LETZ MARK Crap On Your Printer (Lexmark Z42)

Member Name: MattRoberts

Product:	Lexmark Z42
Date:	14/08/03 (116 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Goo customer service, Good when it works

Disadvantages: Expensive as is the ink, Runs out, and has too many problems

The Lexmark I bought wasn’t from choice. I had it in my package with Tiny. But, when I heard it was Lexmark we’d had with the computer, I was thrilled and couldn’t be more ecstatic!

I had heard of Lexmark, and I knew it was one of the best around. I’d never used it, but I was almost certain it would be good, and provide me with clear and sharp prints off my work.

And that’s what it did for almost 2 years. After numerous troubles with my computer and even my speakers, my printer stood tall, with no problems and absolutely no problems. The ink lasted around a year, and although it was expensive it was certainly worth it.

But, then November last year, I bought new ink for the second or third time. I put it in, and within a month, none came out.
“I can’t have used it already.” I said to everyone. I knew I couldn’t have, so where had it all gone?

I pulled out the ink, and I put it back in. I pulled it out again, and put it back in, but no luck. So, I e-mailed (to clarify, it was only the coloured ink that wouldn’t come out, the black was still working) Lexmark, and they treated me superbly.

I received an e-mail back off them, and I also got a free ink cartridge that I received about 2 weeks later. So, just before Christmas, a new ink cartridge went in, and I was pretty chuffed that I’d sorted it out. I was asked to send the ink cartridge that hadn’t worked back to Lexmark for tests.

But a month after new Year, the same thing happened again, and by now I knew there was a problem, but still didn’t know what it was. I was printing something one minute, and the next it had ALL gone. I was, and still am, 100% sure I hadn’t used it all up.

So, this time, I never e-mailed Lexmark, but when I had to put in an important assignment, I had to print of colour, so I had to buy more ink. I never e-mailed Lexmark this time, which was wro
ng of me, really.

So, a few weeks after buying that, guess what happened? Yep, it stopped working again, and now I’m stuck – I can’t print off coloured ink, only black. So, what’s the problem? And was there any ink left in the cartridge I sent back to Lexmark. Well, I’m shitting myself Agatha Christie killed of Poirot now, aren’t I?!


**The Appearance**

Lexmark, I find is one of the neatest printers. It’s not bulky; it’s not difficult to put paper in it; and a lot of the electrical aren’t on display. I find it very compatible as well, and you can easily hide it anywhere.

Like most printers, the Lexmark Z42 is grey, and goes with my monitor, computer and scanner! It has a nice logo of Lexmark Z42 on the front in a darker grey, and is rather attractive looking!

**Ease of Use**

Lexmark is very easy to use. It has a mere two buttons, one to switch on and off, and the other for a sign of low paper. The grey button (Low paper) will flash red when there is a low amount of paper in there. Then after putting more in, this button must be pressed.

The aqua button (on and off) is to switch the printer on and off. It will have a green light when it’s on, and no light at all when it’s off. If the printer makes a noise when it initially comes on, don’t be alarmed! All printers do this to get their equipment ready!

**Durability Of Printing**

Well, if you’ve ever owned a printer, you will know that colour ink always takes longer than black ink. If you’re printing a whole page of writing in 12 font off word, with black ink, this will take a mere 5-10 seconds to print at the most.

But, if this is in colour ink, it will take a lot longer, along the lines of maybe 30 seconds or more. The same goes with anything else – pictures, cartoons, etc, it all depends on the ink colour.

**Trustworthy?**
>
Well, I believed that Lexmark was one of the trustworthiest printers around. Like most printers, you can trust it to leave it and go and have a cuppa. You don’t have to watch it the whole time it’s printing, but with recent events, I have found it not to be as trustworthy.

For what has happened to me happen once is bad. But, to happen twice and then three times is outraogous. Also, it’s a real shocker that it happened. For 2 years there were no problems, and then out of the blue this happened.

At one time I totally trusted my printer with everything, but nmow this has happened I hold my cuppa and watch the BLACK ink printing!

**Value For Money**

Well, I got mine free in the package, as I said earlier, but I think you can buy the printer for around £100 by now without a package. I think this is a fair price, but if I had my time over, I’d buy another in the package.

This isn’t becauseo f the problems I’ve had – o.k, partly it is -, but the ink cartridges are so expensive. A lot of people I know buy ink for £4, and their printer is just as good as mine.

But, no, I have to go and pay almost £3o for a black ink cartridge, and over £35 for a colour cartridge. Daylight robbery? I think so.

So, I think the prices are a bit outrageous, and especially if they won’t work, like they haven’t with mine. You might as well steal money from my account, or charge me £50 for a chocolate bar!

**Customer Service**

As I said – Lexmark were a great help, and were very co-operative. They were understanding and helpful, and responded immediately to my e-mails and I got the free ink cartridge pretty soon.

But, I felt it might have been good of them to let me know what the results of the tests on the cartridge I sent them were. Was their ink left in it? Was it full? Would it have worked in another printer? See, this is where I would hav
e sent in Hercules Poirot – PI!!

If I had been told what the problem was, maybe it could’ve prevented me from wasting almost £100 on new cartridges. Was it inevitable what happened? I would’ve liked to have been told.

**Lexmark & Me**

Well, after a good relationship for two years, Lexmark let me down big time. I still don’t know what the problem is, but I will get to the bottom of it. Do all Lexmark customers have problems like this after a loyal two years?

It has a lovely appearance. It’s easy to use, and it has great customer service. But, I’m afraid that isn’t enough for me. I want a reliable printer that will do what it’s told, when it’s told, not print one colour and not the other.

6 months ago, I’d have given Lexmark 5 stars, easily, but with these problems, it goes down in my estimations, and down in the ratings! If I buy another printer – which I might have to – I wont get one of these again.

**All In All**

I’m afraid Lexmark let me down, and the cons out weighs the pros. Even though the cons are less than the pros, the cons are too large to let go of. Get me?!. So, Lexmark, lez mark crap on your printer, shall we?

Written By: Matt Roberts.

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