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Information on remanufactured toner cartridges
Q. What are the economics of recycling toner cartridges? How
much can I save?
A. Depending on cartridge type, level of usage
and how keenly you are currently buying new product, you should expect to save
between one third and two thirds of the cost as well as the obvious spin-off
environmental benefits.
Q. Will a remanufactured cartridge perform as well as a new
original cartridge?
A. Yes, you can use with confidence. We guarantee
for both quality & life.
Q. I have tried a recycled cartridge before, it didn’t last
as long / quality wasn’t as good as a new one. Why should yours be any
different?
A. There are different quality levels out there.
You can after all "recycle" a cartridge by simply drilling a hole in it and
putting in new toner - the old "driller and filler" syndrome. There is a whole
spectrum between that standard and what is acceptable. Here are the main dodges
with the problems they can cause, there are others: using the cartridge body too
many times (wear, noise and leakage). Many cartridges sold as remanufactured may
have endured three, four or more cycles and are in fact beyond reliable service.
- putting the drum through too many cycles (imaging problems, "fuzzy" results) -
using cheap "dirty" toner (most finishes in the waste hopper causing short life
and possibly overflow leaks) . All our cartridges are first generation
remanufactures i.e . Used only once before as new (except under exceptional
circumstances of shortage). Oem drums also are first generation remanufacture
and are closely scrutinised before re-use. We offer the alternative of a new
long life drum on some of the most popular products.
Q. Does toner vary or is it all the same?
A. There are different grades and it is important
to use the appropriate type. .
Q. What steps are taken to ensure that quality standards are
maintained?
A. There are checks made at every stage of the
manufacturing process and traceability is provided. Every cartridge we supply
has a unique serial number and most are produced under a bs en iso 9002
(formerly bs5750) registered procedure. Where new parts are fitted such as long
life drums, they are sourced only from recognised quality approved companies
such as fujitsu, mitsubishi etc. The same exacting standards are specified for
the high quality toner which is supplied check weighed to the original cartridge
weight. This renders it virtually impossible to receive a "short measure".
Furthermore, every single cartridge is print tested for performance prior to
despatch.
Q. Do remanufactured cartridges supplied by reputable
operators ever fail in service?
A. Of course they do, as do new original
manufacturers toner cartridges. No product can be 100% perfect 100% of the time.
However, the failure rate of the cartridge remanufactured in a factory
environment with recognised quality standards is very low and comparable with
that of the oem. The fact that traceability is provided has over a period helped
to eliminate any repeat procedural problems. Most problems in fact are down to
transit or handling damage.
Q. What if my printer supplier insists that i use original
oem cartridges or else he will not service my printer ?
A. This was once a very common attitude among oem
distributors who had their customer over a barrel paying high prices for
original toner cartridges. Although we still meet examples of the scenario it
has lessened with the massive growth and improved quality of the remanufactured
product in recent years. Ask yourself, are you really prepared to let a dealer
dictate to you, the customer, where you buy your consumables and at what price?
Some dealers try to intimidate the user by saying that the use of a non-original
cartridge will lead to the disqualification of printer warranty. To the best of
our knowledge no printer manufacturer has invalidated a warranty or maintenance
contract because of the use of a remanufactured product. To do so would be very
dubious practice indeed. It would actually violate anti-trust laws in the USA.
To quote Hewlett Packard: "The use of non-Hewlett Packard toner cartridges does
not affect either the warranty or any maintenance contract purchased from HP".
They go on to state, "however, if an HP Laserjet printer failure or printer
damage is found to be directly attributable to the use of any non-HP product,
the repair will not be covered under the warranty or HP maintenance contract"
there is no reason to suppose that other manufacturers would take a different
line. In the extremely unlikely event that one of our cartridges should damage
your printer it would be covered by our product liability insurance. This is
really only a fall back cover. In five years and many thousands of units it has
never been necessary to make a claim. In practice the way in which a laser
printer operates means that any damage likely to be caused by a defective
cartridge is extremely limited and most afflictions, as with the original toner
will be cured simply by swapping one toner for another.
Q. How extensive is the range of available remanufactured
toner cartridges?
A. Together with the large variety of new
compatible toner kits available for such makes as Oki, Mannesmann Tally,
Panasonic, Kyocera BT fax etc, the remanufactured range covering such as Canon,
HP, Epson, DEC, IBM/Lexmark, Samsung, etc. Is extensive enough to cover about
85% of the installed laser/copier/fax market. If your particular model is not
listed in our price lists please contact us for a quotation. We can often help
on old or obscure models. For Colour Lasers, the coverage by compatible options
is not as extensive, and those remanufactures and bottled toners which are
available are included in our on-line shop.
Q. Can you assist in the removal of my empty cartridges?
A. Yes. We will remove your used toners for
responsible disposal. I.e. Removal of reusable parts and environmentally sound
recycling of the remainder such as the melting down and recycling of worn
plastics and toner for other industrial use. Please note, we regret that we can
provide this service for our own users only.
Q. I
refill my own toner cartridges. Can you provide the toner?
A
. We carry toners for the HP/Canon engine printers for our own remanufacturing
needs and we also offer these to users who wish to refill their own cartridges.
They are listed under the appropriate machines as “bottled toner” and each
bottle is one complete fill of the correct toner for that particular cartridge.
Remember that the OPC drum will eventually become life expired.
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