Why HP people are penny pinchers...

GerrFel · Oct 21, 2005

So I'm in college. Every college student needs a printer. I'm in Wal-Mart buying food, and I see a nice HP all in one printer/scanner. It's only $60, awsome deal. It's mine, I bring it home, unwrap it.

I've got the software installed, and then it tells me to plug in the USB cable. So I dive into the packaging. No USB cable... what's going on? I look on the box, don't see anything. I find the "Included" section. I don't see it on there...

I look down into the next catagory. "Optional Accessories". Optional. For some odd reason, a USB cable to connect a printer to a computer is optional! On the entire box, I had to find it under Optional Accessories, in the small print, to figure out that I can't use my printer. I feel scammed.

I called HP, but because it was "on the box" they won't give me a cable, but they will nicely connect me to their HP Sales to purchase one! I'm ready to break something!

Nexus Realized · Oct 21, 2005

Deja-Vu...I bought a HP Psc 1350 for $80 a year back and had the same crap happen to me. I don't understand how it's optional if it doesn't work without it. That's like selling cars with steering wheels as an option...

amdhunter · Oct 21, 2005

LOL, as far as I can remember, many printer companies don't include USB cables. I also heard many new printers ship with half-full ink also.

GerrFel · Oct 21, 2005

Well the half full ink is pretty standard. "Trial Ink".

techun · Oct 21, 2005

you'd have to look for one that has a cable, most dont

i used an old spare one

Nexus Realized · Oct 21, 2005

GerrFel said:
Well the half full ink is pretty standard. "Trial Ink".

You mean half empty

I've had my printer running with original ink it came with for a long time now...Over a year and printed everything from documents to pictures quite a bit of them too.

Artyboy · Oct 21, 2005

A lot of printers don't need to be hooked up to computers to work. Mine doesn't. Besides, most computer stores sell USB cables for a few bucks.

zematis · Oct 21, 2005

Same thing happend to me when i got my hp printer a,while back, unwraped it, and i was in shock

, wtf, where's the usb cable. I think its a rip off that they dont include a usb cable, because with out it the printer is worthless.

Wiggles · Oct 21, 2005

We have tons of those USB printer cables where I work. Seriously, a entire box that our HP PC's come packaged in full of them, and about 20 in one of my parts drawers at my desk.

I need to just start taking them home and selling them on e-bay or something.

Edit: Wow! Your looking at spending $20 for a 6' one on the HP site. I really need to start selling these things on e-bay.

subtotal · Oct 22, 2005

GerrFel said:
So I'm in college. Every college student needs a printer. I'm in Wal-Mart buying food, and I see a nice HP all in one printer/scanner. It's only $60, awsome deal. It's mine, I bring it home, unwrap it.

I've got the software installed, and then it tells me to plug in the USB cable. So I dive into the packaging. No USB cable... what's going on? I look on the box, don't see anything. I find the "Included" section. I don't see it on there...

I look down into the next catagory. "Optional Accessories". Optional. For some odd reason, a USB cable to connect a printer to a computer is optional! On the entire box, I had to find it under Optional Accessories, in the small print, to figure out that I can't use my printer. I feel scammed.

I called HP, but because it was "on the box" they won't give me a cable, but they will nicely connect me to their HP Sales to purchase one! I'm ready to break something!

ring them up and tell them that since it's an optional accessory you expect the printer to work without it. if they tell you that it needs the cable to work, then it ISN'T optional and you can tell them as much. if they refuse to supply you with a cable, then tell them that the printer is faulty because if a component is optional not having it won't stop it doing what it's intended for (i.e. Printing)

Turtle Shell · Oct 22, 2005

my hp came w/ a cable

moz_21 · Oct 22, 2005

Turtle Shell said:
my hp came w/ a cable

You are in the minority, my friend.

I bought a Samsung ML-2100 laser printer for like $150 and it didn't even come with one. :bang head

Turtle Shell · Oct 22, 2005

moz_21 said:
You are in the minority, my friend.

I bought a Samsung ML-2100 laser printer for like $150 and it didn't even come with one.

iam sorry

lets all write angry letters

threeme2189 · Oct 22, 2005

my epson stylus C60 came with a big fat parallel cable and its been hooked to t3h pc ever since

.

Devyl · Oct 22, 2005

I guess I should be in the minority too, as my HP 1210 came with one.

However, I still find it pretty unconcievable that almost all printer manufacturers nowadays ship their printers with no cable... It just doesn't make sense ya know?

Bios24 · Oct 22, 2005

I think it's nearly a crime. It's like buying a house without windows, or a car without tires. You'll need it, so why does it not come with it?!

The worst part is going someplace retail and paying $15, 20, 25 for a 6' A-B cable, when you shop online and buy then for $5!! The retail mark-up on those cables must be HUGE.

NsOmNiA91130 · Oct 22, 2005

That's wierd, my DeskJet 5550 came with a TypeB USB cable, about 10' in length. They didn't include a Printer Port cable, and the printer has a port for it, maybe they stopped shipping USB cables?

Mr.Guvernment · Oct 22, 2005

for as long as i can recall, even serial cables werent include with printers.

As stated above ad i love the wording, - if they say the printer can work with out it reat - but otherwise....

SolidxSnake · Oct 22, 2005

hmm strange. My dads printer didn't come with a USB cable (like every1 elses printer, my canon, my brothers old epson, his new HP), but it DID say it was required.

very strange. Maybe your printer has Wi-Fi

ƒÓÒl · Oct 22, 2005

It's not just HP that does it, Canon and Epson do it too. With the cost of fuel these days (everything is shipped), I'm not at all surprised that they leave "optional" stuff out to keep the cost from going up.

Funny story: I went into Best (for them anyway) Buy looking for a USB cable.
They wanted $20+ for them, even the generics. Belkin's were even more.
The salesperson asked if I needed help finding something, so I said I was looking for a USB cable that didn't contain so much gold.
He said they're not gold, that's just how much they all cost.

So I pointed out to him that a 4 port USB hub cost $15 and I could buy that and throw away the hub and keep the 10' cable that came with it, and still be ahead.

He had no answer

TigerDirect is where I buy cables. Nice and cheap, straight from the motherland.

Why HP people are penny pinchers...

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