HP Instant Ink

Buyer Beware: they will remotely turn off your printer ink from working if you cancel and won’t tell you. I wish someone told me this before I bought it. Read below

Buyer Beware: Any ink you “purchase” through the subscription is NOT yours to keep if you need to cancel the subscription, and HP will remotely deprogram and turn off your ability to use that ink in your printer, and you have to throw away all of the unused ink, which means the printer effectively no longer works since you can’t use your printer to print/copy/to do anything, and HP may not notify that’s what’s happening and why your printer stopped working. It has been several years since I could use my printer. I thought my printer was broken all this time. I did not know that the reason I could not use it, was not because my printer was broken, but HP just turned it off. I almost bought a new printer. I didn’t know that was even possible, and also I did not know about the subscription rules that explain that I pay for the pages I print under the service, not for the ownership of the ink cartridges themselves and that the subscription cartridges have special digital codes that require an active account and an internet connection to work, and that once the last billing cycle ends, the printer blocks those cartridges from printing any more pages even with useable ink left. I spent a lot of money over the years printing at other local spots (wasted gas, money, time) and almost bought a new printer because I could not figure out why my printer would not work. I never got a clear notification from HP telling me that they remotely turned off my ability to print using that specific ink I got through the subscription, and that I never truly owned the ink, and that to keep using the printer, I needed to buy even more ink, even though the subscription ink still had plenty left. I also almost purchased a new printer, until I, on my own, figured out what had happened. What is also frustrating is the waste. There was still usable ink sitting in those cartridges, but because the subscription was cancelled, I couldn’t use it. So what am I supposed to do with it? Throw it away and buy more? How does that make sense? You have ink that is physically sitting there and could still be used, but because of a subscription being cancelled, it becomes useless. Then you have to buy more ink. More money spent. More ink wasted. More cartridges potentially ending up in the trash. It feels incredibly wasteful, not just financially but environmentally too.

Hi HP Instant Ink Team,

Hi HP Instant Ink Team, Thank you for your reply to my preview Review For reference, my details are: Customer: Vincent B HP Instant Ink Subscription ID: 5024561405 Printer: HP OfficeJet Pro 8122e All-in-One Printer Unfortunately, your response illustrates exactly why I left a one-star review. Once again, you have explained how the subscription works and referred me back to the Terms and Conditions. I have never disputed what the Terms and Conditions say. I understood your explanation after my first complaint. My disappointment is not about the wording of the contract. It is about the complete lack of empathy and the complete absence of any willingness to consider my individual circumstances. For months, I paid my subscription while printing very little. I remained a loyal paying customer. When I finally needed to print more, I incurred additional charges. When financial difficulties forced me to cancel, the cartridges already installed in my printer were remotely disabled. Throughout our correspondence, not once did anyone ask how this affected me or consider whether a goodwill gesture might have been appropriate. Every response simply repeated the Terms and Conditions. Great customer service is not just about enforcing a contract. It is about listening to customers, understanding their concerns, and, where appropriate, going the extra mile to maintain trust. There is one question that still has not been answered: What am I supposed to do with the HP Instant Ink cartridges that I already have in my possession? They are genuine HP cartridges. They are sitting in my home. My printer recognises them but refuses to let me use them because HP has remotely disabled them. From a customer's perspective, this is extremely difficult to understand. Why am I not allowed to use cartridges that I already received while I was paying for the subscription? Even if this is permitted under the Terms and Conditions, surely you can understand why a customer would feel frustrated and disappointed by this outcome. This entire experience has left me with the impression that, once the Terms and Conditions have been quoted, the customer's feelings, loyalty and overall experience are no longer considered. That is the reason for my one-star review. It is not because I failed to understand how Instant Ink works. It is because I felt there was no empathy, no flexibility, no goodwill, and no genuine attempt to resolve the concerns of a loyal customer. I remain open to a practical solution. If HP wishes to restore some confidence in its customer service, I would welcome a goodwill gesture, such as supplying standard HP cartridges that I can actually use in my printer or another fair resolution. I genuinely hope HP reflects on this experience. Companies are remembered not only for the products they sell, but for how they treat customers when problems arise. Kind regards, Vincent

Always ink available

Always ink available, very good recycling system. Great ink.

Reliable service

Reliable service, good value - always helpful and quick to solve any issues that may arise

What else could you ask for:Problem free

Problem free

The service provided is first class and…

The service provided is first class and takes away the need to monitor the use of the cartridges. I've been a member for many years. Excellent.

Very difficult navigating your web site

No worry about running out of ink

Don't have to worry about running out of ink, it is delivered before you do. The return cartridges is an excellent way to reduce landfill.

I think it’s expensive

Ink arrives well before it’s needed so…

Ink arrives well before it’s needed so never run out.

Good plan and Service

The pages printing process is fair, flexible and good value as the ink replacement comes within that price and on time.

Ink always arrives when needed.

