MrsFychan

not sure which section to put this so putting it here and sure Bev will move appropriately if required.

Well today I came across one of the most ridiculous things ever. My UK bought HP printer will not take the NZ compatible ink cartridges even though it states it is for my printer.
Apparently HP code the cartridges for the printers country of origin. so even though you can buy my printer here you can't use UK cartridges or visa versa.
Google (my friend ) told me I needed to get some codes from HP to reset the country code on the printer. So I call HP and after a little bit of, shall we say, discussion they agreed to talk me through the procedure despite my machine being out of warranty by a month.
So 1 hour, 11mins and 18secs later of accessing parts of the printer you wouldn't know existed, giving across various data numbers and downloading a bit more software, trawling through cupboard boxes for a usb cable as this procedure cannot be done via wireless, they gave me a link to click on and input some codes they had generated from the information I had given them to find it didn't work. so we try again and again it didn't work.
Nice lady on the phone then says sorry and thanks me for my patience but there is nothing more than can do so they will send me a new one made in New Zealand so I can use the cartridges I have bought. Unfortunately they don't have my model so would I accept the next model up ? DOH - yes thank you.

I think I was lucky getting them to even talk to me free of charge. So please before anyone decides to bring over their printers check that you won't have the same problems I did, despite a possible good outcome.

BEVS

Right . I got a UK HP printer straight out of Noah's ark. Maybe the NZ cartridges have rucked up my cartridge cradle over the past 8 years. Lemme at 'em.

jjsebba

Something else strange I discovered, by talking to the shipping folk is that you are NOT allowed to take printer cartriges in your container! Why you ask? Beats me! Any answers gratefully received! So it's not even worth me bringing my printer, as I can't stock up on cartriges and from Mrs F's post, the ones in NZ are unlikely to fit if it's a UK printer! Doh!
Remind me why I'm moving again?

janiejones

We brought printer cartridges. I think the worry is that they'll leak over stuff, so I put them in a tupperware container before I packed them. I've got an Epsom, and I just bought some compats at Harvey Norman, but haven't tried them yet.

MrsFychan

husbands seems to think its may just be HP as Google is full of it.
Just a warning really to anyone thinking of buying a new one before they come over to check that they won't have the same setting faults we did

Snap Shot

I can relate to that. We purchased an HP cartridge for our HP printer at Stationery Warehouse in Christchurch. Same problem as Mrs Fychan. Cartridge and printer not zoned for each other. What ? Never mind. We went back to the shop as we made sure we got the right cartridge by using the reference book in the store. We were even assisted by a female shop assistant when we bought it. However, they weren't really interested in helping us, because, we couldn't identify which shop assistant helped us. Yes, really. We described who it was but they denied anyone of that description working there.

OK, you wanna play it that way I thought, let's just throw the towel in and leave the shop. We did. Christchurch wasn't really working for us and this was kinda the last straw

So we found a Cartridge World franchise and had the original cartridge re-filled for the second time. Something I was trying to avoid by buying an HP cartridge !

Mrs Fychan, if you don't mind me asking are you getting a new printer F.O.C. ? Should I just Google HP for the phone number ? I want our local dollars per hour computer tech to come and sort it if he can. However, that is at the back of a long queue for financing. So, I'm back to printing things at the local library as I'm saving the available ink at home. I'm concerned that a twice re-filled cartridge will smudge on printing. That won't create a good first impression will it ?

MrsFychan

I am getting a FOC replacement as they could not get the upgrade on the printer to work to enable me to use the NZ Cartridges.

You can't get a local tech to do it as you need HP to give you the codes they generate from the information they get from your printer after taking you through a number of procedures on your printer. You will also need to connect via USB your PC to the printer so the codes they give you and the drivers you download alter the settings on the printer.
call them on 0800 441 147, they may initially say you are out of warranty and they can't help and to try the online website but don't take that and state its HP's fault for setting up country codes on their cartridges and you need the codes and update file to enable NZ Cartridges to work in it. you will probably need to have an hour free to go through the procedures with them

Ping Pong Pom

Oh dear, I bought a new hp printer last month and had planned to airfreight it with my comp/work stuff

MrsFychan

You should be ok as you will still be under warranty, you just need to be aware that when you have used the UK cartridges and buy the NZ ones you will have to call support to get the printer set up to use the NZ ones.
Changing the settings on the printer menu to New Zealand won't work. Support take you into to a hidden menu to obtain "pen", "paper" etc numbers to populate a code that you need to enter on a HP screen on your pc once you have downloaded a driver

sparkie down under

given that printers are about as cheep as chips (srrrgh I've used a Dickenson) why are you bringing a printer here?

I mean I did and all it did was sit in the box, ('cos I couldn't find it) so I just went and brought a new one and never had a problem.....other than wondering why it was three inks cost 90% the price of a new printer - (just like it did in the UK)

MrsFychan

we hadn't looked at getting a new printer as we had a decent one already, when we moved less than a year old. We were not to know that HP regionalise their cartridges as it even gives our model number on the box. printer was one of the first things out of the boxes when we got her, need to be sending off cards and piccies to the rellies back in UK

RobDon

We had exactly the same problem. Brought our HP with us and all was fine until the ink ran out.
Couldnt get replacement ink anywhere after weeks of trying shops and internet.
Eventually decided that we did need a printer that actually printed, bit the bullet and bought a new one.
Printers appear to be much cheaper here and you can get ink for them!!

simonsi

Brought my ancient HP 990CXi over and the NZ carts work fine, must be a later/better technology thing.

Jan n Neil

the one we just bought was cheaper than buying just the ink

Neil

MrsFychan

yes I do think its the newer printers that have the problems.
Just really want people to check if they are thinking about buying a HP in UK to bring over that they won't get the same problems as we did.