Views on HP Instant Ink?

[Fallulah]

Looking at a new printer because mine has decided not to work for some inexplicable reason (to be fair it is six years old). I need an all in one because I do use the scanner part, and I’d like one that prints on both sides without me needing to get involved.

I’ve seen an HP one but it comes with a year’s instant ink which seems quite a good deal. Is it as good as it sounds? Will ink just turn up before I run out? Do you have to pay for the ink or is it covered by the subscription?

Thanks

I have a printer that had an Instant Ink option although didn't take it. The cartridges required have the code/ ID 304 and normal capacity ones (not 'XL') can cope with around 125 A4 copies if colour ink. It's ok but once it's warning for used up, you do not have long to replace.

What I have found very weird is that even where I purchased the printer (around 16 months ago) the cartridge sales racks offer many codes beginning with 3, but seem to omit 304. Whether that's just because printer ink is hugely in demand at the moment with all the WFH and the situation is temporary, I don't know, but I've definitely found it hard to pick up in a normal shop - so either stock up online (may have to wait until restocked), or for that reason, consider the Instant Ink plan.

Yes, the ink turns up well before the current runs up. I’m very happy with it. They recycle cartridges (you get a small envelope) and you can adjust how many pages you use monthly.

We've had an Instant Ink printer for quite a while now. We pay £1.99 a month for the basic plan, which gives us 50 pages a month, although they roll over up to a hundred unused pages too. When I had a lot of printing to do I just changed the plan for a month then went back to the basic one again. Touch wood the new ink has always arrived before the old one runs out, and we don't notice the payment, unlike when I had to fork out £25 for new cartridges in one go.

I think I will give it a go! Thank you

I find it great. We didn’t pay a lot for the printer - I think less than £30, always have spare ink ready to go. It’s only the kids that use it really so I have the 1.99 package for 50 pages a month. It’s plenty and I never need to worry about ink.

I bought my Instant Ink printer at the height of lockdown and had about a month of crappy service from HP but they added three free months on (signed up to the £7.99 package so 300 free prints) so I now have free printing until December (when I will drop down to a lower package). Always have ink now and they seem to send a new one almost as soon as you’ve replaced so there are always spare ones waiting. When it works it’s a great service and loads cheaper than buying cartridges. It’s been quite liberating to have a printer I’m not scared to actually use!

We've been using it, and it's been invaluable during lockdown. We have never run out of ink, new cartridges have arrived in plenty of time

I've had it for about 3 years and think it's great. There's some kind of automated link so there know when you're likely to run out and send new cartridges. I once had a problem with the printer and they sorted it out over the remote line. Service has been great, it's much cheaper than the ink cartridges I had to buy for my old printer and I never have the worry of being half-way through something and having to rush off to buy new ink.

Another one happy with it, ours wasn't an expensive printer and it's still going strong!

I’ve found it very useful.

We had it, but the printer kept breaking after 3-6 months so HP sent out a replacement printer under warranty, but the ink cartridges are coded and can’t be moved from printer to printer so we ended up with lots of unused / half used obsolete cartridges and it was a massive battle to get a refund. I’m just buying cartridges when I need it now and it’s worked out cheaper.
Also be aware that you can’t carry over your monthly allowance of pages so the costs mount up if you have a heavier printing month.

I cancelled my instant ink because I was only using it for the odd page or two and I don't keep it plugged in continuously either. I can't use the ink they sent me which was only the second ink in a year of purchase because it's as a PP said it's coded.

I've just had 6 months free ink for 300 pages a month, so I think its pretty good. Its really helped over WFH/ school work at home period but I think can work out very expensive if you don't print much.