HP branded "school bullies" over printer ad "lie"

 

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Posted on 4 Jul 2007 at 09:43

Kyocera has branded rival laser printer manufacturer HP a liar and a "school bully" over an advertisement that claims that HP's Color LaserJet CP3505 "only requires replacement toner throughout its life. And nothing else."

That's not true, says Kyocera. "If you just read the headline you'll think this is an economic and environmentally-friendly printer," says Kyocera's general manager Ian Joslin. "That's just wrong, it's actually untrue."

Further down in the same advertisement, HP's ad claims the customer "only needs to replace the print cartridge, and nothing else. No drum, maintenance, fuser, cleaning or transfer kits."

What HP fails to mention is that the toner cartridge has an integrated image drum that is thrown away when the toner runs out.

Joslin claims this makes the CP3505 "basically a disposable product", and that HP won't replace permanent parts, such as the fuser, once the warranty expires. "It's not responsible to do that," says Joslin.

But isn't there an ease-of-use argument for all-in-one toner cartridges? "There's a lazy argument for it," says Joslin. "It's polluting. They're being holier than thou, saying something different when it's actually a lie."

No HP product managers were made available to respond directly to Kyocera's accusations, but a spokesperson claimed an official response would be ready soon.

The HP/Kyocera spat is just the latest incident in an increasingly bitter printer market. Last month, Kodak accused rival Epson of charging a fortune for a thimble-full of ink.

Author: Dave Stevenson