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Faulty Printer

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  • 21-01-2015 3:22pm
    #1
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭


    Hi all, just looking to check something....

    A printer bought from Powercity in May/June of last year has developed a fault. There are lines not being printed, so half the bottom of a whole line of letters will be missing etc. I've done all the allignment, cleaning & calibration checks etc & nothing has resolved it. Speaking to PowerCity there, they're claiming I've do deal with the manufacturer, & the manufacturer will arrange pick up of the printer to see if what's wrong with it etc.

    Am I right in thinking this isn't the case, & my purchasing contract is with PowerCity, & they themselves hold the onus to provide goods fit for merchantable quality? Is this a case of statutory rights, ie I've warranty on this printer which is covered by PowerCity & them only, and if I go the route of the manufacturer, I'll be losing the protection offered to me by the sale of goods/supply of services act?


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    #2
    Menas
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,318 ✭✭✭✭Menas


    Getting some diagnosis from the manufacturer should be your next step. Call their helpline and see what they say. Printer companies are very motivated to get your printer working again as a not working printer is not using ink and thus not making them money.

    The issue you describe could be any one of a number of issues....but it sounds to me like a cartridge issue. Have you tried a different cartridge? Have you tried bleeding the cartridge (press tissue against the nozzles and see if ink flows thru all). If the cartridges are the originoal ones then the nozzles could have dried out blocking ink flow.
    Clean the contacts between the cartridge contacts and the cartridge seat.

    If a printer hardware fault is diagnosed then the printer manufacturer will offer you options to repair/replace. Note that the ink cartridge is considered a consumable and will not now be covered. The printer will of course still be under warranty.


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    #3
    whippet
    Registered Users Posts: 7,668 ✭✭✭whippet


    from experience especially if it is one of the main brands like HP / Epson / Canon etc . you would get much better satisfaction dealing with them directly. They will collect Repair / replace and deliver back to you. Your warranty will still be intact with Power City. The time scale will be far better directly .. as the person you will speak to will attempt to troubleshoot over the phone and if that does not work they will immediately arrange the collection with whoever they use .. in other words the ball is in motion immediately.

    Usually dealing with a retailer will entail ..

    - driving to the shop
    - having a discussion with a disinterested sales person
    - sales person trying to diagnose the problem .. maybe testing it
    - sales person saying he will send it off to be diagnosed repaired
    - sales person leaves printer in office for collection by head office
    - sales person leaves it a couple of days before he arranges collection by head office
    - head office collect
    - head office receive
    - returns department makes call to Manufacture support
    - the support team have the exact same conversation as you would have had
    - machine is collected
    - machine is replaced / repaired
    - machine is delivered to the retailers head office
    - machine needs to be checked in and check out and delivered to your local store
    - sales person receives printer and eventually calls you to collect
    - you drive back to the store to collect


    ....... really what I am saying .. unless you can be 100% sure the retailer will give you a replacement there and then you are best place to deal directly on warranty issues as they are best placed to sort you out.

    Just because they are legally obliged to look after this for you .. it might not be in your best interest.


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    #4
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    Interesting, cheers for that folks. I thought it sounded like a 'pass the book' exercise, but perhaps it is the most hassle free way around it. By the by, the printer was bought directly from PowerCity, & I never registered it on the manufacturer website or anything (I never bother doing this with goods tbh), will that affect things?


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    #5
    delahuntv
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,532 ✭✭✭delahuntv


    ypu have a choice - bring it back to power city, they take your details, they get manufacturer to collect it, manufacturer repairs / replaces it, manufacturer returns it to power city, power city call you to say its back, you go to power city and collect.

    Or call the manufacturer, they'll collect it from you and then deliver straight back to you. Far far far simpler and Power City are within their rights to ask you to do this - they are NOT saying they are not taking responsibility, just giving you a far easier and quicker format to get the issue rectified quicker.


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    #6
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    delahuntv wrote: »
    Power City are within their rights to ask you to do this - they are NOT saying they are not taking responsibility, just giving you a far easier and quicker format to get the issue rectified quicker.

    No choice was given, the staff member said that was the only method of dealing with it, which appears contradictory to consumer law. I accept dealing with the manufacturer might be the way to go from the reading of the above, but I still feel PowerCity would do well to offer consumers their legally given rights/choices etc


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    #7
    dudara
    Registered Users Posts: 33,519 ✭✭✭✭dudara


    Myrddin wrote: »
    No choice was given, the staff member said that was the only method of dealing with it, which appears contradictory to consumer law. I accept dealing with the manufacturer might be the way to go from the reading of the above, but I still feel PowerCity would do well to offer consumers their legally given rights/choices etc

    That is it in a nutshell. PowerCity cannot absolve themselves of their consumer obligations.


