Kodak Easy Share Printer - Modern Bait and Switch

[tplyons]

I've seen enough commercials for this thing, and Richard Karn has sold out. You know the commercial, where he's on a cherry picker above the entrance to the Kodak Theater dropping photos over the edge...

Well, I decided to look it up... and yes, the printer is cheap, the ink is cheap, but I found out that it will only print photo quality prints on Kodak branded paper, which is unbelievably expensive! Turns out it will only do draft quality on other brands of photo paper.

I'm astounded that this kind of stuff is still going on in the world... something like 70% of the reviews on Amazon were under two stars. Don't people realize that scams will get out? No matter how much you advertise?

Thoughts on this bait and switch?

[f'nar f'nar]

Modern day bait and switch? Try the 'Final Fantasy: Spirits Within' movie.

[superbassman2000]

thats not really bait and switch but it is a ripoff

bait and switch is if they advirtised the kodak printer really cheap and when you got there they didn't have them, but offered a different printer instead

[tplyons]

Originally Posted by superbassman2000

thats not really bait and switch but it is a ripoff

When they sell you a printer on the notion of saving money for a high quality print, they're selling a lie.

When this information is not disclosed anywhere on the packaging or the advertisements that the high quality prints require expensive Kodak paper, they're selling a lie.

[superbassman2000]

i understand haha i am just being difficult and arguing semantics

[hbarcat]

Originally Posted by tplyons

When they sell you a printer on the notion of saving money for a high quality print, they're selling a lie.

When this information is not disclosed anywhere on the packaging or the advertisements that the high quality prints require expensive Kodak paper, they're selling a lie.

I don't know the details of this printer but I do know that there are laws which prohibit advertising a product as having a certain functionality which it does not possess. I believe the standard is if a reasonable person would conclude from the advertisement that the product will perform in a certain way without having to purchase an upgrade and it fails to do that then this is false advertising.

The tricky part is deciding what a reasonable person would conclude. Contrary to popular belief, the courts aren't usually willing to cut advertisers much slack in this area and if Kodak is indeed misrepresenting their product through omission then they may have to cough up some money and people may get some refunds.

[tplyons]

Originally Posted by hbarcat

I don't know the details of this printer but I do know that there are laws which prohibit advertising a product as having a certain functionality which it does not possess. I believe the standard is if a reasonable person would conclude from the advertisement that the product will perform in a certain way without having to purchase an upgrade and it fails to do that then this is false advertising.

The tricky part is deciding what a reasonable person would conclude. Contrary to popular belief, the courts aren't usually willing to cut advertisers much slack in this area and if Kodak is indeed misrepresenting their product through omission then they may have to cough up some money and people may get some refunds.

The website says that it will automatically detect this good Kodak paper and adjust the quality accordingly. But it doesn't mention that it won't do good quality on other paper, and is not adjustable by the user.

It all appears legal, but very underhanded.