Customer Reviews

HP 02 Series Ink Cartridges w/150 sheets 4x6 inch HP Advanced Photo Value Pack in Retail Packaging

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

I thought I was getting a terrific deal on 6 ink tanks, they look exactly the same as those that came with the printer and those that are packaged individually. But when I later bought a one-off replacement -- not "custom" -- tank I noticed the ink level bar on the printer LCD was not only full but also longer than the other bars! If the "custom" tanks hold only about half the ink, this isn't the bargin it appears.

I can confirm that the cartridges shipped with this photo value pack have a fraction of the ink capacity of normal cartridges. While there is nothing at all that indicates this in any of HP's marketing materials (bad HP) it becomes clear when you install them. The ink level gauges on the printer show much smaller bars for these than the regular cartridges - and indeed they do run out very quickly compared to normal cartridges.

Face it - HP is all about making very large profit margins from selling ink, and they aren't dumb. If you want to buy an ink combo pack of full cartridges you can search amazon for HEWLETT PACKARD 02 COMBO PACK - you will find this listed as of today at $60 and not that much of a discount vs. buying single cartridges.

There is a reason that the value pack is so much cheaper. The cartridges are not full! I just got off the phone with HP tech support and they confirmed this. The cartridges sold with the value pack are labeled as *custom* cartridges that have enough ink to print 150 4X6 photos. In fact, the tech support rep discribed the *custom* cartridges as having "way less" than standard cartridges, "less than 50% full". On a related note, I asked him if the initial cartridges that came with my new printer were full, and he said they should have been full standard cartridges.

So this value pack isn't such a great value now, is it?

As others have noted, these cartridges are not full cartridges, even though HP very cleverly avoids giving you that info. On their website, for a single cartridge purchase, the details list the ML in the cartridge, not so for the Value Pack.

I just bought the C6180 which requires that the "initialization" cartridges in the box be used first. Mine we're faulty and now I've got to wait for HP to overnight new ones, even though I've got a value pack sitting here.

I should have known better. All 5 colors and B&W for $36 (plus photo paper) when individual cartridges cost $10. When you shop in a grocery store the merchant is required to tell you how much product you are paying for, why shouldn't HP be required to do the same.

Shame, shame, HP.

I thought I was getting a great deal by buying the "HP Custom 02 Value Pack" (6 cartridges with 150 sheets photo paper), until I noticed that the Staples price for the "HP 02 Color Combo Pack" (5 cartridges without black cartridge or photo paper) was significantly higher than the Value Pack! Go figure! For this equation to work, there must be a lot less ink in the Value Pack! I just wish that HP would disclose the facts. Makes me feel like I got ripped off.

***Update***
My suspicions have been confirmed! When I use these cartridges, I have discovered that the printer cartridge "ink level bar" only goes up part way. But when using one of the HP Color Combo ink catridges, the "ink level bar" goes up all the way and shows as full. Buy the HP 02 Color Combo Pack instead!

Think you're getting HP 02 cartridges at a bargain price? -- Not. HP is deceiving you through lack of appropriate disclosure. The cartridges are not nearly the same ink quantity as standard 02 cartridges. When you see the phrase "custom cartridge", it's HP's weasel words for ripping you off.

We had a big project to print and while I was bying my new printer I bought 3 of these hp photo pack cartridges thinking wow!!! "comes with all the ink and some photo paper" GREAT DEAL!!!!! I started doing the math after printing 26 full color paper size photos and two cartridges went out. WHAT??? Found this site and many others of people being duked just like me. I wish HP would just make a really good deal and then they would have some really loyal customers with smiles on their faces, but you are forced to buy the ink. you have to have it no matter what the cost. Wish they would really give a good deal like this photo pack BUT WITH THE INK CARTRIDGES FULL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOT 50%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ok well... HP what if your customers only give you 50% of what you give them when you hide that it is not 100%????? ok I'm done complaining.... at least for now.....

If it looks to good to be true, it is. What a rip off, you think you are getting a great deal on the ink cartridges only to find out you are paying for very little ink and a whole lot of 4 x 6 that you will never use because you will run out of ink after 20 photos..come on HP print the information on the box.

Here is my chat exchange with HP today....the truncated part of my message asked clearly if the ink in the paper-combo pack was less than the ink in the separate packages.

Myra: Welcome to HP Total Care for All-in-One products. My name is Myra. How may I assist you today ?
Albert Karel: Hello. This 6180 is my 4th HP printer. As you can see, I am a good customer. In the Staples store I went to purchase ink. I saw two ways: 1) the combination pack with 4x6 paper, and b) the color combo pack plus a separate black cartridge. It seemed that the combination pack was a good value. Staples assured me that the amount of ink was the same as in the second option. I purchased it. Now I read that HP puts much less ink in the same cartridges and that by buying the combination 1 packa ...(truncated)
Myra: I understand your concern.
Myra: Staples had assured some thing which is not correct.

On the HP Photo Value Pack, the package states 24 cents per photo. The package includes 150 sheets of photo paper.

24 cents x 150 sheets equals $36.00

As I write this, the price above is listed as:

List Price: $47.15
Price: $35.99
You Save: $11.16 (24%)

The "list price" of 47.15 would not add up to .24 cents per photo !

I always understood the list price to be set by the manufacturer (HP), which in this case would not match the promotional packaging(also HP)

The Amazon "sale" price of 35.99, should be the list price.

I hope this is not deception on the part of Amazon.

~~~

I have found that these HP Photo Value Packs are subject to some deceptive marketing on the web because buyers understandably think that they are getting standard volume ink cartridges in the deal.

Also on a popular auction site, The HP Photo Value Packs are opened, and the 150 sheets of photo paper, and ink cartridge sets sold separately.

So although they are genuine HP ink, some believe that they are buying standard full cartridges.

The ink in the HP Photo Value Packs are "custom" cartridges, meaning they are filled with only enough ink to print 150 photos.

The standard HP individual cartridge (from the HP website):

HP 02 Light Cyan Ink Cartridge (C8774WN#140), and
HP 02 Light Magenta Ink Print Cartridge (C8775WN#140),
are listed at 240 photos.

So without the original box, you can not easily know if you are buying a much lower volume of ink.

Beware of sellers~ Amazon or auctions who may let you believe that the ink tanks you are buying are the standard full ones.

Here is a clue to watch for in auctions where sellers have the unboxed (but individually sealed) sets of ink:

The sets from opened HP Photo Value Packs will have 6 tanks. If Black is included in the set, ask questions, it may be from a HP Photo Value Pack.

Black is often sold separately, for example, 5 tanks in this HP Combo Pack: HP 02 Inkjet Print Cartridge Color Combo Pack (CC604FN#140)

~John