I expect I'll get a ton of downvotes BUT
consumers only have themselves to blame for this situation. If they were more willing to pay the true cost of a printer then ink would be commensurately cheaper. It really is that simple.
Does "Florida man" or indeed anyone else really believe that the printer cost 35 quid?
I carry no torch for HP or their behaviour but they can't give away a printer and then giveaway the ink it's just not feasible and while I do agree that to deliberately break something a consumer has paid for is utterly wrong, I understand why they would try.
I have two canon printers, one was several hundred pounds, the other just 200 , the ink costs for both are pretty reasonable by that standard.
sorry but that's the truth of it.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