Ink always arrives when needed. Would be better if the return envelopes came with the new cartridges rather than having to order them separately

DONT USE THIS PRODUCT

DONT USE THIS PRODUCT, They charged me $17/MO for 8 months without ever sending me a cartridge, then I could not print to the printer I own, because they say my account is not up to date paid....do you think anyone called to tell me that this was an issue? Nope, how about we are charging this person $100 who has printed a total of 33 pages......just flat stealing.

Easy PC Printing

HP Instant Ink has let me forget about ordering ink cartridges and love the ease of letting the HP App do the printing of documents.

Efficient service

efficient service, great solution

Brilliant service, no worries at all

From day one i found this sevice exceptional, supplies lrovided in plenty of time, no worries at all. Through the years I have been enroled, only once did i have a problem with a cartridge. problem resolved on line and replacement sent immediately. Brilliant constantly excellent service, coukd not wish for better and so economical! No worries!

I’m very happy with my contract

I’m very happy with my contract. I don’t have to worry about ordering ink cartridges.

It is a massive con.

One star, and that's only because zero isn't an option. HP Instant Ink isn't a service; it's a masterclass in wasting people's time and money. Six years, close to £800, and six cartridges. Do the maths. That works out to roughly £133 a cartridge, delivered by a company that couldn't manage to connect to my printer even once, despite HP support, their own tech team, and mine all throwing themselves at the problem like it was a NASA-level challenge instead of plugging in a printer. When the cartridges ran low, I called for more, and HP's first move was to tell me I was wrong. Apparently my cartridges were "full." After an hour of arguing with someone reading from a script, they finally agreed to send replacements, which arrived broken. So they sent more. Those worked. The printer connection still didn't. Impressive consistency. Then COVID happened, my printing needs dropped off a cliff, and HP kept happily taking my money anyway. Fast forward to 2026, ink runs dry again (that's how little I was printing), same broken process repeats, I finally get cartridges, and I cancel the subscription the moment they land. Naturally, that's when HP tell me the cartridges I just received are useless, as they will block them. So they can block them but cannot tell me ig ink was low and automatically send some replacements; now that sounds a little suspect, doesn't it? When I complained, the story got creative fast: I'd supposedly received over 12+ cartridges (I hadn't), my printer was "definitely online" and being monitored (it never connected, no automatic ink being sent, I had to beg for it, remember?), and I'd blown through a 50-page monthly limit without printing a single page. Someone at HP is either laughing into their scripts or their systems are held together with string, and neither option inspires confidence. Their big resolution offer was two free months of a subscription I'd already cancelled and no willingness to exchange ink I hadn't even opened, I asked if I could swap them for normal cartridges that I could use, but apparently the might of HP said they were unable to that, as their system didn't allow it! What HP you cannot send ink that I could use but you can take my money for ink I cannot. I asked for a callback. Four weeks of silence later, they charged me again anyway, then handed me an even less helpful person than the last one. That's when I learned the punchline: HP Instant Ink isn't actually a subscription for ink, so the name on the tin isn't the actual service! It's a subscription for page and paper allowances you may never use, paper you never receive, tied to ink you can't get when you need it. If you don't print in bulk, buying your own cartridges outright is cheaper and massively less painful. I will never buy another HP product again. Awful company, awful service, and a subscription model built to quietly bleed money out of people who barely print.

Scammer

Scammer, When they call you without appointment and the ends in 30 seconds unable to answer like a scammer!!!! I was over charged £28.99 (£15.00 deducted from the credit that was available on my HP Instant Ink account after moving to my new printer and £13.99 charged directly from my bank account. (See the attached screenshot) despite I have email confirmation from HP Instant Ink UK that they will not charge this £28.99. A Case Number 5162524332 – was Created on 23 July 2026, and nobody follow up. I have spoken to failed customer service and I was ignored. I will recomend to NOT join the subscritpion or cancel your subscritopn if you have one. Shame to such poor service and I will escalate the case to FCA for investigation! Here is the email: From: HP Service Support EMEA Date: Monday, 8 June 2026 at 14:48 To: deleted for privacy Subject: Confirmation of No Charge for Billing Cycle 06/08/2026 – 07/07/2026 CRM:0084766004173 This email is to confirm that you will not be charged for the billing cycle 06/08/2026 – 07/07/2026. As discussed, we have provided one month free service to cover this billing period. Therefore, no payment will be due for this cycle. If you have any questions or need any further assistance, please feel free to reach out. Best regards, HP Customer Support Hp is a scammer !!!!

No Customer Service

This used to be a good service and I got ink sent when I needed it. However, in recent times it tells me I need ink but fails to send it, you cannot get past the stupid chat bot and phoning is totally out of the question. Someone needs to get this service sorted ASAP. I am forking out and getting no ink. The customer service is now practically zero. When I replace the printer I will not be signing up to this. Too much conflicting information saying you need ink but not sending it, claiming the printer is turned off and a useless chat bot. Very disappointing service.