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Epson Class Action Settlement

April 15, 2006 by debbie T | Printers

The class action suit against Epson America has been settled and here are the details.

If you purchased a qualifying Epson printer between April 8, 1999 and May 8, 2006, you are eligible to receive a $45 settlement. If your printer has been registered with Epson, you will automatically be sent a $45 e-credit to use at the Epson Store.

An alternative, is to fill out the claim form, and you can choose to receive a $25 check along with a $20 e-credit to the store.

If you do not want to register your printer with Epson, it is also possible to receive the settlement by filling out the claim form.

The whole gist of the lawsuit was due to Epson’s sneaky way of forcing you to change the ink cartridge even though there was still plenty of ink inside the cartridge. The lawsuit doesn’t require Epson to change their printer technology, but they will change their software and packaging to reflect a statement that an undetermined amount of ink is remaining in the cartridge even when the printer claims it is empty.

As of this morning, when I checked the official settlement web site, it was down due to high bandwidth usage. (snicker) When the web site does come back, you can find details at http://www.epsonsettlement.com.

Additional details can be found:

Personally, I am disappointed in my Epson CX5400 printer, and I doubt I will be purchasing another Epson printer again. As for this class action lawsuit, I have opted for the $25 check/$20 e-check alternative settlement and will be mailing my claim form next week.

UPDATE (May 6, 2007): I just received an email concerning the Epson settlement.

Claims Administrator
c/o Rust Consulting, Inc.
PO Box 1308
Minneapolis, MN 55440-1308

Per your request, this is to inform you about the Settlement Discount Code activation date for the Epson Ink Cartridge Cases. Codes will be active as of June 20, 2007 and valid for 12 months. This code will be redeemable at www.epsonstore.com.

If you have any further questions about the Epson Ink Cartridge matter, please visit www.epsonsettlement.com.

The direct link to the update on the settlement: http://www.epsonsettlement.com/Notice.htm

There are 52 comments

  1. Try the Canon printer. You’ll be impressed.

    Comment by Cindy L on April 20th, 2006

  2. Which Canon printer do you have, Cindy? Any recommendations?

    Comment by debbieT on April 21st, 2006

  3. Can the court force Epson to fix the problem with a software flash or software upgrade to the printers in question? Or is everyone who has one or more the printers in question stuck for the life of the printer with the throw away a half full ink cartridge problem?

    Comment by Kevin D on June 5th, 2006

  4. It looks like prior Epson customers are out of luck, Kevin! I don’t believe I will be buying Epson again! :(

    Comment by debbieT on June 7th, 2006

  5. I just checked the website this afternoon. I registered my printer once again. They should have this on file when you enter the information and you should get a prompt that says you printer is already registered with us. When I registered the printer again it did not take me to the estore or give me an instant $45 it says 10% off order. Ha Ha! So I guess I will mail in my claim form tomorrow. Deadline is June 22, 2006. I will never purchase another Epson printer again. I am considering and HP-Photo Printer. My sister has one and it is excellent.

    Comment by Alana S on June 12th, 2006

  6. Hey Alana, I think you misunderstood. The site isn’t set up to give an instant $45 credit. Whether you register online or mail in the form, you will receive the settlement by mail.

    Comment by debbieT on June 13th, 2006

  7. I am very frustrated to notice that the tiny cartridge of eplon inks indicate that they are empy well before the actually are. The inks are very expensive and should not be thrown out when the still indicate ther is something in them when shaken.

    Comment by Liora Codor on June 20th, 2006

  8. I have never been so disgusted with a printer. I gave up and purchased an hp and will never purchase another epson. It was a problem from the start.I have never purchased so many expensive ink carteriges and gotten so little printing.

    Comment by Retha on July 16th, 2006

  9. Had a friend read me my mail, blind left eye, cataracts in right eye, found out missed fileing dates on two epsons. Just can’t win. Why have a 90 day fileing period or even a fileing deadline at all. Well guess epson will join that list, lexmark, Hp, and xerox.On commonly known as “The Trash Can!!!’

