- Jun 11, 2010
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This is a consumer alert.
Costco is accepting back all HP Photo Smart printers purchased from Costco, with a full refund, even if the printer is out of warranty.
If you have this product and signed up on line for the HP Automatic Update function, you may have noticed over the last ten days or so that you have been getting odd error messages.
Today is June 11, 2010. About a week or ten days ago I got a message stating that I needed to replace the magenta ink cartridge because it was out of ink. I replaced the cartridge. Same error message.
Called HP, and of course they wanted $35.00 to troubleshoot, as the printer was out of warranty.
I was not willing to pay this fee. So I contacted HP online support and exchanged innumerable e-mails with a very patient support person who suggested all sorts of fixes, including reinstalling the printer driver on the computer, and so forth. We tried every suggested workaround available. No resolution.
I then called the Costco Concierge Service (which is terrific, by the way) and spent a long time going through the same process with them. The only thing that happened is that I received an additional message stating that the yellow cartridge needed to be replaced. Yellow cartridge duly replaced, no resolution.
I finally went to Costco the other day to look for a new printer. Nearly one half a month is more than enough time to determine that nothing a person does is going to fix this issue.
My helpful Costco associate asked me what I was now using.
Oh, an HP he said. Around a week ago did you start getting error messages for issues that turned out not to be fixable?
Yes, I did, I replied.
Were you signed up for the HP Automatic Update option?
Yes, I was, I replied.
Bring your computer back, he said, and we will refund your money. Around a week or so ago a glitchy automatic update was released which created all sorts of problems for consumers, and we are taking them all back.
That's great!
I ended up replacing my HP printer for a Canon Office All-In-One PIXMA series.
I hope this information is helpful.
Costco is accepting back all HP Photo Smart printers purchased from Costco, with a full refund, even if the printer is out of warranty.
If you have this product and signed up on line for the HP Automatic Update function, you may have noticed over the last ten days or so that you have been getting odd error messages.
Today is June 11, 2010. About a week or ten days ago I got a message stating that I needed to replace the magenta ink cartridge because it was out of ink. I replaced the cartridge. Same error message.
Called HP, and of course they wanted $35.00 to troubleshoot, as the printer was out of warranty.
I was not willing to pay this fee. So I contacted HP online support and exchanged innumerable e-mails with a very patient support person who suggested all sorts of fixes, including reinstalling the printer driver on the computer, and so forth. We tried every suggested workaround available. No resolution.
I then called the Costco Concierge Service (which is terrific, by the way) and spent a long time going through the same process with them. The only thing that happened is that I received an additional message stating that the yellow cartridge needed to be replaced. Yellow cartridge duly replaced, no resolution.
I finally went to Costco the other day to look for a new printer. Nearly one half a month is more than enough time to determine that nothing a person does is going to fix this issue.
My helpful Costco associate asked me what I was now using.
Oh, an HP he said. Around a week ago did you start getting error messages for issues that turned out not to be fixable?
Yes, I did, I replied.
Were you signed up for the HP Automatic Update option?
Yes, I was, I replied.
Bring your computer back, he said, and we will refund your money. Around a week or so ago a glitchy automatic update was released which created all sorts of problems for consumers, and we are taking them all back.
That's great!
I ended up replacing my HP printer for a Canon Office All-In-One PIXMA series.
I hope this information is helpful.
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