And they've just raised the Instant Ink subscription prices. Again
I've had an Instant Ink subscription with HP since I bought my OfficeJet 3831 in 2016. I don't print much so have the lowest plan for 50 pages/month. Originally this cost £1.99 a month which was fine. In April 2022 they put it up (50%) to £2.99, now they're putting it up again (from 5th Feb) to £3.99. So apparently ink now costs 2x as much as it did less than 2 years ago???
They used to send me emails telling me how much money I'd saved compared to buying retail cartridges instead of a subscription. They no longer do - because it's barely a saving now... from Nov 2022:
"Happy Instant Ink Anniversary!! Congratulations, you have been an Instant Ink customer for 6 years! In the last year, you saved £19.92 on Ink for your HP OfficeJet 3831 All-in-One Printer because you did not need to purchase Ink at retail prices. We hope you have enjoyed the convenience and flexibility of printing with HP Instant Ink.".
So with another £12 a year it looks like now I'd be saving all of £6 a year against buying genuine cartridges.Here's my "Happy New Year" email I received 3rd Jan:
"A change to your plan price is scheduled ... Dear xxxxxxxx, Thank you for subscribing to HP Instant Ink. As a valued customer we want to keep delivering the convenience and savings you expect for years to come. Today we're writing you about an upcoming price change to your HP Instant Ink plan for your OfficeJet 3831. We value your loyalty and trust in our service, and we believe it's essential to be transparent with this change.Beginning 05 February 2024, the monthly fee for your 50 page plan will be £3.99 (an increase of £1.00). You'll continue to experience worry-free printing , as we'll automatically ship you HP Instant Ink cartridges before you run out. We understand that everyone's needs are unique, and we want to offer you flexibility. If the new pricing doesn't align with your budget, we have alternative subscription plans available, including lower-priced options (see below options). You can review these plans, make changes, or you can cancel any time by visiting your account dashboard at hpinstantink.com/signin.3 Thank you for choosing HP Instant Ink, we look forward to continuing to serve you. HP Instant Ink Plan Options (effective 23 January 2024)
Monthly Plan Plan Fee
10 pages £1.49
50 pages £3.99
100 pages £5.49
300 pages £11.99
500 pages £18.49
700 pages £25.49
1500 pages £49.49"
So... I've just bought an ink tank printer (not HP) and will be cancelling my subscription. But not before printing out a load of pure black pages just to get an extra cartridge delivered that I didn't otherwise need before the subscription stops. Mind you, they'll probably try to remotely brick the cartridge when they see the cancellation.
As for the printer? Once the new carridges run out it will be stripped down for parts for projects but most bits are essentially plastic landfill. Well done HP, great job.