When we think expensive liquids, quality champagne or French perfumes come to mind. You might be surprised to discover that printer ink is one the world's costliest liquids. A survey the U.K. consumer watchdog "Which?" revealed that some printer ink that is sold tech companies is pricier than many champagnes. It reported that printer ink printer makers can be to 286% more expensive than alternative ink companies that do not make printers. The watchdog said that some branded printer ink can cost as much as $846 a litre. A consumer rights expert Which? said: "Printer ink shouldn't cost more than a bottle high-end champagne or Chanel No 5."
Which? said non-branded ink cartridges can be as good as, if not better than the cartridges made the big printer makers. The expert said: "We've found that there are lots third-party products that are outperforming their branded counterparts a fraction the cost." Which? calculated that buying non-branded ink could save consumers $398 a year. It added that deciding which ink to put a printer should be "a personal choice and not dictated the make your printer". Printer manufacturers said they produce better quality ink. Epson said: "As non-genuine inks are not designed or tested Epson, we cannot guarantee these inks will not damage the printer."
