HP Class Action Lawsuit Settlement
A proposed settlement has been reached in three different class action lawsuits involving certain HP printers.
The first suit claims that certain HP printers use ‘low on ink’ messages to indicate that printer owners need to replace their cartridge, even though the cartridge is not empty and can still be used to print.
The second lawsuit claims that certain HP color inkjet printers used color ink in addition to black ink when printing black text and images. There was no disclosure of the simultaneous use of the cartridges and no way for printer owners to disable this function. It also claims that HP misrepresented and failed to disclose the actual page yield for the cartridges in these printers and the use of color ink cartridges when printing in black.
The third lawsuit claims that HP designed certain cartridges and printers to ‘shut down’ on an undisclosed expiration date causing the printer owner to have to replace their cartridge before they could print again.
HP denies all of these claims but, rather than wait for a court ruling, has agreed (along with lawyers of these suits) to a settlement to avoid any future expense and risk.
So, what can you do to determine your legal rights?
If you are eligible for for a part of the settlement, you may receive an e-credit for the purchase of printer or printer cartridges from HP. Any e-credits received must be used at HP’s online store. To be eligible for a credit you must have purchased or received as a gift (in the United States) and HP printer that is listed here. The printer must have been purchased between September 6, 2001 and September 1, 2010.
For more information check the settlement website at www.hpinkjetprintersettlement.com.
Take a minute and let me know what you think of these three lawsuits. Thanks!
Here are my thoughts on the HP settlement.
Here are our readers thoughts on the HP E-Credit Settlement.
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November 17th, 2010 at 2:16 pm
This sounds very similar to the Epson lawsuit settlement from a few years back. I find it interesting how HP denies any wrong doing but is quick to settle the lawsuit. Admit nothing and make it go away…. Sounds familiar. All the claims HP is alleged to have done are clearly their strategy to improve profits and has fueled profits for years in their most profitable portion of their business “inkjet and laser printers”.
November 18th, 2010 at 5:13 am
I am an insurance investigator and work from home. My last hp print cartridges, purchased at staples, were half full as soon as I installed them. When they were empty, after very few pages printed, I attempted to refill both a tWalgreens. Neither would refill and I was told the sponge in each were dry. This less than 30 days from purchase. One is a HP 74 XL and one a HP75 XL. I am writing both HP and Staples.
Charles Gordon Adkins
Columbus, OH
614-397-3120
cga@gordoncharles.com
http://WWW.gordoncharles.com
November 18th, 2010 at 10:56 am
I strongly object to the terms of the settlement in this class action suit. A $5 e-coupon is not nearly enough compensation.
The Hewlett-Packard Company has formatted systemic consumer fraud involving approximately 1070 models of the printers they manufacture involving 3 separately identified class action lawsuits. But these actions are not isolated incidents. HP has a culture of consumer fraud and have gone to great lengths in the media to cover up it’s actions. The ethics of using sponges to fill the cartridge to limiting print capability is telling signal of HP’s consumer subterfuge. Since Epson America Corp. lost a class action suit in 2006 for some of the same stunts, HP should surely have known better.
The suggested retail price at the HP store for my printer cartridge is $31.99 for the HP part: CD947FN#140 (UPC: 8 83585 82692 6).
The BBC reported back in 2003 that printer manufacturers where limiting the ability to access total ink reserves with conservative estimates that 17-20% of the cartridges capacity was being withheld from consumers. The resolution for my injuries amounts to less than 15% of the cost of one cartridge which I am forced to use to purchase another overpriced product from the company that perpetuated this fraud.
HP had 2010 third quarter net revenue of $30.7 billion of which the Imaging and Printing Group (IPG) revenue increased 9% to $6.2 billion. HP reports third quarter 2010 results The conditions of the $5 million dollar class action settlement will will spur even higher revenues since they will be profiting on 1 million additional purchases that may otherwise have gone to local refill retailers who only charge $10. It offers no remedy to the customer since we will end up spending $26.99 for the comparable HP product. This amounts to little more than a publicity stunt and does nothing to punish the company or change the corrupted mentality of corporate greed at HP.
