Q&A

I'd like some help with a matter relating to a printer I bought under a lease and I now believe it wasn't new.

I exchanged an OKI printer about a year ago for an OKI managed service contract printer. The cost was around £2,500-£3,000. I was under no illusion that the printer would not be new and there were various other benefits which were of use. So I went ahead and signed the contract. However, when the printer was installed I realised at that point it was unlikely to be new - parts from my old printer they were taking away were used to assemble the "new" one. I then found out that the printer had done nearly 20k copies. I was told a load of rubbish about OKI recalling faulty toner drums - I assume because they forgot to install new ones and that was their way round it. The dealer has told me that the machine is NEW and not secondhand, it has apparently been in their showroom. I have tried an analogy of he wouldn’t buy a new car and then find there was 20,000 miles on the clock - he doesn't seem able to see my point and just says that these machines are made to last for a vast amount of copies! I have since confirmed with OKI that the printer was manufactured in June 2010, (and I believe around that date the model was discontinued) so therefore in June 2012 it could not have been a new one and I have also confirmed that there was no recall of faulty toner drums. As we have a lease it will cost us almost double the cost of the printer to get out of that. Basically if we were given a new machine as we understood we were purchasing then we would be happy. I have been doing business with the dealer for about 10 years and just can't understand why he has sold me a "pup"! We have been going backwards and forwards for about a year now in an attempt to get this sorted but I am getting nowhere. Unfortunately he seems to change his tack from one communication to another. I need some help here because I really don't know which way to turn. In normal circumstances I would contact the dealer but can't in this instance for obvious reasons. OKI have been very helpful but their advice is somewhat limited. The leasing company don't want to know about it.