High demand blamed for HP ink cartridge shortage

Hewlett Packard (HP) is desperately building up its manufacturing of ink cartridges for its 610 consumer printer after over-demand caught it on the hop.

Hewlett-Packard (HP) is desperately building up its manufacturing of ink cartridges for its 610 consumer printer after over-demand caught it on the hop.

The vendor expects to resolve its supply problems in the next two weeks after being alerted to the problem. Retail giant Dixons, its PC World subsidiary and several resellers are reported to have been affected by the shortage.

Claire Dover, a Computer Reseller News reader, said she had been informed by two Dixons' stores and one PC World outlet that they did not have ink cartridges for the 610 printer in stock because of a worldwide shortage.

Dover said she had also been told by a HP customer services agent that there was a "problem with supplies".

Paresh Tanna, managing director of HP reseller Talkdata, said he had also experienced problems in getting hold of "most of HP's cartridges".

He said delivery was also problematic, with supplies being delivered up to five weeks after orders were placed.

But resellers Eximedia UK, Micro Anvika and Platinum Solutions all said they had "loads of them on the shelves".

Paula Palmer, supplies product manager at HP, said the problem had occurred because demand for the 610 printer had been "a lot higher than anticipated".

"But we are aware of the problem and are ramping up production at the moment," she said.

Palmer said the problem was expected to be resolved within the next two weeks. She denied that there was a shortage of ink cartridges for any of HP's other printers.