Beware of buying printer cartridges off of ebay. I have purchased on 7 different occassions printer cartridges and only once has it worked out. Most of the time when you are buying a cartridge they are using stock photos which show a new one by the manufacturer. What you get in the mail is a knock off cartridge that has been refilled, reconditioned, or a no name knock off.

I am a high tech computer user who does a lot of printing and what the average joe doesn't know can cost you a new printer and a lot of frustration. Make sure you ask the seller several things before you make the purchase.

1. Is it a refilled or refurbished cartridge?
2. Who is the manufacturer?
3. What is the expiration date

Each printer cartridge you install has an expiration date. If you buy an expired date printer cartridge you may be buying a cartridge with dried out ink or a failed printer head. The printer head is not on your printer but rather on the cartridge. If dried ink gets stuck in the heads it will either not work, or drip ink or in some cases explode all over inside your printer.

If the cartridge does damage to your printer forget trying to get it fixed the ink will get all over the gears etc.... and your printer will cost 3 to 4 times the amount you purchased it for to repair so you will have to throw it away and buy a new one.

If you have an extended warranty read your fine print as nearly every extended warranty specifically says that if you use a non brand or a refilled cartridge that your extended warranty is void.

Since the print head is on the cartridge itself most people don't realize that the head is designed to last around one use. When you refill the cartridge multiple times the print head wears out and can quit working altogether. I had this happen on one cartridge I bought. It printed 3 pages and then stopped working. Even thought I got it for 50% off of retail I lost it all when I had to buy another so quickly.

On top of all that refilled and no name brands when they are shipped through the USPS, UPS, FEDex etc can explode or leak as they are taken up and down on high altitudes on planes.

It only takes one ink cratridge exploding inside a $400.00 printer to makes 10 years worth of savings dissapear.

My advice is buy brand name cartridges from local stores and you will extend the life of your printer by double.