldn't need ink to scan a document. Is there a work around for this? |url=https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Scanning-Faxing-Copying/can-t-scan-due-to-low-ink-I-shouldn-t-need-ink-to-scan-a/td-p/8308292 |url-status=live |access-date=27 Mar 2025 |website=[[HP]] |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250708171636/https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Scanning-Faxing-Copying/can-t-scan-due-to-low-ink-I-shouldn-t-need-ink-to-scan-a/td-p/8308292 |archive-date=8 Jul 2025}}</ref> HP has faced legal actions<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Shaak |first=Erin |date=1 Jul 2022 |title=Design Flaw? HP Printers Won’t Scan, Fax When Ink Is Low, Class Action Alleges |url=https://www.classaction.org/blog/design-flaw-hp-printers-wont-scan-fax-when-ink-is-low-class-action-alleges |url-status=live |access-date=27 Mar 2025 |website=ClassAction.org |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250906013120/https://www.classaction.org/blog/design-flaw-hp-printers-wont-scan-fax-when-ink-is-low-class-action-alleges |archive-date=6 Sep 2025}}</ref><ref>https://regmedia.co.uk/2023/08/11/freund-hp-judge-order.pdf</ref> because it sells its products as all-in-one solutions but does not clearly disclose that ink is necessary to use any of the functionalities. | |||
[[HP]] produces all-in-one printers, which are marketed as a complete solution for printing, scanning documents, and sending faxes. However, these printers enter an error state when the ink level in one of the cartridges is too low, disabling all functionalities—including scanning and faxing—even though these features do not require ink.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Harding |first=Scharon |date=15 Aug 2023 |title=Requiring ink to scan a document—yet another insult from the printer industry |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/08/the-printers-that-require-ink-to-scan-and-fax/ |url-status=live |access-date=27 Mar 2025 |website=ArsTechnica |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250804190507/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/08/the-printers-that-require-ink-to-scan-and-fax/ |archive-date=4 Aug 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=18 Feb 2022 |title=can't scan due to low ink. I shouldn't need ink to scan a document. Is there a work around for this? |url=https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Scanning-Faxing-Copying/can-t-scan-due-to-low-ink-I-shouldn-t-need-ink-to-scan-a/td-p/8308292 |url-status=live |access-date=27 Mar 2025 |website=[[HP]] |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250708171636/https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Scanning-Faxing-Copying/can-t-scan-due-to-low-ink-I-shouldn-t-need-ink-to-scan-a/td-p/8308292 |archive-date=8 Jul 2025}}</ref> HP has faced legal actions<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Shaak |first=Erin |date=1 Jul 2022 |title=Design Flaw? HP Printers Won’t Scan, Fax When Ink Is Low, Class Action Alleges |url=https://www.classaction.org/blog/design-flaw-hp-printers-wont-scan-fax-when-ink-is-low-class-action-alleges |url-status=live |access-date=27 Mar 2025 |website=ClassAction.org |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250906013120/https://www.classaction.org/blog/design-flaw-hp-printers-wont-scan-fax-when-ink-is-low-class-action-alleges |archive-date=6 Sep 2025}}</ref><ref>https://regmedia.co.uk/2023/08/11/freund-hp-judge-order.pdf ([http://web.archive.org/web/20250708171634/https://regmedia.co.uk/2023/08/11/freund-hp-judge-order.pdf Archived])</ref> because it sells its products as all-in-one solutions but does not clearly disclose that ink is necessary to use any of the functionalities. | |||
==Background== | ==Background== | ||
Printer manufacturers often sell their printer hardware at a loss, knowing they will profit significantly from subsequent ink cartridge sales. | Printer manufacturers often sell their printer hardware at a loss, knowing they will profit significantly from subsequent ink cartridge sales. | ||
| Line 27: | Line 29: | ||
==Lawsuits== | ==Lawsuits== | ||
The case against HP states that this is a design flaw, and points to the advertising not disclosing it and instead calling the printers "convenient because you don’t have to buy a separate device for each task".<ref>https://www.classaction.org/media/freund-et-al-v-hp-inc.pdf ([http://web.archive.org/web/20250708171631/https://www.classaction.org/media/freund-et-al-v-hp-inc.pdf Archived])</ref> | The case against HP states that this is a design flaw, and points to the advertising not disclosing it and instead calling the printers "convenient because you don’t have to buy a separate device for each task".<ref>https://www.classaction.org/media/freund-et-al-v-hp-inc.pdf ([http://web.archive.org/web/20250708171631/https://www.classaction.org/media/freund-et-al-v-hp-inc.pdf Archived])</ref> | ||
[[File:HP support forum printer-scanner not scanning without ink.png|alt=user asks on HP support forum why their scanner will not properly scan without ink| | [[File:HP support forum printer-scanner not scanning without ink.png|thumb|alt=user asks on HP support forum why their scanner will not properly scan without ink|User asks on HP support forum why their scanner will not properly scan without ink.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20230811234030/https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Scanning-Faxing-Copying/Scanning-without-a-working-ink-cartridge/td-p/6777739</ref>]] | ||
[[File:HP support rep | [[File:HP support rep ignoring that customer is asking about the scanner portion.png|thumb|alt=HP support rep says that the printer needs ink to work, ignoring the fact that the customer is asking about the SCANNER portion of the printer/scanner combo.|HP support rep says that the printer needs ink to work, ignoring the fact that the customer is asking about the SCANNER portion of the printer/scanner combo.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20230811234030/https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Scanning-Faxing-Copying/Scanning-without-a-working-ink-cartridge/td-p/6777739</ref>]] | ||
==HP's official support response== | ==HP's official support response== | ||
In the now-archived official HP support forums<ref>[[:File:Scanning without a working ink cartridge - HP Support Community - 6777739.pdf]]</ref>, users were trying to scan documents; but they had low or damaged ink cartridges. HP's official representatives consistently confirmed that their printers are intentionally designed to prevent scanning when ink is low or missing. | In the now-archived official HP support forums<ref>[[:File:Scanning without a working ink cartridge - HP Support Community - 6777739.pdf]]</ref>, users were trying to scan documents; but they had low or damaged ink cartridges. HP's official representatives consistently confirmed that their printers are intentionally designed to prevent scanning when ink is low or missing. | ||
| Line 53: | Line 54: | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{ | {{Reflist}} | ||
[[Category:Lawsuits]] | |||
[[Category:HP Printers]] | |||
[[Category:HP Inc.]] | [[Category:HP Inc.]] | ||