| Some of you think that once you've seen the | | | | right to left, you will also notice that the color |
| company name "Hewlett-Packard" or "HP" on your | | | | changes. |
| printer cartridges, you're already buying original HP. | | | | As for HP toner, you should first search for its |
| If that's the case, then you can just pick up | | | | color-switching seal. After that, you can turn the |
| anything you see in the market marked with the | | | | box from one side to another to see that the |
| company name HP. However, this is not the real | | | | color changes. As you move the box, you will |
| scenario. Not all of these products are genuine - | | | | notice that half of the seal is light blue in color |
| some are fake. | | | | while the other is dark blue in color. |
| Why do you need to buy original HP? The answer | | | | Other tips on how to detect a counterfeit HP |
| is very simple. Genuine HP means better print | | | | cartridge |
| quality for your printing jobs. Plus, an authentic HP | | | | Aside from checking on the printer toner and ink |
| product will give you more printouts over | | | | seals, you may also use the following indicators |
| counterfeit ones. | | | | that you have a fake HP cartridge on hand: |
| Some news about fake HP printer cartridges | | | | 1. Some missing parts on the packaging such as |
| If you are not convinced that there are fake HP | | | | the logo and security seal. You can check the |
| printer cartridges that are currently sold in the | | | | product itself if these parts are missing too. If it |
| market today, perhaps these sets of information | | | | is, then you have a counterfeit product. |
| will help: | | | | 2. The product package has no color switch |
| 1. As reported by ZDNet UK in 2002, there were | | | | features. |
| 87,000 fake HP cartridges and accessories which | | | | 3. You may also see some repackaging signs such |
| were seized in China. These were taken from 10 | | | | as broken seals or boxes sealed with masking or |
| retail shops in Guangzhou, Beijing, Shenzhen and | | | | scotch tapes. In line with this, a fake product also |
| Shanghai. | | | | misses some outer wrappings, pallets and sub |
| 2. In 2009, HP also reported that it seized over | | | | packs. |
| 818,000 fake printed cartridges in the Middle East. | | | | 4. Very low price. Even if you are looking for |
| That is a total of $20 million for the first quarter | | | | savings on your HP printer cartridges, you must |
| of the said year alone. During this time, it was not | | | | see to it that you're not getting a product with a |
| only the HP printer cartridges which were | | | | very low price. Do some comparison shopping |
| counterfeited but the packaging as well. | | | | first. |
| How then will you know if HP printer cartridges | | | | 5. Poor print quality. You may only notice this once |
| are authentic? | | | | you've already used the product. Hence, make |
| Well, the first thing you should look into is the seal | | | | sure you have used the other tips mentioned |
| for both HP ink and toner. These two are entirely | | | | above so you would be able to avoid this problem. |
| different from each other. When looking at an HP | | | | Despite efforts of HP to seize counterfeit |
| ink seal, make sure that the "OK" and "√" | | | | products that are out in the market today, there |
| symbols are both moving in opposite directions | | | | is still reason for you to doubt if you're getting an |
| when you tilt the box. If you tilt the box from | | | | original HP or not. |