Things everyone should know about ordering cartridges online
by: John Sollars
Most of the major printer manufacturers have adopted the same marketing model as the razor blade manufacturers. Sometimes selling printers even at cost price and making their margins by selling ink and other printer accessories. Since Ink cartridges are a recurring need to keep a printer going, it is much easier to buy refilled ink or filling it yourself using refill kits.
Ordering refilled cartridges online is probably the easiest option. It is simple and the cost of these ink cartridges is considerably lower. However, there are a few things to remember or watch out for while choosing your supplier. Even after you make up your mind, it is advisable to try a few cartridges before placing bulk orders.
It might be preached that, a refilled cartridge makes the warranty on the printer void. This is NOT true and the warranty on the printer still stands even if you use recycled ink, as per the law..
Here are a few tips that could help you pick your supplier:
1. The company should have a street address. This would authenticate their presence. It is much better to have a street address rather than a P.O.Box address.
2. It might be handy to have your supplier’s customer care number in case there is a problem with the refilled cartridge. A phone number would help you reach them in much lesser time and is definitely a more convenient way of communicating. If a phone number is not available, you must insist on an email address at least.
A good online retailer should typically have the following on their website to make things easy for you.
1. Glossary Of Terms: This should contain the understandable version of any technical term used or any jargon that is used to describe the technicalities of a printer and its part or about the ink cartridge.
2. Refunds: This is the one you need to read carefully. Before you make a purchase, it is very important to know what the companies refund policies are. There could be a few things involved, such as, refund being made only within a certain period of time or what needs to be done in order to get a refund. How to go about it etc.
3. Exchange: In some cases you might want to have your cartridges exchanged. For example if you have bought the wrong cartridge or you mixed up the model of the printer for which you wish to make the purchase. Here again it would be handy to know the policies in place. The policies could change with the companies.
4. Cancellations: This could be an important factor when you pick your supplier. If you wish to make a cancellation, you would need to know how it can be done, if there is a timeline involved, whether or not you get a full refund etc.
5. Frequently asked questions: This section would take care of your general queries and save you time that you would have to spend otherwise calling them. This would help you find out more about the company.
6. Simple product election procedures: You should be able to select the product by the model of your printer either by its name or number.
7. Money Back Guarantee: Most good companies would offer you a money back guarantee without too much hassle. This could also be a confidence booster because if a company hesitates in promising you a refund, chances are that the company is not too sure of its product. On the other hand if there is a simple money back guarantee, the product should be good.
8. Shipping Instructions: Most companies would offer free shipping if the purchase is over a certain amount, which could vary from. They would also give you indications of timelines of how much time it is likely to take. Some companies do not offer free shipping. This needs to be clearly understood to avoid getting unpleasant surprises.
9. Data Security: This could be an extremely important factor in choosing your supplier. During the registration process, you might enter details that are not personal. Your details such as, phone number, address, email address etc need to be protected. This is where the privacy policy is important. If these details are sent out, you could be at the receiving end of unsolicited emails or phone calls. During the process of making a payment you might enter your credit card details, which obviously is confidential. To make sure this information is not handled carelessly, you must check the data security or the privacy policies of the company.
10. Tracking: Once your shipment is on its way there should be some method of knowing where exactly the packet is. Should it take longer than usual or get lost, the order tracking information would prove useful.
There is obviously no better way to find the best dealer than to keep looking for one that you are happy with. However, these pointers could give you things to look out for and help you find the right supplier.
About The Author
John Sollars is the managing director of Solar Electronics, which are both ink and pc peripheral suppliers based in Shropshire, UK. To access a comprehensive online shop of original and re-manufactured printer inks please visit
http://www.mega-office.co.uk.