    Comment by Blue on July 27th, 2006

  10. I received my code for the $45 credit, but when will we be able to use it? I called Epson and they told me months ago that it had not been set up yet. So do we get the credit or not? Does anyone know how to use it. I have 2 credits as I had one C82 that just quit printing even with full ink tanks. Now I am using the C64. Thanks for any help

    Comment by Joan on August 14th, 2006

  11. Hey Joan. Sorry I can’t help. I mistakenly wrote the wrong date on my form, so they refused my claim. I wrote 11/2006 instead of 11/2003. Dur!

    Obviously it is an incorrect date since it is in the future!

    Anyway, I had to dispute to the letter in writing, so we’ll see what happens.

    In the meantime, I guess just keep trying to use the credit on their site. Make sure you are typing in the correct numbers.

    I will never purchase an Epson again. I ended up purchasing a Canon Pixma MP 500 for $162 at Staples. It is discontinued, so the deal was cheap. So far so good. I will eventually write a new review article when I have used it for a bit.

    Comment by debbieT on August 16th, 2006

  12. Unlike most people from the above comments, I am thrilled with my Epson printer ( 1280) and have been using it for 4+ years for professional underwater photographs. The color and clarity of this printer far surpass anything else I have ever seen. In fact I am on my third printer ( I run them into the ground!!!) and have a spare in my garage as I think they are no longer available. A note*** even though the printer ink monitor says you are low on ink- the printer actually continues to run until either the color or black cartridge is completely empty. Then the printer stops and waits for you to replace it. I have had no problem replacing a cartridge even in the middle of an expensive large print. It causes no print defects and allows you to use the cartridge until it is empty. I only wish they were giving settlements based on the number of ink cartridges used as I go through about 60-70 a year easily!!!

    Comment by Donelle on August 28th, 2006

  13. The lawyers get 33 million and consumers are stuck again . They should have addressed the built in feature that disables the scanning mode when your ink is reportedly empty. This has nothing to do with printing. in addition the 45.00 must be spent at on time and no balance will be carried forward. So you have to reward epson by accepting their penaly and spending more money to benefit fully, and the problem eill not be corrected.

    Comment by Joe on October 25th, 2006

  14. I owned 2 epsons. The first didn’t have the chip, but I had to clear the jets endlessly each time I printed or powered up. it was horrible. Each time I went through the jet clearing process, it used up ink I finally gave up and used my Dad’s hand me down HP for a couple years with no problems. HOWEVER, I could not refuse a deal on a Photo 925 (39.00 with ink). I figured after so many years, maybe they had the clogging issues “CLEARED” up. Well, it still clogged, PLUS had the chip. A double kick in the cookies! I used my color ink twice at first, then not at all. I did continue using black. Although I never used my color and it showed full after my limited use, the epson software showed its ink level dropping until it finally was “empty.” Frustrated? Well, not only had I not used the color, but now it wouldn’t even let me use my black even though my black was full. Epson claimed a little ink was used each time you turn on your printer so that the ink does not dry up and clog the jets. So, then why are the jets clogged anyway? Intentional! Well, I used this new Epson for one month, then shelved it as a 39.00 lesson.

    I bought a Canon IP4000. Wow, this printer is incredible. So is the sofware. I liked it so much that I bought 2 more for my daughters. Of the 3 printers, not one problem after a year of service. I’ve even found generic ink for 1.50 a cartridge! Quality and reliability, Canon and HP.

    Th Epson debacle should be criminal, as well as civil. They knowingly stole from their own customers. The deception was paramount and positively intensional. If you own an Epson and are happy, then you either work for them or you have not experienced a real printer. Why is it acceptable to be robbed by corporate america? Sure, they had to settle the civil matter. But they stole. Customers were held hostage for ransom. Buy more overpriced ink, even though you have ink, or you’ll never print again!

    Criminal. It’s pathetic and sickens me. J

    Comment by J. Savarese on October 27th, 2006

  15. For those of you who elected the $45 credit, the agent who answered Epson Store’s 800 number informed me that the store credits will not be activated until Spring 2007.

