[ale] Refill ink cartridge, go to jail!!

[Christopher Fowler]

Once I bought a Lexmark at OfficeMax for $20.  thne I learned 2 things
that made me mad.

1.  They don't include black  They use the color cart to make black so
    you have to buy ink faster.
2.  You are forced to buy carts from them and no one else.

I never took it out of the box and gave it away.

On Tue, 2005-09-06 at 08:37 -0400, H. A. Story wrote:
> Geoffrey wrote:
> 
> >Brian Hartsfield wrote:
> >  
> >
> >>On 9/5/05, Geoffrey <esoteric at 3times25.net> wrote:
> >>
> >>    
> >>
> >>>Brian Hartsfield wrote:
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>>>What is somebody is absent-minded (like myself) and simply forgets to 
> >>>>        
> >>>>
> >>>send
> >>>
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>>>the thing back? Have I now broken the law?
> >>>>        
> >>>>
> >>>As laws go, in general, yes. If you're driving down the road and you
> >>>forget the speed limit is 45 and you're caught doing 65, you will get a
> >>>ticket.
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>My problem with that is that normal rebates are based on the assumption that 
> >>most people will not take the time to send it in. Now you make a "prebate" 
> >>and the same assumption has to apply - that most people are not going to 
> >>send it in. So what is the point?
> >>    
> >>
> >
> >No, it's certainly different.  When you get a rebate coupon, that's all 
> >you have.  You have gained no value.  With the prebate, they are giving 
> >you the value up front with a promise that you'll do your part when the 
> >time comes.
> >
> >  
> >
> >>To sue people who don't follow 
> >>instructions to the letter or just the people who refill?
> >>    
> >>
> >
> >Good question.  It depends on the wording.
> >
> >  
> >
> >>The example is not 
> >>a good analogy since if you are driving it is easy to control you speed.
> >>Here, you are forcing people to go out of their way to do something (mail a 
> >>cartridge back) which is not part of their normal routine.
> >>    
> >>
> >
> >Driving the speed  limit may not be a part of their routine either. 
> >I've always had a heavy foot and have to work at driving within the 
> >legal speed limit.
> >
> >  
> >
> >>A better car 
> >>anology would be telling people if they are out of gas they cannot stop 
> >>anywhere but have to come to station X to refuel even if that is out of 
> >>their way.
> >>    
> >>
> >
> >Sounds like a Microsoft solution. :)  If you make such a stupid legal 
> >agreement, then you are likely bound by it.  IANAL, so don't take that 
> >to court on my account.
> >
> >I don't know the whole story, but I'd doubt that they'll sue folks who 
> >fail to return, more likely, those who refill.  I really don't know. 
> >I'm not saying it's right mind you, I was addressing the question of 
> >breaking the law.
> >
> >Consumers simply need to react with their wallet.  Don't buy their 
> >products and let them know why, every chance you get.
> >
> >  
> >
> >>I still don't like this prebate thing at all.
> >>    
> >>
> >
> >I don't either.
> >
> >  
> >
> Sounds to me like,  If you have a Lexmark printer.  You need to pay cash 
> for your ink.   Mine was a gift.  I will NEVER buy a product from them.  
> Just because of the last lawsuit they did to a ink cart. remanufactor.  
> They want to be in their own world let them.  And whenever someone ask 
> me about Lexmark printers, they get my recommendations.
> 
> Adrin
> 
> 
> 
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