Users to pay price for Samsung green plan

Penton: it makes financial and environmental sense

Samsung has joined other vendors and launched its own trade-in scheme for old or obsolete printers ­ but users must bear the cost.

Anthony Penton, head of marketing at Samsung’s print division, said the aim was to boost sales by giving end users a chance to save money while helping the environment.

“It makes financial and environmental sense,” Penton said. “End users go to our web site, say what they are trading in and what they want to buy and then get a cash-back quote. Then they post the printer to the recycling centre.”

Customers can send back any make or model, in return receiving cash directly into their own bank accounts, as long as they buy a new Samsung printer.

“It is up to the customer to select the preferred handler, although if necessary [recycling centre] RDC can arrange collection,” said Penton.

End users have the responsibility of packaging and delivering old printers to RDC’s central Essex returns hub. He could not say how much this might cost the customer.

“It is not possible to give an average cost because there are so many variables, including size and weight of printer, method of delivery and distance,” said Penton.

The scheme will be rolled out across Europe and will run until at least 31 July 2010, complemented by other initiatives such as Samsung’s zero-per-cent financing plan.

However, Gartner’s senior research analyst on print markets, Tosh Prabhakar, said the legwork needed might put businesses off.

“It should be simple and quick,” he said. “Such schemes will only work if you shift the responsibility to the vendor or channel partner.”