The Coronavirus crisis has been a disruptive force across the world. Working remotely for millions of workers is one disruption, a side effect of a new era of “social distancing.” Home offices are no longer an exception but a rule.
Printing will still be necessary for the swelling home office paradigm, but many workers won’t have their IT or office manager always available to help with supplies. That’s just part of today’s cultural change and not a completely major issue – except potentially when it comes to buying printer cartridges online.
Why is that?
These small objects are complex, costly, and ubiquitous across an internet landscape filled with e-swindlers and questionable deals.
Having a compact yet sensible strategy when buying printer cartridges online can go a long way in saving the budget and even the life of your home printing device.
Let’s find out how to strategize for the best possible ink and toner deal delivered to your home office.
Ask the right questions
You don’t have to memorize these questions necessarily. At least keep them in the back of your head while surfing the internet for online printer cartridges:
- What is the product warranty?
- What is the vendor’s return policy?
- Are there any hidden fees?
- How long will delivery take?
- Can I contact someone quickly if the product is late?
- How easy is it to return the product if I have an issue
- Where is the vendor/seller based to conduct a return
Many people already know the answers to these questions when it comes to Amazon. Keep in mind, however, that Amazon (as well as Walmart) employs a legion of third-party vendors that have their own policies and processes.
Will you go remanufactured or brand name?
Referred as “3rd party” or “aftermarket” printer cartridges, remanufactured printer cartridges encompass about 30 percent of the global market – part of a profitable industry with 1.3 billion printer cartridges sold annually.
Remanufactured printer cartridges are brand cartridges that have been professionally cleaned, refilled with comparable-quality toner, and tested to deliver equivalent print quality as the original printer cartridge. Our printer cartridges go through our Triple Check System, and we can deliver them to you.
Remanufactured cartridges tend to be cheaper (ours at about 30 percent cheaper than those of big brand). This might seem attractive if you’re ordering from home. They are also better for the environment since, by definition, they are recycled.
But what about the quality?
That’s the rub. Some providers of remanufactured printer cartridges pump out subpar products while others put out quality that is comparable to brand names. To separate the wheat from the chaff, go for vendors that:
- Provide transparent standards or verifications
- Have positive online reviews that are readily available
We present more on this topic in our article, The Pros And Cons Of Remanufactured Toner Cartridges.
Beware of counterfeit printer cartridges
As mentioned, the printer cartridge industry is lucrative. Inevitably, this means that shady dealers flood the market with knockoffs. You are as much of a victim of these predators as your those who order supplies at work. You may find brand ink and toner 40% or more cheaper than normal, but what you potentially get is phony product with these adverse effects:
- Shoddy quality that can damage or wear down a printer (e.g., volatile organic compounds in the ink that gradually erode the built-in printhead)
- Potentially poor toner and quality that produces subpar prints and is like buying a half-empty cartridge when it comes to value
What can you do to avoid counterfeit printer cartridges online?
While shopping online, we suggest:
- Avoid cheap and outdated e-commerce sites (trust your instincts, design tastes, and return to the questions mentioned in the first section)
- If you get that “true good to be true” feeling, pause and ask the original manufacturer of the printer cartridge for assistance (big brands have a vested interest in purging the sales of sham printer cartridges).
For a more in-depth dive on this topic, including how to inspect for authenticity a printer cartridge you already received, check out our article, How To Identify Counterfeit Printer Cartridges.
Consult with a partner before buying printer cartridges online
Of course, if you’re working from home, it doesn’t mean you’re cut off from the rest of the staff. Someone ought to be available to let you know where to buy the best possible printer cartridge for your home printer.
However, ever beyond these shifting times, people are busy. And if you call the company that was advising you on counterfeit printer cartridges, of course, they’re going to suggest you buy their brand.
But quick expertise is always available. Chances are your office leased or subscribed to some printer program. This means there’s a helpful representative out there that can consult on where to buy printer cartridges online (or even better, can just deliver it to your house). As a policy, we always provide complimentary advice, local service, same-day delivery, and quality savings – so never be shy in reaching out as we’re in your neighborhood.
Just as good, a printer partner might place print monitoring in your device, which potentially means automatic deliveries before you run out. Beyond monitoring your printer, we provide automated delivery.
Between asking the right questions and leveraging the correct information here, you’ll keep your printer stocked and running smoothly with the best possible printer cartridges. Your IT or office manager will be proud of you. What’s more, your printer will likely last longer.
And if you need any printer cartridges or printer advice in general, please contact us. We provide Easy Order and Automated Delivery, which is just as effective as ordering online but without the extra fees and always from a local provider. After all, we’re the printer people.
