Customers Becoming Disillusioned With Printer Market

More and more customers are becoming disillusioned by the printer market, according to an industry commentator.

The downbeat consumer sentiment comes as many people are realising that the industry's business model of selling printers cheap and making money back from ink cartridges is costing them more in the long run, Andy Lippman, an expert on the printer cartridge market told PressofAtlanticCity.com.

Mr Lippman, a senior analyst at imaging sector research group Lyra Research, said: "For the first time, people are talking about the price of inks and toners. That's been a big industry secret for a long time."

He added that the industry utilises a "usage-based model" similar to the one used by the shaving and razor-manufacturing sector.

Mr Lippman said this means that leading printer manufacturers will sell their units at a low price, which is sometimes even below cost, as they know they can recoup the losses through ink and toner sales.

Lyra Research estimates that approximately $24 billion (£14.75 billion) is spent every year on ink and toner in the US.

By Ramsey Dehani.

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