The narrator recounts their experience working as a technical support assistant for a computer company's laptop division, where they were trained to sell additional products to customers, including overpriced ink cartridges and antivirus software. They reveal that printer companies make huge profits from selling ink cartridges, with some costing as little as 23 cents to manufacture but selling for $59.95. The narrator explains that printer companies use a "razor and blades" business model, where they sell printers at a loss but make money from the sale of ink cartridges. They also discuss how some printers are designed to use a little color ink even when printing in black and white, and how the ink cartridges have chips that can detect when a consumer is trying to refill them, disabling the printer if they try. The narrator argues that this is a scam and that consumers should be able to refill their ink cartridges without being forced to buy new ones. They also share a personal anecdote about helping their mom with a printer problem and the frustration they experienced with the company's customer support and the cost of replacing the printer and ink cartridges. The narrator concludes by calling for a revolution against printer companies and their exploitative practices, demanding affordable ink and printers that work and last.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The narrator worked as a technical support assistant at a telemarketing center for an unnamed computer company's laptop division.
2. The company's technical support agents were trained to sell products to customers, including overpriced items like mice, backup drives, and antivirus software.
3. The narrator was shown a note on their computer alert system that the manufacturer had to liquidate old products every few weeks because they were about to be replaced with new models.
4. The narrator's job was to sell these old products at full retail price to customers who were unaware they were about to go on sale.
5. The narrator was connected to a woman in Nevada who had a simple question about installing her word processor on her new laptop.
6. The narrator learned that the woman was about to head to her freshman year of college and didn't have a printer.
7. The narrator offered to sell the woman a printer and learned that she was interested in buying one.
8. The narrator pulled up the internal store page and accessed the printer section, where they were presented with two prices for each product: a black number (retail price) and a red number (manufacturing price).
9. The narrator learned that the cost of manufacturing a printer ink cartridge was $0.23.
10. The narrator was stunned by the difference between the manufacturing price and the retail price of the ink cartridges.
11. The narrator's supervisor confirmed that the cost of manufacturing was indeed $0.23.
12. The narrator learned that many printers are sold at a loss, and the money is made back from the cost of printer ink.
13. The narrator explained the "razor and blades model," where a company sells a product at a low price and makes up for it by selling a consumable product at a high price.
14. The narrator discussed how printer companies use chips in ink cartridges to monitor ink levels and prevent refilling.
15. The narrator mentioned a court case between Impression Products and Lexmark, which went to the Supreme Court and resulted in a ruling in favor of the consumer's right to repair and modify products.
16. The narrator explained that many printers are designed to mix a little cyan ink into every black and white document, even if the user only prints in black and white.
17. The narrator discussed how printer companies use various tactics to prevent consumers from refilling ink cartridges or repairing their printers.
18. The narrator shared a personal story about helping their mom with her printer, which was not printing correctly due to a hardware issue.
19. The narrator explained that the cheapest option was to buy a replacement printer, but the new model used a different type of ink cartridge, which added to the cost.
20. The narrator discussed the frustration of dealing with printer drivers and compatibility issues.