We all have our little pet peeves and the top two on my list are (in no particular order) :-
* Signs that say – “Huge Discounts; Up To 75% Off” – off what? Possibly off a price that was doubled before it was discounted?
* Buying new ink for my computer’s printer – why do I walk out the shop thinking – “maybe I should have purchased that special offer priced new printer; it’s about the same amount of money as this stupid little box containing ink in a cartridge”.
Marketing Words That Lose Their Meanings
My dictionary defines “discount” as an amount deducted from the usual price of an item; but, then the marketeers got hold of it and tried to pull the wool over my eyes. Today, more often than not, “discount price” is that shop’s usual selling price?
Sell The Main Item Cheap; Then Profiteer On Essential Spare Parts
This is another trick from the marketeers’ belief that the customers are mainly idiots who can be led by the nose. A company that makes something that; in order for it to fulfill the buyer’s purpose; needs a continual supply of consumable parts; so, they sell the main item at near to cost and then put a huge mark up on all its consumables. Inkjet printers could fall into this category; after all, what’s the use of the world’s best printer if it has no ink to print with?
* Is ink horrifically expensive?
* Is the molded cartridge horrifically expensive?
* Is the circuit board at its base horrifically expensive?
I don’t think so – so why do I have to pay so much in the shops every time I need a new cartridge? Unfortunately, I have no idea what would be a fair price for a replacement cartridge; which makes me something of a captive customer.
Free Yourself From The OEM Shackles
Enterprising entrepreneurs saw my predicament as a money making opportunity; first came those selling DIY refill kits; followed by shops where I could take an old cartridge and have them refill it (they even offer big, external ink tanks). All this benefited the savvy inkjet owner; but there was still something missing; some uncertainty over reliability and a convenience factor.
Then, along came internet shopping with its fantastic convenience and, before long, Discount Inkjet Cartridges were being offered on line. These are available for all types and brands of printer and range from new cartridges (at what appear to be genuine discount prices) to lower priced remanufactured cartridges. Their motto appears to be “genuine discounts and a sensible usual price” – just as I like to see it.
