Should You Buy Cartridges Online?

There are so many online retailers for ink and toner cartridges. They offer compatible ink and toner, and sometimes brand names too, at discounted prices and usually ship to your door for free. We're not one to stand in the way of progress, but with ink and toner in particular - should you go for it? Maybe it's already worked for you, or maybe you had a less than stellar experience/product?! We'd love to weigh in with our thoughts and perhaps help you figure out if it's right for you.

WHAT IS YOUR ASSURANCE ON QUALITY?

We know quality is important. And often, not always, cheaper means lower quality. We've unfortunately seen some poor quality cartridges out there, often purchased online, which may do you more hassle than good! The absolute best quality is an original manufacturer's cartridge. Yet, we know those can be cost prohibitive, so we offer high quality compatibles we carefully source both locally and direct from the manufacturer. Quality is important to us and we offer a 100% guarantee on any defective cartridge. If you need a certain quality in your printing, we highly recommend going with a reputable reseller!

Another reason to go with a reputable reseller is best before dates. We've heard a few stories where cartridges that were purchased cheaply online were already expired and didn't work in the customer's printer. Again, reputable reseller is the way to go.

HOW WILL RETURNS BE HANDLED?

Some cartridges will fail straight out of the box. Some won't print to your standards. It does happen and is unfortunately not that uncommon; simply a fact to accept when buying any cartridges (even good quality or brand name). So, it's important to know how returns will be handled in case the cartridge doesn't work. Do you have to pay for shipping back to get a refund? How quickly will an exchange be processed? What's your backup plan in case you urgently need to print?

We have a hassle free return policy so you can get a replacement the SAME DAY! No need to call a 1-800 number, ship it back or wait for another one in the mail. We're here for you if something goes wrong...

ARE GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE & EXPERT ADVICE OFFERED?

Here's the funny thing: we often turn away business, and not because we can't supply your cartridge needs! We turn away business on the daily because we care more about you getting exactly what you need, what will be the best deal and what will be better for your future. Meaning, we often recommend people with older printers don't invest any further in something that may fail soon or something that's unnecessarily expensive to print with. From our experience, we know when it's time to think about a new printer, a new brand, a switch to laser or some other way to best meet your unique printing needs.

Will your online experience give you the advice and service when you need it? Sometimes you don't and we totally get that. But we're here for those that just might need it and we're not afraid to turn away a sale in the process.

We'd love to hear your thoughts on this debate. Have you had a great experience with online cartridges or was it somewhat negative? How can we better serve you as a physical retailer in Calgary? Leave your comments below and feel free to share this article if it helped you!