Swing Batter Hit Or Miss With 123InkJets
Written: Oct 27 '07 (Updated Oct 27 '07)
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| Full Review |
It's a well known fact that companies like Brother and Canon make their profits by demanding strict ink cartridge requirements at outrageous prices. Ink can quickly run out, especially if you print a lot or have one of those annoying printers self clean every 24 hours. Even if you don't print that often, ink cartridges are still very costly. Why spend all that money when you can get compatible cartridges at half price? That's where 123inkjets comes in handy. 123inkjets carries compatible cartridges for almost every printer on the market and they cost much less than you'd find at local stores such as Staples and Office Depot. However, 123inkjets can be your best friend or your worst nightmare. Here's why...
Fair Warning
The first thing everyone should know is that 123inkjets sells compatible cartridges. You are not buying real brand name cartridges manufactured by the actual printer company. Instead, you'll receive cheap knock offs that promise to deliver the same components as the original and cheap ink that won't last as long as the original inks either. In most cases you may receive remanufactured cartridges (original cartridge refilled with ink). Usually these cartridges work just as promised with no damage to your printer and no apparent loss in quality. However, each cartridge and each print job is slightly different so one's perception of quality may differ from another's. The thing to remember here is that compatible cartridges are not the original and thus they are cheaper and more prone to problems. Please remember, buyer beware!
Store Front
123inkjets has a nice layout where finding ink cartridges a snap. Simply click on the brand name of the printer, choose the model number, type in the number of cartridges you need, and proceed to checkout. While ink cartridges make up the primary product line, they also sell toners, ribbons, paper, cds, dvds, cables and they have an in-house recycle center where you can send back empties for cash. All of the major brand names are available including: Brother, Canon, Lexmark, Epson, Dell, Hewlett Packard and more.
Pricing
Prices are different for each type of ink cartridge but generally these compatible cartridges are anywhere from $5-$20 cheaper than you'd spend for brand name cartridges at a local store. My Brother black ink cartridges cost $4.95 at 123inkjets and $14.95 at Staples, which is a decent savings. My Lexmark black ink cartridges cost $18.50 at 123inkjets and $21.99 at Staples, which isn't much a savings when you factor in shipping costs. Some brands are just cheaper and you'll find better values for different cartridges.
The biggest plus for 123inkjets are the coupon codes and free shipping campaigns. During checkout you can apply coupon codes which can provide 10-30% off or free shipping. Orders over $50 are always free at anytime. Normal shipping is $3.95 although this price may fluctuate depending on what you order. California residents must pay sales tax which kills any potential savings for you guys. Payments accepted are online echeck and credit cards.
123inkjets also lowers the per item cost if you order 3 or more cartridges at once. Rather than pay $4.95 for one you can order three and pay $3.95 each, which means you spend more but get a longer supply much cheaper in the end. There are so many ways to save it's ridiculous and totally worth trying them out at least once, as long as you don't mind cheap compatible cartridges.
Shipping
Once an order is placed you'll receive an email of the invoice and a few days later when the order is shipped out you'll receive a notice of that as well. Orders are sent via USPS which takes anywhere from 3-7 days or you can upgrade to UPS 2 day air, which I don't recommend. Honestly, if you need ink that badly, drive to the store it will be much cheaper, faster and more reliable in the end!
My Experience
Ultimately, I was satisfied with my purchase and would buy again if the overall savings was decent enough. I did find that the ink was of poor quality which probably won't work with detailed graphics or photos. Since I only print text documents with an occasional icon here and there, I didn't have a chance to the test out all capabilities but they did my simple print jobs just fine. Ordering was easy, the price was right, 123inkjets gives plenty of email alerts and the package arrived on time, with acceptable print quality to the end.
I would definitely recommend trying these guys out at least once because the savings are always readily available. Use coupon codes, buy in bulk, earn free shipping or check them out through MyPoints to get the most from your purchase. Please just be warned that remanufactured compatible cartridges are prone to problems because they are not the real brand name products. Sometimes they work without a hitch and other times they'll bleed all over your printer causing serious problems. Thankfully though I've never encountered these problems but there's always a hidden potential risk when buying anything as remanufactured.
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? Brother, Lexmark Ink Cartridges
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Location: California
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