The computer and printer manufacturer is accused by an association of implementing “planned obsolescence” of ink cartridges and preventing their reuse.
According to Stop Planned Obsolescence (HOP), HP is implementing “opaque” strategies to reduce the lifespan of cartridges.
For this association, the company “takes the cartridges directly to the trash bin”.
Does HP implement strategies “opaque” to reduce the lifespan of ink cartridges? The Stop Planned Obsolescence (HOP) association is convinced of this. The computer and printer manufacturer, accused by this association of setting up a “planned obsolescence” of its ink cartridges and to prevent their reuse, is the subject of a criminal complaint in France, AFP learned on Tuesday, November 26, from the complainant.
HOP's complaint was filed in Paris the day before for “planned obsolescence of products by software” et “impedes the reconditioning and restoration of the functionality of HP ink cartridges refilled or reconditioned outside its approved circuits”.
According to the association, in order to reduce the lifespan of cartridges, HP would remotely block, using a chip and software, those that are not its brand, but also HP cartridges that have been refilled by competitors, without informing “clearly” the customer and sometimes rendering printers and scanners unusable. Then HP would make “obsolete entire batches of cartridges under the pretext of 'updating'”which “would suggest a significant waste of resources and money.” Finally, the company would reduce over the years “the quantity of ink in its cartridges while increasing their prices reaching up to 7,500 euros per liter”.
“Garbage bin”
“HP seeks at all costs to ensure that cartridges are only used once. This is dishonest for consumers and harmful to the environment”denounced Flavie Vonderscher, advocacy manager at HOP, to AFP. “HP takes the cartridges directly to the trash bin”she laments. “Customers are held captive to ensure company profit, but not all business practices are legal”she adds.
Based on decisions having sanctioned HP abroad (Italy, United States), HOP hopes for the opening of a preliminary investigation in order to put an end to these practices, and has posted a petition online.
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Other HOP complaints have targeted major companies in recent years and two preliminary investigations are underway in France. A first has been open in Nanterre since 2017 and targets the Japanese manufacturer Epson for planned obsolescence and deception. The group is suspected of blocking “prints on the pretext that the ink cartridges are empty even though there is still ink left”. The second, which targets Apple, was opened in Paris in 2023 for misleading commercial practices and planned obsolescence.
The American smartphone giant is accused of “restrict repairs to non-approved repairers or degrade a smartphone repaired with 'generic' parts remotely”. In February 2020, Apple agreed to pay a fine of 25 million euros in France as part of a criminal settlement in order to end prosecutions for deceptive commercial practices.
