by Mark TarsesI have an Epson 740 ink jet computer printer. I used to get my printer ink at Costco, which charges $27.95 for the black ink cartridges.
Now I get my cartridges from Laser Monks. The black ink cartridges for my printer cost $4.50 at Laser Monks. Their cartridges look identical, they seem to work the same, but they cost 80% less! I use 6 to 8 cartridges a year, including both black and color, so the savings add up.
Not all ink cartridges are available at such a large discount, and some manufacturers don't allow any generic competition at all.
It is easy to understand why manufacturers of computer printers are happy to sell you the machine itself at or below its manufacturing cost. There is no in profit in computer printers, but the profit on the ink cartridges is enormous!
In 2003, 75% of Hewlett-Packard's (HP) net profit came from printer cartridges alone! "It's the driving force for their profit, cash flow and long-term value of the company,'" said Cary Nordan, an analyst at BB&T Asset Management, which owns 700,000 shares of H-P. The story is much the same at Epson, Lexmark, Canon, etc.
Laser Monks also sells ink cartridges for fax machines and copiers at similar savings.
Laser Monks is run by Roman Catholic monks who donate all their profits to charity. They usually ship within 1 day of receiving your on-line order.