February 24, 2005

Dell and HP are they ripping you off?

Lawsuits in and of themselves don't mean anything. In this country anybody can sue anybody for anything. A judge then lets the case go on or stops it if it has no merit. (Am I right lawyers?)

However, two cases have really caught my eye as they do make some sense and have been issues before.

Dell's low prices on their advertising but higher prices when you check out online and HP's expensive ink cartridges.

Reuters reports A Georgia woman has sued Hewlett-Packard Co., claiming the ink cartridges for their printers are secretly programmed to expire on a certain date, in some cases rendering them useless before they are even installed in a printer.

Say it ain't so HP! I'd like to believe that HP's software does WARN you about low ink cartridges but that it does not STOP the ink flow at a certain date, but instead the ink keeps going until there is no more.

Another suite, as reported by Cnet reads The case centers on the allegation that Dell advertises low prices for its computers, but people who try to purchase a machine at the advertised price find it's no longer available for that price. Often those customers wind up with another computer, the suit said.

From personal experience I've often wondered why I see a price for $399 but then when I go to buy a Dell system the price is higher (not including shipping of course).

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