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    #8
    delahuntv
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,532 ✭✭✭delahuntv


    Myrddin wrote: »
    No choice was given, the staff member said that was the only method of dealing with it, which appears contradictory to consumer law.

    Its not that they didn;t give a choice and their method is NOT contrary to consumer law.

    They gave you a quicker route to resolution - if the manufacturer does not resolve it on behalf of power city, then you go back to power city.

    Same with phones - they tell you to drop it in / send it in to their repair centres. It simply cuts out many links ina chain where things can go wrong.

    At the end of the day - you want your printer repaired in the quickest and easiest way - this IS the quickest and easiest way, I'd be be saying well done to Power City for allowing the customer to expeditie the repair/ return service, rather than whining about it.


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    #9
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    delahuntv wrote: »
    Its not that they didn;t give a choice and their method is NOT contrary to consumer law.

    Sorry, but they didn't give a choice. I made the phone call, I'm fully aware as to how the conversation went. PowerCity stated the issue was to be taken up with the manufacturer. How is that a choice? And washing their hands of it this way, is against consumer rights & contract law. My contract of purchase is with PowerCity, not HP. And to back that up, here's a quote from Citizens Information:
    Return the goods to the supplier who sold it to you (you should not return the goods to the manufacturer)

    http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/consumer_affairs/consumer_protection/consumer_rights/consumers_and_the_law_in_ireland.html

    Now, I wholeheartedly accept that the way suggested to me seems the way to go, but I stand by my point that they're not being entirely forthcoming with a customers actual choices in this case. Had it been suggested to me that they can look after it, but it'd be quicker & less hassle to deal with the manufacturer directly, I'd say fair enough & commend their approach. But not in this case, I was specifically told not to bring it back to any store, & to phone HP myself...that's not a choice.


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    #10
    Menas
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,318 ✭✭✭✭Menas


    Myrddin wrote: »
    Sorry, but they didn't give a choice. I made the phone call, I'm fully aware as to how the conversation went. PowerCity stated the issue was to be taken up with the manufacturer. How is that a choice? And washing their hands of it this way, is against consumer rights & contract law. My contract of purchase is with PowerCity, not HP. And to back that up, here's a quote from Citizens Information:



    http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/consumer_affairs/consumer_protection/consumer_rights/consumers_and_the_law_in_ireland.html

    Now, I wholeheartedly accept that the way suggested to me seems the way to go, but I stand by my point that they're not being entirely forthcoming with a customers actual choices in this case. Had it been suggested to me that they can look after it, but it'd be quicker & less hassle to deal with the manufacturer directly, I'd say fair enough & commend their approach. But not in this case, I was specifically told not to bring it back to any store, & to phone HP myself...that's not a choice.

    You will still need to prove a printer fault, rather than a consumables fault. Best way to do that is to talk to the tech support folks of the manufacturer.


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    #11
    ssmith6287
    Registered Users Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭ssmith6287


    Presuming you have only used genuine HP inks. If you read the warranty terms non genuine inks can void the warranty. Have seen this happen lots of times


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    #12
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    ssmith6287 wrote: »
    Presuming you have only used genuine HP inks. If you read the warranty terms non genuine inks can void the warranty. Have seen this happen lots of times

    Yep, printer has barely printed 30 pages I'd say & it's the original ink cart that came with it. Going to ring the manufacturer toward the weekend & sort it out, cheers all :)


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    #13
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    Myrddin wrote: »
    Yep, printer has barely printed 30 pages I'd say & it's the original ink cart that came with it. Going to ring the manufacturer toward the weekend & sort it out, cheers all :)

    There's your problem! Bought last May. Original cartridge only used for 30 pages. You can't leave cartridges lying in a printer like that. Try a new cartridge.


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    #14
    Menas
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,318 ✭✭✭✭Menas


    Brooke Tart Teetotaler wrote: »
    There's your problem! Bought last May. Original cartridge only used for 30 pages. You can't leave cartridges lying in a printer like that. Try a new cartridge.

    Agreed. The nozzles are probably dried. Sometimes that can be solved by pressing some tissue paper against the nozzles. That draws the ink out.
    In the old days there used to be a hole at the top of the cartridge that you could blow in to which forced ink thru the nozzles to clear away any dried ink.


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    #15
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    Cheers for that, the printer was used just a few days before the fault manifested though. I'll give cleaning the cartridge a try though :)


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