When a refill costs more than a printer

Our story today about printing costs folllows one back in July with the example of an HP 12A toner cartridge offered at two different prices in one PC World store.

The product was selling off the shelf at £69.99 - 50 per cent higher than the price shown in the store's business catalogue. There was no price tag on the shelf, a matter that PC World promised to 'address' when we published the story. But no tag had appeared weeks later and the price had risen to £74.99.
Dabs sells the same cartridge for £39.45.

We bought the cartridge at PC World for a low-cost HP Laserjet 1020, which is sold with only a sample quantity of toner, hiding the true start-up cost.

The newer Laserjet 1018 also uses a 12A cartridge. PC World sells it online at a 'sale price' of £49.99, including postage. A heavy user would quickly need a refill cartridge, so the true start-up cost at PC World prices would be £49.99 plus £74.99 - just 2p short of £125.

At those prices a buyer might conclude that a new printer is cheaper (£50) than a refill (£75), making the old one disposable. Except the printer comes with only a sample quantity of toner. Dabs sells the 1018 at £49.95, giving a start-up cost 10p short of £90, not including postage.