November 20th, 2010 at 7:02 pm
I agree with J.Baird. Durring the life of a printer, 20 ink cartriges could be purchased. Even if only 5% was left unused, that would be 100% of a new cartrige. If a new cartrige as Mr. Bqird states is $31.99 retail, then how can $6.00 or $8.00 in Coupons on the HP sales website be any real compensation. I just looks like a way to increase sales at their website. The only real compensation for the fraud would be a full replacement of any cartriges the owned machine would use. Since most printers use 2 or more cartriges, then the consumer shoud get one of each cartrige the machine uses or a dollar amount in E-credits equal to what the retail would be for one of each.
If you believe that this settlement is unfair, thanyou can submitt to the court your reasons why and an alternate settlement. Just e-mail info@HPInkjetPrinter Settlement.com before January 3, 2011.
November 21st, 2010 at 10:41 am
I currently own 3 HP printers. The ink has typically been an issue. One of my printers would shut down and not let me move forward unless I changed the cartridge. I knew there was ink in it because I didn’t have it very long nor print very much. Another time I bought both black and colored ink together and it ran out after only a couple of uses? Obviously something was going on. I would get error messages if I put any OTHER brand beside HP in the printer also. I was actually in a focus group with HP once at a scrapbooking convention and one of my major complaints was the expense of the ink. I think HP just turned many people away from printing at home with their greed. It is far cheaper to send my printing out. If they were fair perhaps many of us would choose to print more at home for the convenience if it was even remotely affordable or convenient. Running out of ink after a handful of prints after spending over $50 certainly doesn’t lend itself to the former or the latter. Rather than a $5 credit, I’d LOVE them to admit their own greed/scam. I know that would probably not happen but I’d love it if it did.
November 22nd, 2010 at 7:09 am
A $5.00 settlement is unfair. I have purchased numerous ink cartridges that have not lasted long and the message low ink constantly comes up.
November 23rd, 2010 at 8:02 pm
Not only do I have two printers that are on the list, but I also have a record of emails I sent to HP back in January of this year about two boxes of ink I had purchased. I used the 96/97 cartridges and I was receiving a low ink message for my black ink cartridge…at the time I didn’t know that this message was incorrect. I opened one of the boxes and took out the packet labeled 96, but inside the plastic pouch was a colored ink cartridge labeled 97. Confused I opened the other package from the same box, which was correctly labeled 97. So there I was with no black in, but 2 colored cartridges. I then opened up our second and last box of ink. The same thing…two colored cartridges, with one of them having the wrong label. I emailed HP b/c the ink didn’t expire until May and I had just unsealed $130 worth of ink. I told HP I was not going to use colored cartridges just to print black and white documents. They emailed me and told me to call a customer service number, which was just a recording and was a dead end. It’s like all of their stupid tricks to “outsmart” and rip off their loyal customers, who they must see as unintelligent consumers. Just b/c I have two HP printers, does not mean I won’t cut my losses and opt for a tax write off. I think I am going to donate my two printers to an organization in need such as a church or a shelter. I think I will tell HP that since I am no longer another pocket for them to pinch from, they should allow my measly e-credits to be transfered to the new owner. Just for fun, I will inform HP that this organization has a high demand for printing needs and is not too proud to accept a hand out. More specifically HP should expect to receive calls from the receiver of my printers, on a daily basis. It would only seem right that rather than HP waste the remaining “rip off” ink, that they donate ALL of those half empty cartridges they’ve been using to stock the shelves, which we bought from. They can take the cartridges I would have normally purchased based on my printing needs this year and add it to what I can only imagine is a surplus of #96 in cartridges that have failed to get properly packaged. I am sure other suppliers like Canon will be more than happy to assist me. After all, I believe I just read that 4 of Canon’s printers for 2010 are ranked in the Top 5!
November 24th, 2010 at 5:14 am
A terrible settlement. Not even worth the time to fill out the claim form. Instead of admitting guilt and reimbursing the consumer with a coupon for replacing the ink they choose to give a measly E credit for a few dollars that can be only redeemed by spending more money with HP to replace the cartridges. My first HP printer was defective 2 months after purchase (after buying a b&w & color cartridges for over $50.00). Now I have to buy a replacement printer for additional money and of course the ink cartridges from the old model do not fit the new printer. Another $50.00+ for new cartriges. Congratulations HP on a great quarter.
November 24th, 2010 at 7:22 am
After reading many of these posts, I am wondering if the primary plaintiffs in these class action suits are not just giving HP an out against further lawsuits in exchange for lucrative personal awards.
A $6-8 e-coupon is ridicules.
