Let us help debunk the age-old myth of "manufacturer warranty voiding when using after-market cartridges."
Magnuson-Moss Warranty Improvement Act
The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act is the federal law that governs consumer product warranties. Passed by Congress in 1975, the Act requires manufacturers and sellers of consumer products to provide consumers with detailed information about warranty coverage.
The Warranty Act states the following:
United States Code Annotated
Title 15 Commerce and Trade
Chapter 50 Consumer Product Warranties
15 Section 2302
“(c) No warrantor of a consumer product may condition his written or implied warranty of such product on the consumer's using, in connection with such product, any article or service (other than article or service provided without charge under the terms of the warranty) which is identified by brand, trade or corporate name; except that the prohibition of this subsection be waived by the commission if:
1) The warrantor satisfies the Commission that the warranted product will function properly only if the article or service so identified is used in connection with the warranted product, and
2) The Commission finds that such a waiver is in the public interest.”
This means that under no circumstances can any company, sales associate, or service technician deny you service on warranty for work that would otherwise be covered under warranty when you use a compatible or remanufactured (non OEM) inkjet cartridge, unless it can be proven that the compatible cartridge actually caused any damage. For instance, if the cartridge actually leaked toner (which is extremely rare, almost unheard of with today’s manufacturing processes!) and caused a fuser to overheat and burn out because of caked on toner, the manufacturer, after proving the cause, could choose not to fix the damage caused by the leaking cartridge. They would stillbe liable for fixing any other machine failures during the warranty period. This is a very unlikely scenario.
There are some unscrupulous ink and toner companies selling online that sell totally inferior products that do not hold to industry standards. They sell cartridges at ridiculously low prices and many times you get what you pay for. They make the saying Caveat Emptor (Let the buyer beware) true! If you find companies like this and you have had a bad experience, let us know so we can help change the industry. We could not nor will not operate like them. We only use the highest quality products and offer that quality at significant savings from the MSRP. We strive to save you money but not sacrifice quality. We want our business to last for many lifetimes, the lifetimes of our children and grandchildren, and that won’t happen without providing the right quality and price to you.
Sherman & Clayton Antitrust Acts
The Sherman Antitrust Act, a basic federal enactment regulating the operations of corporate trusts, was passed by the U.S. Congress in July 1890, The act declared illegal "every contract, combination in the form of trust or otherwise, or conspiracy, in restraint of trade or commerce among the several States, or with foreign nations."
The Clayton Antitrust Act was passed by the United States Congress in 1914 to prohibit certain monopolistic practices then common in finance, industry, and trade. The act covers corporate activities, remedies for reform, and labor disputes. The provisions relating to corporate activities declared illegal such practices as local price-cutting to freeze out competitors, exclusive selling or leasing, and other forms of price discrimination.
These acts make it illegal for any printer manufacturer to require you to use any particular brand of supplies. An OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer), or any other manufacturer, cannot void your printer warranty because you decided to use products they do not endorse. To enforce such policies is a direct violation of the Sherman & Clayton Antitrust Acts.
Don't be afraid to let us know if you feel your current suppliers or technicians are limiting your choice to choose your own cartridge supplier. We would be happy to help if we can.
