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Kyocera has filed a complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority in the United Kingdom accusing Hewlett-Packard of falsely advertising its Color LaserJet CP3505.
According to Kyocera, HPs ad claims that the only part of the printer that needs to be replaced is the toner cartridge. However, the ad does not say that its toner cartridge includes an image drum that is thrown away when the toner cartridge is discarded. Nor does the ad mention that HP is not responsible for replacing permanent parts once the warranty expires.
“The drums are simply hidden within the print cartridges and the user pays accordingly,” Kyocera said in a statement.
Also in the complaint, Ian Joslin, general manager at Kyocera UK said, “The LaserJet CP3505 is a throwaway product, designed to be disposed of at the end of its short life and to dress this up in claims of economy is disingenuous and amounts to false advertising.”
A spokesperson for HP said that the company is evaluating Kyoceras claim, but did not wish to comment any further at this time.
Rob Enderle, a printer analyst and chief of the research firm Enderle Group, based in San Jose, Calif., said that this is simply a case of a smaller printer company trying to make a name for itself.
“The printer companies, particularly the smaller ones, are trying to stand out and it looks like some are picking fights to get visibility for what makes them different,” Enderle said.
In another printer market spat, Kodak last month accused Epson of falsely advertising their inkjet cartridges.