_____Technology Headlines_____ • Updated Technology Headlines _____News from the Netherlands_____ • Theory Says Disease Tendencies Begin in Womb (The Washington Post, Jul 7, 2003) • Same-Sex Marriage Endorsed In Canada (The Washington Post, Jun 18, 2003) • Trusting Markets to Be Efficient (The Washington Post, Jun 15, 2003) • More News from the Netherlands E-Mail This Article Printer-Friendly Version

By DOUGLAS HEINGARTNER
The Associated Press
Monday, July 14, 2003; 3:23 PM

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - The Dutch Consumer Association has advised its members to boycott Epson ink jet printers, alleging that customers are unfairly being charged for ink they can never use.

The boycott call last week followed joint tests by several European consumer groups indicating that Epson ink cartridges prematurely block printers from churning out more pages even when there is enough ink to keep going.

In advertisements printed in several national Dutch newspapers, Epson acknowledged its printers stop working before cartridges are empty, but said the measure protects printers from damage. They also said customers aren't charged extra for the unused ink.

Ink jet cartridges manufactured by Epson are fitted with an "Intellidge" chip, which Epson says keeps the print head moist. If the print head dries out, air bubbles can form that destroy the printer, the company said.

The Dutch association, which has 620,000 paying members, wants Epson to modify its chip so that it gives a low ink warning, but doesn't block the printer.

It suggested that customers with Epson printers could override the current chip by using a $30 device to reset it, allowing the remaining ink to be used.

Epson spokesman Jan Willem Scheijgrond called the tip dangerous advice.

"It's like driving through a red light," he told The Associated Press. "It can be fine, but if someone's coming from the other way, you can have an accident."

Dutch Consumer Association spokesman Ewald van Kouwen disputed Epson's argument that print heads need extra ink.

"We don't deny that it's sensible to have a certain percentage of residual ink," he said. "But we noticed (excesses of) 10, 20, 30 percent in our research. Then it's not residual ink any more. It's just a way of getting you to buy more ink faster."

Scheijgrond said Epson might take legal action against the Dutch Consumers Association. The two parties are due to talk Wednesday to discuss their differences.

Tests of the Epson printers published this month in the magazine "Which?" said that by overriding the chips, researchers were able to print "up to 38 percent more good quality pages, even though the chips stated that the cartridge was empty." Some cartridges indicated they were two-thirds empty when they were only half empty.

Prices of ink jet printers have been dropping for years, yet the ink cartridges remain relatively expensive. The "Which?" test showed that ink refills can quickly overtake the original cost of the printer. In fact, it said many leading ink jet suppliers charge more per milliliter than 1985 Dom Perignon champagne.