HP Printer Regionalization

[SJ Viljoen]

While living in Qatar we bought a new HP printer/scanner/copier. Then we moved to the UK. Surprise. The ink cartridges that are sold in the UK do not work in the printer. The PC simply displays the message “The ink cartridge is not compatible with the printer”.

Don’t even try and figure out from the owner’s manual why the cartridges suddenly turned “incompatible”. It is not there. After many phone calls and e-mails I found out that HP regionalizes its printers and ink cartridges. You have to buy ink cartridges in the same region as where the printer was purchased. The cartridges are exactly the same. But the serial numbers are different and the little computer chip in the cartridge convinces the PC that the cartridge is not compatible.

Has any sales person told you that the HP printer that you are about to buy will explode in your face if you dare to take it over the border? Have you seen this message printed on any HP packaging or promotional items. No. Not even in the current TV commercial in the UK where HP brags about how economical its printers are is it mentioned that you can only “print where bought”. Can you imagine this? The camera that you bought to take your Red Sea vacation pictures does not work with batteries or memory cards that you buy in Egypt.

HP eventually agreed to re-regionalize the printer so that I can use it in the UK. But only if I buy a £15.00 service voucher. That is almost what a new printer costs! I bought a Canon yesterday for £22.00.

I will obviously never again buy an HP product. Their policies are wicked and their customer service sucks. You cannot post just any complaint on their web site. Oh no. They give you a list of things to complain about.. And if you phone the help line, and manage to get through, you talk to a bloke in Cape Town (no joke) who can hardly speak English.

How do I re-regionalize an HP C3183 printer?