HP C5280 can't print photos properly, HP can't fix, any suggestions?

[Jonathan Kamens]

Several months ago, I bought an HP C5280 All-In-One. I
already have a good laser printer, so the only reason why I
bought the C5280 was to be able to print high-quality photo
prints.

The C5280 has been unable to do that since the day I bought
it.

HP has sent me two replacement printers and five replacement
photo cartridges. While the quality varies from cartridge to
cartridge, it doesn't vary from printer to printer, and none
of the catridges or printers produce prints of acceptable
quality (in particular, printers which don't have stripes on
them from jets in the cartridge failing to fire properly).

The HP case manager handling my case insists that all he can
do is send me replacement photo paper, since we haven't tried
that yet. This, despite the fact that I've already tried
several different packages of paper, all of them genuine HP
purchased directly from HP, and none of them have solved the
problem.

I've asked for them to send a technician to my house to
troubleshoot, since remote troubleshooting has failed. They
refused.

I've asked for them to take back the the printer, ink and
photo paper, all of which were purchased directly from HP,
and give me a refund. They refused.

I asked my case manager if there was anyone else I could
speak to who would be able to do more to help me. He said no.

You can read the entire story at
http://blog.kamens.brookline.ma.us/tag/c5280/ .

Does anybody have any suggestions for what I should do? I'm
just about out of ideas.

HP was once an amazing company. It's a shame, but apparently
that's apparently no longer the case.

 

[Dave]

Several months ago, I bought an HP C5280 All-In-One. I
already have a good laser printer, so the only reason why I
bought the C5280 was to be able to print high-quality photo
prints.

The C5280 has been unable to do that since the day I bought
it.

HP has sent me two replacement printers and five replacement
photo cartridges. While the quality varies from cartridge to
cartridge, it doesn't vary from printer to printer, and none
of the catridges or printers produce prints of acceptable
quality (in particular, printers which don't have stripes on
them from jets in the cartridge failing to fire properly).

Wow. Normally, I'd say you were being unreasonable, because an all-in-one
machine tries to do everything well and ends up doing NOTHING well. So
buying one to print photos is just plain stupid. However, I checked HPs web
site and it is advertised as producting LAB-QUALITY photographs. I suspect
that you are a victim of false advertising, rather than a consumer who has a
defective printer. That is, I suspect that the printer is performing AS
DESIGNED, but you are expecting it to do what it is ADVERTISED to do, which
it is not capable of doing.

On a side note, I've got a older HP inkjet that produces acceptable quality
photos when I bother to use it, but it was never advertised as being a photo
printer, and it still has the streaking problem you mention sometimes. It
probably uses the exact same technology as your supposed photo printer,
which is why I am surprised that HP would advertise it as a photo printer.

I'd suggest you insist that HP send you a replacement printer. When it
arrives, don't open it but immediately list it for sale on craigslist as a
"new" HP all-in-one machine, never opened! Then take your photos to
wal-mart to have them printed. There you really will get lab-quality
prints. -Dave

 

[Jonathan Kamens]

I'd suggest you insist that HP send you a replacement printer.

They only send refurbished printers as replacements. They
come in a plain brown box and the warranty isn't transferable.

Then take your photos to
wal-mart to have them printed. There you really will get lab-quality
prints.

The main point of buying this printer was so that we wouldn't
have to shlep to a store to get photo prints.

 

[Dave]

They only send refurbished printers as replacements. They
come in a plain brown box and the warranty isn't transferable.


The main point of buying this printer was so that we wouldn't
have to shlep to a store to get photo prints.

Well I agree you have a valid complaint against HP. However, some photo
shops now allow you to upload your digital photos online and then mail you
the prints. -Dave

 

[measekite]

You should have bought a Canon IP4500

Jonathan Kamens wrote:

"Dave" <[email protected]> writes:



I'd suggest you insist that HP send you a replacement printer.



They only send refurbished printers as replacements. They come in a plain brown box and the warranty isn't transferable.



Then take your photos to wal-mart to have them printed. There you really will get lab-quality prints.



The main point of buying this printer was so that we wouldn't have to shlep to a store to get photo prints.

 

[Ernie Klein]

Several months ago, I bought an HP C5280 All-In-One. I
already have a good laser printer, so the only reason why I
bought the C5280 was to be able to print high-quality photo
prints.

The C5280 has been unable to do that since the day I bought
it.

I purchased a C5280 after my Epson crapped out (2nd Epson with clogged
print head which cannot be fixed or replaced - I won't buy another
Epson). I have gone through a couple of the HP75XL ink cartridges and I
find the quality quite acceptable so far. It probably is not as good as
the Epson which had 5 cartridges (I know you can replaced the black with
2 more colors in the HP for higher quality, but I have not tried that
yet). None of the streaks or lines in the prints that you mentioned.
BTW I use the Kirkland (Costco) brand glossy paper.