    Comment by Jon Richards on November 14th, 2006

  16. Here it is Jan 7, 2007 I had 5 Epson printers all registered and no settlement of any kind received!!!!

    Comment by Wayne Bartosh on January 7th, 2007

  17. I submitted a claims form many months ago (4-17-06) and the receipt was confirmed. However, i never received my credit from Epson. Please advise. Gary

    Comment by Gary Cohen on January 28th, 2007

  18. A motion was filed January 11 contesting the class action suit. All rewards are on hold.

    Comment by Doug on February 25th, 2007

  19. My wife and I had two registered Epson printers, and sent in a claim form for each that was the option for $25 check and $20 e-store credit. We have not received a response of any kind. That was about a year ago now. Is there any update on this settlement, and shouldn’t we haven’t gotten a response of some kind? For those of you that received a response, how did it come? E-mail or regular mail, or phone call? Thanks!

    Comment by Dennis on April 15th, 2007

  20. After checking the settlement web site, it appears that an appeal has been filed, so it is on hold until further notice.

    http://www.epsonsettlement.com/Notice.htm

    Please check the above web site for up to date notices on the Epson Class Action suit.

    This could go on for a long long time. sigh :(

    Comment by debbieT on April 16th, 2007

  21. WRT message 12 from the 1280 user: I doubt that they’re really out of ink; the printer counts how much has been used and stops printing when the count says it should be empty; it has no other way of knowing.

    I bought a counter resetter to use when refilling cartridges; when the printer refuses to print any more, I reset the chip and go on printing until the cartridge stops supplying ink. Of course, that messes up whatever is printing at the time, but it’s better than throwing out all that expensive ink.

    Comment by Mark W on April 19th, 2007

  22. Update: I just received an email concerning the Epson settlement:

    Here is the direct link to the updated information on the settlement web site: http://www.epsonsettlement.com/Notice.htm

    Comment by debbieT on May 6th, 2007

  23. Yahoo! I received my settlement check and credit today.

    The check is for $25, and on the same paper, the Epson store credit code is listed.

    So, for those that opted for the credit and check, don’t throw away that check stub! The credit code is included on it!

    Comment by debbieT on May 29th, 2007

  24. One important observation, the store credit is not active until June 20, so it cannot be used until then.

    Comment by debbieT on May 29th, 2007

  25. does anyone know if this settlement is taxable?

    Comment by evelyn p on May 30th, 2007

  26. It could only be taxable if you gave them your social security number.

    Comment by debbieT on May 30th, 2007

  27. Epson ink packages do not have any statement of ink quantity on them, unlike HP and others. There is no way of determining what one is paying for or of checking the quantity of ink supplied. Isn’t this lack of net quantity of ink a breach of US consumer product labeling law? Is there any on-going lawsuit on this matter demanding that ink quantity be defined?

    Comment by randalp on June 3rd, 2007

  28. Can anyone give me the website where the $45 credit is usable?

    Also, I once had a problem with my RX500 where the ink levels dropped very quickly (like 10% per day. I contacted Epson Support and they sent me a software update and a free cartridge - and the cartridges have lasted a loooong time since the update was applied.

    The print quality of my RX500 has been excellent. I have had major problems with HP and bought a Lexmark once which never worked - I finally dropped it in the dumpster. Canon has been pretty good to me - they just didn’t have what I wanted when I bought the RX500.

    Comment by Kevin on June 22nd, 2007

  29. Hey Kevin,

    There is a link to the Epsonstore right on the settlement document.

    Comment by debbieT on June 22nd, 2007

  30. Okay. I have a settlement code. How do I redeem this discount? I’ve tried to place an order and find no option to use it.

    Thanks Jim

    Comment by Jim on June 24th, 2007

  31. Are you in the shopping cart? There is a text field to type in the code. Then you need to hit the apply button.

    You will then have to verify your last name and zip code.

    Once that is done, the discount is applied. I made my purchase last night, and had no trouble.

    Good luck!

    Comment by debbieT on June 24th, 2007

  32. Thanks. Is the code listed on the card I was sent? There is a number on the front. *****-**-*. I’ve tried again and get the same result.

