Epson responds: Deactivated printers are now to be repaired

Just a few days ago we reported that manufacturer Epson simply deactivates fully functional devices for security reasons. Now they are apparently relenting and putting the repair of inkjet printers in the foreground.

Epson printer: repair instead of garbage

Epson had come under criticism just a few days ago. The reason was that the manufacturer had simply deactivated some fully functional printers. With a hard “End of Life” code in the printer software shone on devices with a full ink sponge the indication that these had reached the end of their period of use, whereupon the devices were deactivated and can no longer be used.

Now the manufacturer is apparently relenting. The corresponding help page of the manufacturer has been adjusted and now focuses on repairing the devices instead of shedding light on disposal.

Epson provides instructions on how to repair the printers in the updated website. The previous, one-time solution of simply resetting the counter reading with the help of a reset program remains in place.

Henceforth, however, those affected, at least in the U.S. and Canada, should contact customer service for information on “Epson’s low-cost ink sponge replacement service”, which offers shipping and handling to and from the manufacturer.

Local and certified technicians could also be used to replace the sponges while customers who find that corresponding printers no longer meet their requirements should use the recycling program.

Printers are still being shut down

In any case, you should still not lay hands on affected Epson printers yourself. Although this, according to several YouTube videos, is a matter of a few minutes of work and should not be a problem even for laymen.

Also, the deactivation of the devices still seems to take place in the same framework as before. Affected printers of the L360, L130, L220, L310 and L365 model series thus still offer an internal counter reading that, once it reaches a certain value, simply turns the printers off.

Regardless of whether the devices still print reliably or not. In any case, the manufacturer focuses on sustainability aspects several times and refers to the offered repair services several times.

We have already told you what you should look out for when buying a printer in our tutorial, and another guide explains whether you can still use expired printer cartridges.