A Cautionary Tale

I don't know about you, but I spend a lot of money on ink cartridges.  Probably because I print a good deal of patterns and fiber and yarn labels.  It really adds up at almost $100 a pop.  I was thinking of what do the recyclers do with the empties I turn in when I buy new?

hmmmm and I found a business online, ClickInks, that refills those cartridges and sells them for about half the price.  Well, I thought that was a great idea and a great bargain so I ordered a set.  A few hours later I received an email telling me my payment didn't go through and to click on the link to try paying again so my order would not be held up.  So I did.

Then I went online to check this charge.  Sure enough this one went through but so did the first one.  Huh??????  I called but since it was the weekend, they were not open. I then called first thing Monday morning and got a person who told me the second order would be cancelled.  Whew.  Good.

Later that day I received an email telling me my inks had shipped.  A few minutes later I received a duplicate email but when I checked it I saw it had a different order number.  Sheesh.  So I called again.  This time I was told that they could do nothing for me until the second box was returned!!!!!  It was their "policy'.  Sheesh again.  I asked to speak to a supervisor but was not put through.

I sent them an email and received a reply that a ticket had been opened and I would get a response within 24 hours.  NADA in over a month now.  I called next morning but was put off again.  The person I spoke with said to refuse the second box and then when it was returned so would my money.

UPS arrived on Friday with both boxes.  I refused one of them.  I waited until the following Thursday and called again.  BTW the wait time on these calls was 15 - 20 minutes.  I was told my package had not yet been clocked in by the warehouse.  I was also told that it would be 5 days after that before my refund was made.  That was it!!!!

I called PayPal and told them the whole story.  They told me they would contact ClickInks but that my money would definitely be back in my account by 9/21 no matter what.  On 9/21, they emailed me that the company never responded so my money was automatically returned.

Meanwhile this was all going on, I was printing patterns for the Finger Lakes Fiber Festival when the magenta started getting streaky.  I cleaned the printheads 3 times and it only got worse.  arghhh  I went onto the HP website and after a couple hours of doing whatever it said, the verdict was I needed a new printhead.

So by trying to save $45 I have now spent $100 for replacement cartridges and will be buying a new printer too as that will cost $20 less than a new printhead. For sure I'll only buy printer maker approved cartridges from now on.

I told ClickInks I would tell my story far and wide but they didn't care.  Be forewarned my friends.