    Jim

    Comment by Jim on June 24th, 2007

  33. No, my number didn’t have any dashes. Mine is a 10 digit code - It states “your Epson Store code is ##”

    And I didn’t receive a card, mine was attached to the check stub. Did you receive the full credit of $45? That could be the difference in code format. I received a check for $25 and a credit for $20

    The only advice is to call the Epson Store to place your order at 800-873-7766.

    Hope you get it figured out, and if you do, please post the results here, so others can learn from your experience.

    Comment by debbieT on June 24th, 2007

  34. Thanks, I’ll contact them. I’ve received only the card announcing the settlement. Nothing else.

    Jim

    Comment by Jim on June 24th, 2007

  35. I definitely will NOT buy another Epson. To date, I have not received my settlement payout, and it’s my understanding that the settlement does not require Epson to improve their printer ink reporting system.

    By the way, anyone curious about remainin ink levels when your printer stops should just open up a cartridge. Usually there is at least a quarter of the ink remaining.

    Comment by Debra Di Blasi on August 1st, 2007

  36. I sent my claim in and later after the settlement was finalized in court I got a response from Epson that my coupon code would be good after a certain date. But they never sent me any code and all subsequent inquiries have went unanswered. I personally think Epson is a rip off company. Even when I initially filed my rebate on my printer after purchase, they tried not to honor it. I had to argue for months to get them to finally send the rebate. Companies like this are ridiculous. Avoid Epson.

    Comment by Mickie Foster on August 9th, 2007

  37. I submitted a claims form over a year ago (4-17-06) and the receipt was confirmed. However, I still haven’t received my credit from Epson.

    Comment by Wayne Bartosh on September 6th, 2007

  38. My code does not work on their site.

    Emailed their help site and was given an 800 number to call.

    Spoke to Achmed in Indiastan and was told my number wasn’t in the Data base, but they will get back to me in 4 weeks.

    Fap Fap Fap

    Comment by Kevin on September 25th, 2007

  39. I used my settlement to purchase ink. What I got was old unusable ink–produced 2004–that should have been taken off their shelves at least 1 1/2 years ago!! I e-mailed them and was told I had to call their Tech Dept (long distance of course) because I had worked on my printer too long trying to find out why it wouldn’t print and was beyond their 30day guarantee period. Thru Tech I got to Customer Service and convinced them to replace the ink. Unbelievably I received ink that was 2 years older than the original order! Once again thru Tech I spoke to Customer Service this time insisting my money be returned (they won’t with ink purchases) She sent 2 orders of ink and assured me she would see that I got usable ink. Just got that order–production date of the 2nd replacement order was the same as the first replacement–ink produced as early as 2002!!! I’m going to try again tomorrow…They have recouped my settlement plus $28.of my own money and I still have a perfectly good but unusable printer…wish I’d never seen the law suit and had just purchased ink locally so I could see what I was buying–even though I have not in the past had a problem purchasing ink from them.

    Comment by June on October 11th, 2007

  40. I guess I’ll be the spoiler and share good news. I used the $45 to replace my 3 year old RX500 with a refurb RX700. I had to kick in about $90, but the RX700 works great and the ink seems to last longer than it did in the RX500 - which worked fine, but was getting old. My daughter wanted it. The only problem I had with the RX500 was support - their Tech Support didn’t know their own product, and the manual was poor.

    Comment by Kevin on October 11th, 2007

  41. June,

    Did you use your credit card to purchase the ink (at least the portion of the cost that you paid)?

    I would call my credit card cust service, and put in a dispute. I think you have 90 days (or it could even be 6 mos) to file a dispute on a charge. At least you will get your $28 back.

    Thanks everyone for their comments and feedback!!

    Comment by debbieT on October 11th, 2007

  42. I went for the $25 check option and never received a check. Rust Consulting administered the payouts and responded to my inquiry by stating that they don’t have any record that I ever sent in a claim form. Hmmm, there seem to be a lot of other people with that same problem. Phone rep was extremely rude and did admit that a lot of people’s claim forms were lost… blaming the post office because of the large amount of mail. Well… I think the post office always has a large amount of mail so I don’t see why the loss rate on settlement checks should be higher than average… which it appears to be. What a nice scam. Get the full settlement money from Epson and then conveniently lose the claim forms. Guess who keeps the excess. Someone should set up a listing of people who haven’t gotten their checks and then send the list to the attorney general in Rust’s state.

