Epson’s customers can now register to get Epson ink cartridges delivered automatically via Amazon Dash Replenishment.
Originally launched in 2017 ReadyInk was described by Epson as a “hassle-free and subscription-free service” which allows its customers to register with their retailer or reseller when they purchase their printer and sign up for this automated system, which will supply “genuine ink cartridges” whenever their ink begins to run low.
On 17 June Epson launched ReadyInk with Amazon Dash Replenishment which allows customers to register their Epson printer with Dash Replenishment in just “a few simple steps”. Customers can activate Dash Replenishment, which works with Epson ReadyInk technology to monitor ink levels and automatically reorder the moment more is needed, ensuring customers never run out of ink.
Epson says that its “customers are always in control as they only pay when new ink is needed and can pause the service at any time.”
Mauro Bartoletti, head of retail, Epson Europe, says, “It can be really inconvenient to run out of ink at an inopportune moment, but realistically most people are too busy to plan their ink supplies. Epson ReadyInk with Dash Replenishment provides an effortless solution as it monitors ink levels and Amazon automatically sends out a new cartridge when it’s needed – without the user having to do a thing. It’s the hassle-free, pay-as-you-go solution for consumers wanting to stay topped up with ink.”
OEMs like Samsung and Brother joined the Amazon Dash Replenishment programme very early on when the programme was first launched by Amazon. Epson, HP and Kyocera joined in 2018.
In January 2019 a lawsuit was successfully filed by consumer centre, NRW, against Amazon EU Sarl in the Higher Regional Court Munich, with the case revolving around the Amazon Dash button.
As verbraucherzentrale reported at the time, the Amazon Dash button “massively” violates laws as customers were “not sufficiently informed about the ordered commodity and their price.”
While Amazon’s Dash programme is of undeniable benefit to both the retailer and the OEMs, as well as providing a convenient service for customers, it is also likely to have a negative impact on the remanufacturing industry by further reducing the demand for remanufactured printer cartridges.