 

[Arthur Entlich]

I think you are doing the things available to you. Documenting your
experience and blogging it to the world. As long as your information is
accurate and balanced, let the world know.

I had a very similar experience with the same company with their digital
camera line in Canada. They seem to work on attrition, figuring
eventually they will wear you out. They also appear to have a budget in
mind for "difficult" clients, and once they surpass that, they seem to
blow you off.

Talk up your experience. The internet is a great place to spread the
word, good or bad, and it will affect the bottom line of a company.
After my experience, and no effective resolution, I spoke to store
managers at several local big box stores about it. One big box camera
manager told me he was on the brink of dumping their product for their
store, and soon afterward, the whole chain stopped carrying their
cameras. This was one of the large Western Canada big box stores.

In general, the war is one of numbers. Who gets more collateral damage.

I agree that HP was once a wonderful company, but you also paid
wonderfully high end prices for that experience. As target price points
have dropped, so has the money available for customer service, let alone
shipping and handling and replacing defective products

You might want to send them a link to your blog so they get to see how
they look on the "small screen"

Art

 

[planner2]

Several months ago, I bought an HP C5280 All-In-One. I
already have a good laser printer, so the only reason why I
bought the C5280 was to be able to print high-quality photo
prints.

The C5280 has been unable to do that since the day I bought
it.

HP has sent me two replacement printers and five replacement
photo cartridges. While the quality varies from cartridge to
cartridge, it doesn't vary from printer to printer, and none
of the catridges or printers produce prints of acceptable
quality (in particular, printers which don't have stripes on
them from jets in the cartridge failing to fire properly).

The HP case manager handling my case insists that all he can
do is send me replacement photo paper, since we haven't tried
that yet. This, despite the fact that I've already tried
several different packages of paper, all of them genuine HP
purchased directly from HP, and none of them have solved the
problem.

I've asked for them to send a technician to my house to
troubleshoot, since remote troubleshooting has failed. They
refused.

I've asked for them to take back the the printer, ink and
photo paper, all of which were purchased directly from HP,
and give me a refund. They refused.

I asked my case manager if there was anyone else I could
speak to who would be able to do more to help me. He said no.

You can read the entire story at
http://blog.kamens.brookline.ma.us/tag/c5280/ .

Does anybody have any suggestions for what I should do? I'm
just about out of ideas.

HP was once an amazing company. It's a shame, but apparently
that's apparently no longer the case.

Besides hiring a lawyer, which is probably not cost effective.
File a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. File another with
the Federal Trade Commission. You can do both online and not cost a
cent.

I have nothing good to say about HP from my experience with their
digital cameras. I have owned 7 digital cameras over the past 10 or
11 years. The early ones were pretty poor quality, but still took
usable photos. Most were Minolta, one a Canon. Last year I bought a
HP camera. I have never had a dig camera take such terrible photos,
and I was lucky if I could get 6 pictures out of a pair of NEW AA
batteries, before the camera refused to take a picture. I sent HP
several emails, naver got a reply. I was lucky to be able to return
the thing to the store. I bought a new Canon for quite a bit more
money, but it takes excellent pictures. That HP camera was the worst
dig camera I ever owned. Even the cheapie $15 childrens digital
camera we got for the kids takes better pictures that that HP did.
I will never buy another HP anything....

 

[Jonathan Kamens]

I read the long story and suspect you may have a bad color cartridge.

Tried three different color cartridges.

Have
you printed diagnostic nozzle patterns?

Every single self-test page for every single photo cartridge I tried
showed numerous gaps in the grid patterns for the photo cartridges,
most notably in the light magenta cartridge, but some in others as well.

There were also gaps in the grid patterns for the color cartridges on
some of the pages, but much fewer of them, and quite a few of the
self-test pages showed no gaps at all for the color cartridge patterns.

You say you have cleaned the cartridges - I presume you did this from the
control panel or computer toolbox? If so you might try cleaning the
cartridge contacts as shown at:
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=bpa02060

Did this too. Can't imagine that it was relevant, considering that
these were all brand-new cartridges. And is it really likely that
four different brand-new photo cartridges would all have dirty
contacts?

It would also help to see a nozzle diagnostic test. If you can print a
nozzle diagnostic, scan it and email it to me at (e-mail address removed), I will
take a look at it and make further suggestions.

All the test pages I printed are at work. I'll try to remember to do
this tomorrow when I'm there.

Thanks for your help.