Are You Unwittingly Buying Stolen Toner Cartridges?

Recently, we discussed the risks associated with counterfeit printer cartridges – cartridges that are manufactured to look like the real deal but that produce less-than-stunning results. These cartridges retail for a fraction of the RRP of normal ink or toner cartridges and pretty much look like identical to an OEM cartridge albeit with some subtle giveaway aesthetic differences.

However, there are instances where you can pick up toner and ink cartridges for a fraction of the average retail price and it’s genuine. How could this be?

One possibility is that you’re buying from an extremely generous and not particularly savvy retailer, upset with the cost of printer ink and willing to send themselves into financial oblivion to sell printer cartridges below cost price.

The other, more likely, possibility is that the cartridges have been stolen. Ink and toner cartridge theft is commonplace, with thieves often reselling stolen cartridges to unsuspecting customers for cut-price fees. As they haven’t paid for the cartridges in the first place, any money they can make from stolen cartridges is profit.


Who Benefits From Stolen Toner Cartridges?

By this point you’re probably imagining men in bandanas driving vans up to warehouses in the dead of night and grabbing as many cartridges as they can but surprisingly, a good deal of toner cartridge theft is carried out by office workers and company employees.

This isn’t just a case of a worker plundering the office supplies cupboard, grabbing a few cartridges and stuffing them in their jacket either; cartridge theft is often carried out by using company accounts to purchase an excess of printer cartridges. As companies often spend large amounts on toner anyway, the extra expenses can go unnoticed for months, or even forever.

But how much money can someone make from stealing a few cartridges from the office, really? Well, as it turns out, enough to purchase a BMW, a Rolex and fund opulent trips to Vegas and Orlando – at least in the case of Adrian Rodriguez, a clerk at a law firm in New York who stole and sold more than $375,000 (around £290,000) worth of toner cartridges.

That’s nothing compared to Marques Gumb, also of New York, who managed to pilfer a whopping $1.5million (around £950,000) worth of cartridges from a hospital. His toner swiping wasn’t worth it in the end though as he was sentenced to 2 – 7 years in prison for his crime. And had to give back all of his ill-gotten goodies too.

It goes without saying that, with figures as big as those outlined already, criminal gangs are also keen to get a slice of the pie, with the illicit profits of cartridges going towards funding other criminal operations.


How Can You Tell If You’re Buying A Stolen Toner Cartridge?

The first, and most obvious, thing to note is the price; if it seems excessively low then express caution. Also note the retailers address – while there are plenty of successful online-only operations, most will have some kind of business address where they store their cartridges and goods. If the retailer you’re purchasing from can only provide a home address then consider looking elsewhere.

Other giveaways can include a poor quality website or only selling through a third party website such as eBay. Again, there are plenty of legitimate sellers on auction sites but there is the occasional bad seller that slips through the net.

The best thing to do is to stick to buying from sellers with proper accreditation and good testimonials. With remanufactured toner cartridges and reliable refill services, Cartridge World offer cheap printing without moral or legal implications!