An end to the American Empire...

I wrote earlier of the difficulties I experienced with Dell. Now my favourite printer company, Hewlett Packard or HP is giving me grief, though in principle this time as the cost is minor. I was planning to dump my South African sourced HP printer before leaving but at the last moment decided to lug it around the world to Croatia knowing I would exceed my airline baggage allowance. I said I would remove the cartridges and dump the printer if any airline ( there were 3 ) wanted excess baggage fees. None did so it arrived here and works fine, until now. I have discovered that HP have divided the world into 4 markets and sells slightly different but incompatible products in each zone. Here is their story :

I understand from your e-mail that you bought the printer in South Africa and now have it with you in Croatia and want to know how to use the cartridges bought in Croatia.


Peter, I realize the importance of the issue and will make sure that I give you appropriate information.


With the introduction of some new ink jet print cartridges in Fall 2004, HP is implementing a program to enable customization of printers and supplies products to better meet specific local customer needs. There will be different selectability numbers in each of four geographical zones in the world, and your printer will only perform when using cartridges for the zone in which the printer was designated for sale and use.


The HP Deskjet F4283 All-in-One Printer is a regionalized printer. The printer can be reset to a particular region to the maximum of 3 times. Once the printer is reset for the third time that will be the permanent zone in which you will be able to use it.


If you wish to regionalize the printer, please print a 10 tap test and scan it and send it to us.


Printing a extended self-test page


Follow these steps to print an extended self test report from the control panel. Make sure you have plain white paper correctly loaded in the product before beginning the procedure.


· Press and hold the Power button and the Cancel button.


· Release both buttons. The extended self-test report prints.


Now scan the self test page, attach it with the e-mail and send it to us.

If you need further assistance, please reply to this message and we will be happy to assist you.

For information on keeping your HP and Compaq products up and running, please visit our website at: http://www.hp.co.uk/diagnostics

Sincerely,

Max

My reply :


Hello

Finally got the print out to work though it shows low black ink cartridge ink levels! It is attached.

Cheers

Peter

Dear Peter,

Thank you for your reply to HP Customer Care.


I appreciate that you took time to reply back to HP Customer Care with the requested information. This will surely help us to provide you with a more appropriate resolution to the issue at hand.


I like to inform you that the extended self test page is not clear as we need the codes in that page for regionalizing the printer. If the pages are still not clear then please buy Croatia cartridges and print the test page using that.

If you need further assistance, please reply to this message and we will be happy to assist you further.

For information on keeping your HP and Compaq products up and running, please visit our website at: http://www.hp.co.uk/diagnostics

Sincerely,

Max

My reply :

Thanks Max,

Now we come to the centre of the problem...which Croatian cartridges should I purchase?

Cheers

Peter

Dear Peter,

Thank you for your reply to HP Customer Care.


I gather from your e-mail that you want to know what cartridges you can purchase in Croatia.


You can purchase the below HP Cartridges in Croatia.


Black Cartridge


HP 300 Black Ink Cartridge (CC640EE)


HP 300XL Black Ink Cartridge (CC641EE)


Tri-color Cartridge


HP 300 Tri-colour Ink Cartridge (CC643EE)


HP 300XL Tri-colour Ink Cartridge (CC644EE)


For more information on cartridge compatibility, please access the below HP Web link.


http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01766411&cc=uk&lc=en&dlc=en&product=3571321


NOTE: Clicking the link(s) may give an error indicating it is invalid. If this occurs, copy the portion of the address on the remaining line(s) and paste it at the end of the address showing in your browser until the complete address is displayed in the Address box.


If you need further assistance, please reply to this message and we will be happy to assist you.

For information on keeping your HP and Compaq products up and running, please visit our website at: http://www.hp.co.uk/diagnostics

Sincerely,


Max

My reply :


Thanks Max,

As you know, cartridges are the big expense with printers. If I purchase a HP300 cartridge, it will work in printing a test page? Will be work with other print jobs? If not, can you please describe the process I will need to carry out to make it work on my printer. I will be going back to South Africa in November, so if these processes are too difficult, it may be easier to purchase another branded printer!

Kindest regards

Peter

Dear Peter,

Thank you for your reply to HP Customer Care.

I gather from your e-mail that you want to know whether the cartridge you buy in Croatia will work with you computer.


I like to inform you that once the printer is reset to use in Croatia, then you will be surely able to use the cartridges purchased in Croatia (HP 300). But when after you return to South Africa you would not be able to use the South African cartridges as the printer is regionalized to use Croatian cartridges that time you need to regionalize the printer again to South Africa. The printer can be reset to a particular region to the maximum of 3 times. Once the printer is reset for the third time that will be the permanent zone in which you will be able to use it.


If you need further assistance, please reply to this message and we will be happy to assist you further.

For information on keeping your HP and Compaq products up and running, please visit our website at: http://www.hp.co.uk/diagnostics

Sincerely,


Max

My reply :


Thanks Max,

Maybe I wasn't clear in my earlier message. What are the processes I need to undertake to make a HP300 cartridge compatible in my printer? I will print a test page and send it to you. What happens next? Is the software altered in my computer or are adjustments made in the printer?

Cheers

Peter

Dear Peter,

Thank you for your reply to HP Customer Care.


I gather from your e-mail that you want to know the processes you need to undertake to make a HP300 cartridge compatible to your printer.


I like to inform you that after we receive the extended self test page, we will take the codes in the page and input in our internal tool and in return it will generate a code which will be sent to you and you need to enter the code in the printer properties page. A detailed step by step procedure will be sent to you when we send the codes. You have no need to alter anything in the software or the printer.


If you need further assistance, please reply to this message and we will be happy to assist you.

For information on keeping your HP and Compaq products up and running, please visit our website at: http://www.hp.co.uk/diagnostics

Sincerely,


Max

My reply :

OK, one final question. I still have lots of ink in the colour cartridge. Will changes to the code affect this cartridge as well?

Cheers

Peter

Dear Peter,


Thank you for replying to us.

As I understand you still have lots of ink in colour cartridge and hence wanted to know if resetting the printer will affect the colour cartridge.


Peter, once the printer is regionalized to Croatian zone, you will not be able to use the South African zone cartridge. So it will affect the colour cartridge, as the printer will not recognize it.


Note: While printing ten tap test page, please use both the cartridge of same zone either South Africa or Croatian.


If you need further assistance, please reply to this message and we will be happy to assist you further.


For information on keeping your HP and Compaq products up and running, please visit our website at: http://www.hp.co.uk/diagnostics


Sincerely,

Sandy

Notice how Max has dropped out!!

My reply after finding out my printer will work without the black cartridge installed :


Hello,

Therefore it makes sense for me to use the printer without the black cartridge to use up the 121 colour cartridge first. Will contact someone when this also runs out. Wish I had been given the full picture, 1st when I purchased this machine and 2nd when I first contacted HP for assistance on this matter.

Bye


Peter

Dear Peter,


Thank you for getting back to us.

I gather from your mail that you will wait till the colour cartridge is empty to reset the printer to the local zone.

Peter, I request you to use the printer till the colour cartridge is empty and then get back to us to reset the printer to the local zone.

For information on keeping your HP and Compaq products up and running, please visit our website at: http://www.hp.co.uk/diagnostics

Sincerely,

Martin

Now Sandy has joined Max in hibernation!


You judge for yourself. Are they in terminal decline or not? Though they appear to come through the UK site, the English composition indicates a cheap call centre elesewhere.