Epson inkjet printers designed to shut down after limited number of prints (List of Models) – ConsumerConnect

*Epson explains the company has designed the affected inkjet printers to stop working when the pads get full of ink because of the danger of ink spills to consumers, urging users to either pay for a repair or buy new printers

Emmanuel Akosile | ConsumerConnect

Consumers can simply replace defective products when they become unusable.

Others want to fix a product that is defective so they can use it again.

That’s the whole point of “right to repair” rules, which the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says it plans to vigorously enforce in the American market.

ConsumerConnect learnt  some Epson printer owners observed that after years of use, their printers have displayed a message saying the device has “reached the end of its service life,” suggesting it must be replaced.

Agency report said that however, the repair is possible.

This issue affects Epson L130 and L220 models. These are all inkjet printers. Reports state that the printers contain pads that absorb ink excess. When the pads get full l, the printer indicates to  the user that its life is over.

Consumers are at risk from ink spillages

Epson states that it has designed the printer to stop functioning when ink is spilled onto the pads.

Usually, the company says the printer wears out at about the same time the pads get full, so it’s time to buy a new printer, according to report.

However, a number of consumers posting on message boards say their printers were working just fine until the “end of life” message flashed.

A Reddit user going by the handle Flared 101 claimed it’s just another example of planned obsolescence.

The post said: “It’s all the same: buy another one of our identical products in this season’s colours, whose technology hasn’t fundamentally changed in any way since 2001.”

Epson’s suggestion on servicing the printers

Epson stated that it is possible to service the printers to replace the pads but only if the vendor is Epson authorized. The issue has been addressed on the Epson Web site.

The company stated: “In the event a user receives this alert, the printer needs to be properly maintained in order to continue printing.

“Epson understands the importance for its customers to be able to print whenever they need to and offers flexible options to extend printing, including a one-time Maintenance Reset Utility, enabling North American customers to continue printing for a limited time in order to determine the repair solution that best fits their needs.”

Epson stated that the printers are inexpensive and that repairing them may be more cost-effective than buying a new one. Jonathan Zittrain, a Harvard University Professor of Law, has reportedly written that in cases like this, consumers think they have purchased a product but in fact, “are only renting a service.”