Printer Cartridge Rip-Off

Be careful out there people if you don't wish to be ripped off when purchasing printer cartridges. I bought a multi-function printer (yes, yes - I know that the words "I" and "bought" rarely go together in a sentence as I am a frugal bastard) that was the same as my mum's. That way if I could find a cheap printer cartridge we could save money on the postage. Up here for thinking, down there for dancing (in the middle for romancing).

Anyway, replacement cartridges for our printers were only $15, black or colour, from Adelong. I did a Google search to find them. This is a company that have been advertising for ages in the computer magazine that I buy so I thought that I could trust them. And, lo and behold, I was able to trust them as they delivered the goods. Made the purchase on the Internet.

My mum lives in a small country town in South Australia, called Bordertown. You have a reasonably decent map if you can locate it. She went to the local computer shop (I'm shocked that one exists too) and asked about a black cartridge for her printer. They wanted to charge her $34.95 for it, hardly surprising really, and it was the same brand. Mum showed them the printer cartridge box with the price on it and told them how much I could buy them for. The shop assistant said, "Oh, I must have put the short barcode in. I'll put the long barcode in."

Get out of town. The price dropped dramatically to only $16.95!! We are talking about an almost third-world outpost here. They are still making enough money to be happy on this product. Where on earth did the extra $18 profit go that they were so willing to forego?!

Be armed with the information first folks and don't get ripped off. I know there will be some of you who swear by refilling your cartridges but I don't want the trouble. Sometimes I'm not as frugal as I could be.