I am asked all the time which is better Compatible (also known as Generic or Non-Genuine) or Genuine ink and toner cartridges. So, I thought I would clarify it for you.

Genuine are exactly that. They are made by or for the printer Manufacturer - Brother, Canon, Kyocera etc. And they are marked Brother, Canon, Kyocera on the box.

You must be very careful when buying Genuine toners as there are counterfeit toners on the market. They are so good at the packaging you can't tell the difference. You must trust who you buy from. They might save you some money, but you won't have a warranty if anything goes wrong. Most people buy Genuine for peace of mind and the knowledge that they have a warranty.

Compatible or Generic toners are a whole different ball game.

Compatible toners are made by other companies (usually in China) and are designed to work in your printer.

But like everything that is a bit cheaper there can be dramas. Most manufacturers have a chip in their printers to read the toner and ink levels, and the chip can also register that you are using a Compatible cartridge and might not work. This can happen, but replacing the cartridge usually solves the problem. Manufacturers are constantly upgrading the firmware in the chips to stop us from using Compatibles and the toner manufacturers are constantly updating their chips so their cartridges will work.

The other issue with Compatible cartridges is that it can void your warranty. I have had customers use Compatibles right from the date of purchase with no issues. Others have had all sorts of dramas, and the printer manufacturer has declined the warranty. Printers are so cheap and so are Compatible toners. Some people take the chance and are prepared to buy a new printer as they have saved so much on the Compatible toners.

There are a lot of rubbish brands out there. I am constantly told by customers that they don't want to try Compatibles as they have had a bad experience in the past. Fair comment. But what brand did they use and who did they buy them from? I can buy Compatible toners for as little as $2 each. But I guarantee 90% of them will come back faulty.

I am only interested in selling a good brand of compatible toners for two reasons. If the toner is faulty, I must replace it at my expense and pay the freight. So, I am out of pocket. Secondly it does not leave the customer with a warm fuzzy feeling and my customers might shop elsewhere. I have had this business for 42 years and have stayed around that long for a reason. I don't sell rubbish.

I only sell the Good Quality brands of Compatible ink and toner cartridges. I have done for the last 20 years. My return rate is around 2%. They will always replace a faulty and they pay the freight. I have used Good Quality toner in all of my printers for 20 years and have had 2 faulty toners in that time. I can honestly say I have never put a Genuine toner into any of my printers. You will get the occasional toner that won't work as most of the time is it the chip. We simply replace them. Also, as they are so cheap some customers don't even tell me they had a problem. They just put it down to experience and shop elsewhere thinking that I sell rubbish.

I will always replace a toner no matter how much it cost. It is just Good Business.

One other variant of Compatible or Generic is Re-Manufactured. Basically, this is where a manufacturer has taken an empty Genuine toner cartridge, replaced any parts and filled it with toner. They are much cheaper and will work just as wells as Compatibles. The only problem is that we don't know how often this has been refilled so you need to be ware when buying a remanufactured cartridge. Again, I only sell Good Quality toners.

I hope this has cleared it up for you, but you are probably still asking yourself "should I buy compatibles or not"? You are covered by warranty on the cartridge. It is very rare that one can damage your printer. If your printer is out of warranty, I highly recommend it as you can save a fortune. A Genuine can cost you upwards of $165 and the same cartridge in Compatible could cost you $15-$40. The choice is yours.