December 13th, 2010 at 1:54 pm
I hate HP . I have always been faithful to HP , but not anymore. Not only are the ink cartridges faulty, they will ruin the printer. I have taken photos and would like to know where I can send them so someone could see what came out of the cartridges in question. Maybe someone will read this and let me know. HP will not acknowledge any wrong doing. The cartridges crack inside the printers and send messages to you like, “cartridge missing…” I went to Canon.
December 28th, 2010 at 4:20 pm
After I received the email pertaining to this settlement, my dad called me to say their printer wouldn’t print due to expired cartridges , and he had just changed them a week earlier. I guess I print enough that I haven’t encountered this issue on my own HP.
I picked up the new cartridges for his printer and the only way to find the expiration date on the 02 series multi-pack is to completely remove the cartridge from all packaging and look on the side that is facing down. this is just one more sneaky tactic – the expiration date should be printed on the outside of the box . I also think their settlement is not worth the time to fill out the forms – which is exactly what they are counting on.
December 29th, 2010 at 10:18 am
I agree that this settlement is bogus.
A couple of months ago my HP Officejet Pro L7580 printer suddenly said it could no longer print because I had a “defective” black ink cartridge. I knew this was impossible, as it still had 1/2 the ink left and was working just fine the day before.
I went to OfficeMax, where I buy all my ink cartridges, and one of the employees told me this was becoming quite common with HP. He noted that when you turn on your printer the computer reads the printer drivers and HP has enabled their system to shut down your printing ability for not using HP ink cartridges. (I was buying the OfficeMax brand ink cartridges that would fit HP).
So I was forced to purchase the HP ink cartridge and of course when I put it in, I was able to print again with no problems.
Now here we are today and just “suddenly” I get an error message on the printer that states my Magenta is “either missing or damaged”. Ludicrous…it’s nearly full and again was working just fine yesterday. But this too is an OfficeMax brand, and not HP. So I get to go out into town in the inclement weather and buy an HP brand just so these BXXXXXXX can continue to screw people over through fraudulent means.
I would not be so angry if they had sent out something saying one had to convert over to HP ink cartridges, but to do this through covert means is nothing shy of fraudulent activity.
This settlement was a joke and we will be selling our HP computer and printer in the very near future and they will not get our business again!
January 8th, 2011 at 7:20 am
I Kasper, you are not alone in your dislike for HP. There are a lot of folks feeling the same way right now. Completely ripped off and cheated. I did some looking around and cannot find any address where you could send your photos. Best I could find were a few phone numbers, some websites, and some email addresses. Maybe someone else can help.
January 8th, 2011 at 7:28 am
C. Richardson,
I took a minute to head out to our warehouse and check the boxes on some of the HP 02 cartridges we have in stock. I was able to locate an expiration date on the bottom of the cartridge box. It is placed so you actually have to be aware of what you are looking for, but it is there. Take another look the next time you head out to buy some more cartridges.
January 8th, 2011 at 7:32 am
C. Clark,
You are not alone in your feelings. HP, and the other printer makers, are doing their best to limit your ability to use third party cartridges. Because of U.S. Laws, they cannot outright deny you the ability to use these cartridges, but they can make it very difficult. There are ways to work around this non-use, but they take some additional steps. Most people don’t know about them, or aren’t willing to spend the additional time so they simply do what you did, buy the manufacturer brand cartridge. When a group finally steps up to say this isn’t right, what do they get? A bunch of lawyers that get them $5 in credit to spend with a company they are trying to avoid. Nice, huh?
January 30th, 2011 at 10:19 pm
Everyone who has purchased and HP printer has essentially been screwed. It is my belief that everyone should take the time to write a letter to the (current) CEO of HP and each board member too. Every letter needs to state what printer was purchased including multiples and the frustration of having to purchase new cartridges to replace new cartridges.
The letter needs to state that due to the $5-$8 settlement on a printer that cost several hundred dollars HP will no longer be allowed to have your business. You should STATE the name of their competitor that you intend to purchase all your computer, printer, and supplies from.
I’ve already written off HP from the problems encountered purchasing a couple laptops back in 2008. The printer issue is only the icing on the cake to NEVER utilize HP or an HP related company or product again.
A sheer volume of MAIL (not email) is most likely the only way they will pay attention. Humiliation in a public venue is also another way, but one must make sure that what you are doing is legal and within the law.