    Comment by Kanling on October 16th, 2007

  43. debbieT, I did use my credit card, but the charge was already paid by the time I installed the ink and found out how old it was. I have talked to Epson again as I mentioned and once again requested my money back. “James” submitted my request to the “gods” and I had to call back yesterday. Supposedly they have credited my card with my $58. plus the value of the $20. coupon and I should have the credit on my account in 1-2 weeks. We’ll see… Thanks for your interest.

    Comment by June on October 16th, 2007

  44. @ June, it doesn’t matter if you paid the charge or not, you can still dispute it. As long as you didn’t transfer that balance to a different credit card.

    One to two weeks???? Huh? Why so long to give a credit? I love that! It takes minutes to charge, but to credit, it takes forever. I would still talk to my credit card about a dispute. That way, the ball will be rolling, and if you don’t get the credit from Epson, you will already have the dispute in.

    @ Kanling: I can’t believe they blamed the Post Office. Yes, larger sums of mail have passed through their doors I am sure!

    Anyway, if you kept copies of your forms, isn’t there something they can do? As for the lawyers, when it comes to any class action, the ONLY winners are the lawyers. That is why I rarely participate in class action suits.

    Comment by debbieT on October 16th, 2007

  45. I have a copy. That doesn’t prove I mailed it by the deadline. The jerk at Rust consulting said he would investigate further if I could send him a post office receipt. (Knowing full well that nobody is going to drive to the post office, wait in line, fill out the forms, and pay the $6 for certified mail with receipt- all for a lousy $25 that wasn’t even a sure thing prior to the settlement.) I’m sending the copy to the Minnesota attorney general, though.

    Comment by kanling on November 27th, 2007

  46. Still awaiting more info on the Epson settlement for two printers. I wonder how this company can stay in business. Went back to using HP printers

    Comment by Ralph Taylor on December 14th, 2007

  47. The good Epson printers died with the Stylus 640/740 era. Since then I have had many truly abysmal Epsons, which were prone to print head blocks, informing you that there is no ink when there is 33% left! tubes falling off the pump assembly etc etc. Eventually bought a Canon MP170, which is truly excellent.

    Comment by Gary on December 25th, 2007

  48. OK last year it didn’t work. Now it doesn’t work again. I bet this e-store code thing is nothing but another scam. Luckily I opted for cash+credit otherwise I’d have lost all the cash. Now my CX4600 has been downgraded from a printer+scanner to a scanner only. Unfortunately, the new ink I put in I was only been printing < 20 pages and now I can’t even use the ink. Great job Epson. No more Epson inkjet for me.

    Comment by Kelvin on October 23rd, 2008

  49. I am sorry you are having such a hard time, Kelvin.

    It’s not a scam though, because I had no trouble at all w/ mine. Have you tried calling the customer service number at the store, or even the sales department?

    I really wish you luck, it sounds like you are having a really bad time w/ your printer and Epson in general!!!

    Comment by debbie T on October 23rd, 2008

  50. well, when I call the Epson representative, they said it already expired and there is nothing they can do to help. When I move back in May 2007, it didn’t work. Today it doesn’t. I guess I just missed the whole window.

    Comment by Kelvin on October 24th, 2008

  51. I’ve learned one thing about Epson printers - the Top End is GREAT, the lower priced models seem to be bad. I had an RX500, which I liked for 3 years. No ink problems. With the settlement I bought an RX700 - it uses very little ink (in over a year I’ve installed 2 black, one of each color).

    My nephews and sister all bought CX4600s - and they buy ink every week. They hate their printers.

    Comment by Kevin on October 24th, 2008

  52. Interesting Kevin, what you are saying makes sense. I am glad to hear you like your RX700

    Comment by debbie T on October 24th, 2008

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