Don’t Be Fooled By Counterfeit Toner Cartridges

For consumers and manufacturers, counterfeit toner cartridges are a costly problem. Manufacturers lose an estimated $3 billion in revenue each year to counterfeit products, according to the Imaging Supplies Coalition. But, for consumers, the price can be much higher. Fraudulent products—sold illegally as new, original Samsung toner cartridges—produce poor quality prints, experience very high failure rates, often don’t work at all, and can lead to potential printer damage.

How It Impacts You

Counterfeits look just like the real thing—but aren't. That means users aren’t getting the quality they expect from genuine Samsung printing supplies. Instead, counterfeit toner cartridges often lead to troublesome, and sometimes expensive, printing problems, such as:

• Poor quality prints: Degraded and/or inconsistent quality printouts with spotting, streaking, smearing, toner splatter, poor color quality and smudging
• More paper jams: Possible increase in paper jams after installing a counterfeit toner cartridge
• Damage to your printer: Toner powder leaks from poorly assembled counterfeit products and can create a serious mess inside your printer, contaminating key parts, staining clothes and causing machine failures that are expensive to repair
• Short cartridge life or DOA: Counterfeits often don’t work at all, and if they do, print far fewer pages than genuine Samsung cartridges

Tips to Identify Counterfeits

It can be difficult to tell the difference in packaging between counterfeit and genuine Samsung printing supplies. Genuine Samsung toner cartridges are always shipped with an intact, embossed security label with a 60-degree color-shifting feature. You can quickly check a genuine Security Label by using your finger to feel the embossed “Samsung” name on the label.

2007 & 2008 Security Label:

2009–Present Security Label with 2D Security Bar Code:

The security label also has special color-shifting features. It's easy to identify a fake: The base label color shifts with a 60-degree viewing angle (from white to blue/cyan), and the rolling “Samsung” text shifts from gray/cyan to gold. If color shift is not evident, item is counterfeit.

Here are some additional tips to keep in mind:

• Genuine Samsung toner cartridges are never shipped in plain white, brown or unmarked/generic packaging
• Genuine Samsung toner cartridges are always shipped in new, sealed packaging with an individual unit serial number and bar code
• Samsung only sells brand-new, full-performance replacement cartridges—never cartridges that are remanufactured, refurbished or refilled
• Avoid unfamiliar, unknown or “no-name” sellers and especially “cold-call” telemarketers—always buy from an authorized Samsung retailer or established Samsung dealer to reduce the risk of buying counterfeits
• Avoid a “too-good-to-be-true” price. Be cautious of an exceptionally low price or “one-time only,” offer on a Genuine Samsung toner cartridge
• If you are a reseller or dealer, we strongly suggest you avoid purchasing gray-market goods imported from outside the U.S.; these shipments often contain counterfeit cartridges mixed with genuine products, placing you at serious legal risk if you resell them to your customers

If you think you have purchased counterfeit toner cartridges, you may have discovered the following:

• A cartridge that is poorly assembled and may have pieces falling off or components that do not fit appropriately
• A cartridge that exhibits non-Samsung brand markings or another brand name
• A cartridge that, when opened, includes bar code or serial number/security labels loose inside

Protect Yourself

Frequently, fake or counterfeit toner cartridges goods are sold by “cold call,” telemarketers or those that possibly represent themselves as a Samsung employee or as having some sort of an official or authorized association with Samsung. In other cases, counterfeit toner dealers use internet auction or community-type web sites areas to sell fake toner cartridges.

You can help protect yourself against criminals selling counterfeit toner cartridges by noting the following warning signs:

• Samsung does not sell its toner cartridges directly to consumers through any telemarketing means; avoid any sellers representing themselves as calling from Samsung and offering “discounts,” or “special deals,” on toner cartridges. (You may call Samsung and verify the authenticity of any such call).
• Be wary of “Free,” offers by unknown sellers that require you to pay for “extras,” such as processing fees or expensive shipping and handling charges.
• Any high pressure sales tactics that demand you “order now,” or “order today,” to avoid a price increase, take advantage of a “special offer,” that expires soon, or scoop up a “closeout,” bargain “while supplies last.”
• Any sales tactics that demand you “order now,” to take advantage of a contest or sweepstakes drawing for a “Grand Prize,” prize such as a free cruise, new car, paid vacation, or large cash prize.
• Telemarketers who cannot provide a verifiable mail address, Web site URL, or bank and customer references.
• Any telemarketer that insists on only cash payments or cash-on-delivery offers, or any telemarketer that will only do business by having someone deliver the cartridge(s) and pick up the payment in-person.
• Internet or e-mail offers from unknown sources that have any of these warning signs.

If you have purchased a genuine Samsung toner cartridge for your printer or MFP before, you know approximately how much a new toner cartridge costs (You may also call Samsung and get a list price for your cartridge). As with most products, we suggest you be cautious and skeptical if you encounter an exceptionally low price—more than 15 or 20 percent less than you have paid previously. Sometimes counterfeit toner cartridges are priced similarly to genuine Samsung, however often fake toner cartridges are “discounted,” up to 35 or 40 percent below the typical retail price of a new Samsung cartridge. If the price you are being offered seems “too good to be true,” it probably is.

Protecting Our Customers

Samsung aggressively protects its customers with a dedicated, worldwide anti-counterfeiting program. In the last year alone, investigations have seized millions in counterfeit Samsung toner products worldwide.

To protect yourself and other customers from fraud and potential printing problems, report any suspicious incidents or offers by calling the Samsung Counterfeit Toner Hotline, 866-332-4160, if you believe you have been a victim of a counterfeit cartridge scheme.