February 27th, 2011 at 8:47 pm
Jeff,
There are a lot of other blogs out there with folks sharing their disgust with HP, their printers, and their e-settlement plan. In short, a lot of bad publicity. Problem is that HP still have more printers in our homes and offices than any other printer manufacturer. Because we have all those HP printers, we have to buy HP ink. The only way to get them to really pay attention is to start to put a dent in their printer and printer ink revenues.
April 18th, 2011 at 7:02 pm
There is a legal case here alright but not a class action suit. That won’t have the teeth to change HP’s practices.
There is ample evidence of a systematic effort to defraud the public.
A criminal case should be filed with the Justice Department to stop HP”s shameless and criminal behavior. A criminal action which holds the chief executives liable subjecting them personally to high fines and prison time might be the bette way to address the issue.
April 21st, 2011 at 8:08 am
Excellent point River Runner! It seems that a class action is a minor slap on the wrist to HP. Their e-credit system was ingenious as it created more revenues for them (you can’t buy a cartridge for the e-credit amounts they were offering).
February 29th, 2012 at 3:05 am
I have THREE psc1210xi printers that ALL insist that the black ink cartridge is defective and needs replacement. None of them will print diagnostic pages or do any other function – connected to a PC or in stand alone mode. This is apparently a “feature” built into the printer software as retribution for refilling ink cartridges. I have tried several NEW HP and aftermarket cartridges with no success at fixing this. Being an electrical engineer, i feel that the chances of all 3 printers failing in the same way is microscopically small. It HAS to be a built in software bomb to make you buy a new printer. Resetting dates on the PC has no effect either. Last time i have anything to do with HP!!!! Cheers.
March 24th, 2012 at 8:53 am
Remove the battery from inside the printer (this will require partial disassembly of the printer)then, after about 5 minutes, reinstall it and do not reset the date. This will enable the printer to use “expired” ink cartridges. Before you reassemble the printer, determine if setting the correct fax date will re-establish the ink cartridge expiry. If it does, re-remove the battery, etc., and don’t reset the date. For those who are electrically inclined, install a switch which will disconnect and reconnect the battery connection when necessary. That will enable setting the date for fax use then resetting the date back to whenever for printing use.
March 24th, 2012 at 10:55 am
It’s worse than I thought.
Don’t put the battery back in because, when the HP Solution Center communicates with the printer, the current date is transmitted to the printer from the computer which re-invalidates the “expired” print cartridge.
The following worked for my C7280 AIO but it will probably work for any C7200 Series printer and any others which can be put in “MFG Mode”
Instead of removing the battery (which won’t work for “expired” ink, to bypass “expired” and incorrect “out of ink” problems is to:
1. Simultaneously press the * and # keys (“Enter Special key Combo” appears);
2. Sequentially enter 1 2 and 4 (“Underware” appears);
3. Press the right arrow > symbol next to the OK button (“boot code menu” appears);
4. Press the OK button (“set to mfg_mode” appears) (If it is already in mfg_mode press the the right arrow > button to access “set to user_mode” if you want to reset the printer to that mode and continue with the next step.);
5. Press the OK button (“boot code menu” appears);
6. Press the Cancel “X” button;
7. Turn off the printer normally (The display will eventually show a cross-hatch pattern although the printer is offline);
8. Turn on the printer by pressing the power button (“MFG Mode” will appear momentarily then the the screen will show “Photosmart Express” and no “expired” error message will appear and, if there’s still ink in the previously “out of ink” cartridge, no “out of ink” message will appear for it.);
9. Connect the printer with a USB cable because the wireless probably won’t connect. Mine didn’t although it did previously when the printer was in “consumer” mode;
10. Run HP Solution Center which will state “Your HP Photosmart 7200 Series is ready.”;
11. In HP Solution Center, set up printing in accordance with the actual ink cartridge conditions you know the cartridges are in. If a colour ink cartridge is actually out of ink, black printing can be done by setting “Color Options” to “Print in grayscale” and “Black print cartridge only”.
The only problem my C7280 printer had was connecting wirelessly, everything else worked.
There may be some variation regarding what the screen displays when the printer is restarted such as “Ink Threshold Exceeded” which can be ignored. To get the normal screen in “MFG Mode”, press the back/return to previous menu button at the bottom left of the “OK” button.
The “MFG Mode” will be retained when the printer is subsequently turned off/on until it is reset to boot in “User Mode” which can be done by re-executing the steps and setting the printer to “User Mode”.