Top 6 Myths about Compatible Cartridges

It’s very much like the movies. There’s a secret war going on in the world that the common man is completely unaware of. The battles in this secret war are occurring behind closed doors and under marketing strategies. This is a war that has a bearing on your wellbeing as well because it impacts your financial capacity. This is a battle between Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and the aftermarket manufacturers of compatible cartridges.

Setting the dramatics aside, there’s actually a tussle happening between the aftermarket and the OEMs. It’s common for OEMs to go after aftermarket manufacturers through legal means. This makes the aftermarket manufacturers of compatible cartridges the underdogs and the men in the right.

What’s Behind the Competition between Aftermarket Manufacturers and OEMs?

The business strategy of OEMs is designed on the same lines as razor blades. The idea is to sell the initial item at extremely cheap prices. Sometimes, the products can be so cheap that the manufacturers are actually selling them at a loss. However, by selling the initial device at such throwaway prices, the manufacturers actually ensure long term customers.

They make huge sums of money from these customers (easily recouping their losses and soaring high into insane profit levels) on the back of consumables. In the case of razor manufacturers, these consumables are the blades while in the case of printer manufacturers, these consumables are cartridges

Initially, when printer OEMs came up with the idea to follow the razor business model, they made a lot of profit. However, soon after, third party manufacturers started showing up. These manufacturers would produce compatible cartridges that could be used in lieu of the genuine cartridges.

Even though the initial versions of compatible cartridges couldn’t match up to the print quality of genuine cartridges, they thrived because of the extremely low prices. Now, the print quality provided by compatible printer cartridges is comparable to genuine cartridges and the aftermarket manufacturers are swiftly eating into the OEM market share.

While the main weapon being used by aftermarket manufacturers of compatible cartridges is constant improvement in quality and low prices, every OEM’s weapon of choice is marketing. This is why there are so many myths surrounding compatible cartridges in the market today. Here, we’ll look to debunk many of these myths.

Myth #1: Compatibility Cartridges Provide Poor Print Quality

This myth about compatible cartridges began when the aftermarket industry was in its infancy. Initially, the best technologies and budgets weren’t available to aftermarket manufacturers. The result was slightly lower quality compatible printer cartridges.

However, there’s been a quantum leap in the capabilities of aftermarket manufacturers. In fact, such has been the technological advancements that a few OEMs have started to tie up with aftermarket manufacturers as opposed to attacking them.

Moreover, there is a significant exchange of expertise between the two ‘warring’ factions. In any case, the modern day compatible cartridges can provide the same print quality that genuine cartridges do.

You only have to look through our Customer Reviews section to see what other people like you are saying about the print quality provided by compatible printer cartridges.

Myth #2: Compatible Cartridges Can End Up Damaging Printers

This myth has been propagated by the OEMs purely to discourage consumers from switching away from genuine cartridges to compatible cartridges. In fact, this myth showed up right after a sudden increase in the speed with which compatible printer cartridges were eating into OEM market share.

This is a relatively recent myth in the world of compatible cartridges. It is usually propagated along with the information that the printer machine, genuine cartridges, and recommended paper are ‘carefully’ designed to operate together. The implication is that unless they are used together, the print quality won’t be good and the printer may get damaged.

However, the reality is that compatible cartridges are no different from genuine cartridges in this regard. Leakage from a printer cartridge damaging a printer is extremely rare and unlikely. While technically possible, the chances of this happening are very low.

Moreover, this can happen regardless of whether you’re using genuine or compatible cartridges. There’s literally no proof backing the claim that compatible printer cartridges are more prone to causing such situations.

Myth #3: All Compatible Cartridges Are Of the Same Quality

While it’s true that printer cartridges have been categorised into genuine, compatible, and remanufactured, this doesn’t mean that there are no other differences worth considering. For instance, within the genuine cartridge category, do you think the performance of one brand cartridge is the same as another brand cartridge?

The answer is that it won’t be. The reason is that they are manufactured under different systems, different objectives, and different people. The same holds true for compatible cartridges.

There are multiple manufacturers out there manufacturing compatible cartridges. One brand of these cartridges will not have the same performance as another brand. While some may be extremely poor, others’ performance may be exceptional.

The trick to making sure that you get the best compatible printer cartridges is to find a manufacturer who is willing to back his work. This backing would usually come in the form of guaranties and warranties.

For instance, all compatible cartridges at Inkjet Wholesale are backed by our 100% Lifetime Shelf Guarantee and Printer Perfect Warranty. This should show you how confident we are of their quality.

Myth #4: Compatible Cartridges Have Low Page Yield

Another form of this myth is that compatible cartridges don’t contain enough ink because page yield is nothing but the amount of ink contained in the cartridges. However, this myth is also baseless. In fact, the exact opposite of this myth is true.

Compatible printer cartridges, on an average, contain more ink than genuine cartridges. Genuine cartridges are rarely ever completely filled but compatible printer cartridges are usually filled to capacity. This means that page yield of compatible cartridges is higher than genuine cartridges.

Myth #5: Using Compatible Cartridges Will Void OEM Warranties and Guarantees

Another way that OEMs have tried to scare off printer users from switching to compatible cartridges is by implying that using compatible cartridges will void OWM warranties and guarantees.

There’s literally no way that this is possible because the law forbids the voiding of warranties and guarantees on account of the use of third party consumables. It isn’t even legal for any manufacturer to force its consumers to use specific types of consumables.

This means that you can use compatible cartridges without worrying about voiding your OEM provided warranties and guarantees.

Myth #6: Compatible Cartridges Are Made In Third World Countries

This myth is like an extension of the myth that compatible cartridges can’t provide good print quality. The premise is that these cartridges can’t provide good print quality because they are manufactured in third world countries where technology and manufacturing processes aren’t very advanced.

This myth is usually believed by those people who think that genuine cartridges are manufactured in developed countries when the exact opposite is true. The state of the world economy is such that most international companies have decided to locate their manufacturing facilities in developing nations such as China, India, Indonesia, and Brazil.

Effectively, it can be said that many genuine cartridges are manufactured in third world countries. Moreover, it isn’t like compatible cartridges aren’t manufactured in developed economies either. For instance, the cartridges we sell are sourced from the United Kingdom.

What all this means is that there is no overarching connection between the type of cartridges and where they are manufactured in the world.