The class action complaint against HP, alleges that HP fails to disclose that the printers use substantial amounts of coloured ink when printing images and text in black and white (a process known as “underprinting”).
The Complaint was filed by Christina Rose in the United States District Court Northern District Of California on 10 April, claiming she “brings this consumer protection and false advertising class action lawsuit against HP based on its misleading and unfair business practices with respect to the marketing and sale of certain HP colour printers (the “Printers”).
The Complaint states that “consumers purchase the Printers reasonably believing that the Printers would not use colour ink when printing purely black and white text or images. Consumers further reasonably believe that the Printers will be able to print images or text in black and white regardless of whether colour ink is available.”
As a result of this underprinting process, the Complaint says, consumers expend more on ink than they reasonably expected to, and are forced to buy colour ink in order to continue printing, whether they choose to print in colour or black and white.
The Plaintiff is asking for relief and has demanded a trial by jury.
Editor’s Opinion: HP in the firing line again, and while it is for lawyers to argue and judges to adjudicate, on first reading you get the distinct impression that this information should be clear at or before the point of sale. Alternatively, they could make the printers default to black and white only and just use the black ink cartridge. It will be interesting to see how this complaint pans out.
