Will a Refilled Cartridge or CIS System Void My Printer Warranty?

In today’s fast-paced world in technology and entertainment, the trend toward high-quality printing is growing astronomically. With the high cost of original manufacture’s ink cartridges (OEM), home-refill cartridges evolved. Another mode of inexpensive ink manufacturing by third-party companies is the Continuous Ink Supply (CIS) System. This method feeds ink directly into the cartridge, eliminating the need of changing cartridges. The customer can save 30-40% by refilling old cartridges, and a BCH CIS System saves 80-90% in printing expense! Printer manufacturers do not recommend use of these alternative ink solutions and even condemn them as unreliable and potentially damaging to the printer. It could be true for some inferior systems, but a well-designed CIS system can improve printer performance by eliminating air ingress, maintaining constant pressure and reducing the need of print head cleaning.

Some people worry that the CIS System might void the warranty of printer. This is not possible according to the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act 1975:

 “(c) No warrantor of a consumer product may condition his written or implied warranty of such product on the consumer’s using, in connection with such product, any article or service (other than article or service provided without charge under the terms of the warranty) which is identified by brand, trade or corporate name; except that the prohibition of this subsection may be waived by the commission if:

1) The warrantor satisfies the Commission that the warranted product will function properly only if the article or service so identified is used in connection with the warranted product, and

2) The Commission finds that such a waiver is in the public interest.”

Thus, the manufacturer of the printer cannot void the warranty on the use of compatible or remanufactured cartridges or refill kits, even if they are produced by another printer manufacturer. The proscription includes the use of refilled cartridges, compatible cartridges, clip-ons, continuous feeding mechanisms, refill kits and all third-party inks.

Despite the law, printer manufactures publish warnings that the warranty can be voided if a non-OEM ink set is used. To be safe from the situation, consumers are advised to do some planning and research:

1) Select a CIS system that does not make major modifications to the printer. A well-designed system should not require any hole drilling or cutting of the printer covers. This is important as you may one day need to return the printer for warranty repair. There are some exceptions, as when the printer manufacturers specially design the printer, in which case it is impossible to install a CIS without modifying the printer. It is important to ask the seller before making a purchase.

2) Keep the original ink cartridge to replace in case a repair is required. Manufacturers may still refuse the warranty on account of using the third-party ink in the printer. A common perception planted by manufacturers is that all third-party inks are inferior in quality. However, very few OEM manufacturers make their own inks. They, too, purchase from ink manufacturing facilities. There are many bulk ink companies making inks as good as OEM companies. Although the law states that a warranty cannot be voided unless the printer manufacturer proves that an ink caused the damage, it is not worth the hassle. A good plan of action is to replace the ink cartridges with original cartridges for a repair.