It's a tough question, but really it depends on what is important to you.
There are a lot of good reasons as to why you can benefit from selecting the compatible ink/toner cartridge rather than the genuine brand (Brother, Canon, HP Xerox etc.) But there is for many users, a very good reason why they will still buy the original brand, even after researching the reasons for choosing to use a compatible printer cartridge.
Let's examine the reasons why customers are happy to choose/use compatibles, and there are quite a few good reasons:
a) Quality Assurance. This was the bete noir for compatible printer cartridges a number of years ago. But today the reputable suppliers manufacture to the highest quality setting as per ISO (International Standard Organisation benchmark) set by the genuine OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer)
b) Suppliers of Compatible ink/toner printer cartridges offer technical support personnel to contact in the event you are not satisfied with your purchase.
c) Additionally these suppliers will guarantee to replace the cartridge, or refund your money in the event that a compatible cartridge doesn't perform.
d) often the compatible cartridge will hold a larger quantity of ink/toner than the comparable genuine cartridge, thereby providing a higher printer yield (no. of pages printed), which means greater return for your $$.
e) The most significant reason why people choose compatible cartridges before genuine cartridges is PRICE.
Compatible cartridges that print to the same quality and with the same/greater yield than the OEM cartridge can do so at a much lower price (up to 80% less).
So with all these reasons for buying compatible ink/toner cartridges, why do so many people, and businesses in particular, choose to stay with genuine cartridges, knowing them to be much dearer.
The answer is the knowledge that you are getting the best for your money. The OEM product gives you assurance, and peace of mind. Even if its not necessarily true, many users believe that by using compatibles it will cause damage to their printer, and that eventually the quality of the print will diminish.
Many businesses are concerned of their image; and this is partly reflected in what their customers receive from them in printed matter.
So even thought they might buy generic blood pressure pills from their chemist rather than the genuine ones because they trust them, this logic doesn't necessarily apply to generic printer cartridges.
We thank our sponsor, ABC Print Supplies, for their support
