FAQ
(Frequently Asked Questions)


First contact point for general handling of purchased cartridges and for problem prevention can be found on our enclosed information sheet.


General cartridge questions:
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+ Why are compatible and original cartridges not labelled the same?
Our cheap and compatible cartridges or toner sometimes have different names. This is not a problem, since the names are only an orientation guide for identification. A Canon cartridge CLI-551 can also be called C551 or similar and simply stands for "Canon". If you are still not sure whether you have received the right cartridge or toner, we will help you by mail or in a phone call.

+ How do the cartridge or toner fillings "normal", "XL" and "XXL" differ?
The normal fillings are based on the filling quantities of the original manufacturers, but these are usually only filled to 50%, unless a higher filling is specifically indicated. The designations XL and XXL are filling quantities which the cartridge tank basically provides. Our cartridges are generally filled to the maximum, even if this is not explicitly indicated by an XL or XXL.

+ Why does my ordered cartridge or toner not fit into the printer?
This can have various reasons. Please make sure that any protective packaging, such as ventilation strips or plastic clips, have been removed carefully and carefully (see "Why does the ink leak before I insert the cartridges?" for details). The protective packaging prevents leakage before inserting the cartridges or reduces other transport damage. If all this is guaranteed, it remains to be checked whether you either ordered the right cartridges and received the wrong cartridges or simply ordered the wrong cartridges. Sometimes even when inserting the cartridges something jams or it needs a little more pressure to pierce the plastic at the end of the cartridge (e.g. HP 950/1 cartridges).
For toners, please also check that you have received the correct toner and that all plastic covers or protective strips have been removed. If you are using a printer that requires an image drum (often found on Brother), make sure that it is available and that it is the correct drum. If you have any further questions, please contact our customer service.

+ Why is my cartridge or toner cartridge not recognized by my printer?
From time to time, the printer may not immediately detect compatible cartridges or toner and therefore refuse to print with non-original cartridges. As a first measure, please proceed as follows:
1. disconnect the printer completely from the power supply for about 10 seconds (just switching it off is not enough)
2. then remove the cartridges or toner from the printer and reinsert them
3. check the cartridges for impurities on the contacts (cartridge chip and the counterpart in the cartridge cart/box) - in case of toner, shake it carefully so that the toner powder is properly distributed
Other causes that can lead to non-detection are the following:
4. correct cartridge, but outdated chip, wrong region code or wrong chip (example: Canon PGI-550 and PGI-570 are identical in construction, but use different chip technology) Check here if you have ordered the right cartridges or if you have received the wrong cartridges.
5. you have knowingly or unknowingly made or allowed updates to your printer (firmware update on the printer or software update on your computer). Please inform yourself online how you can avoid these updates in the future. If you still have the original driver CD for the printer, please reinstall this driver. Often this already solves the problem.
6. rarely once the chip is damaged during transport due to improper storage or heat differences (in winter you should give the cartridge or chip 24-48 hours to slowly adjust to room temperature).
If you have not found a quick solution here, please contact our customer service.

+ Why does my ink cartridge not lock properly?
This may be due to the fact that the plastic clip was compressed during transport due to improper securing of the package. Carefully and gently press the plastic nose slightly outwards and avoid bending over the plastic clip, as it can easily break off. Reinsert the cartridge. In most cases the clip will now exert enough pressure to make the cartridge snap into place.

+ Why are my cartridges only 75% full?
Some types of cartridges can be completely filled, others not. A complete filling can put too much pressure on the sponge and thus lead to unwanted leakage. If you are used to a maximum filling from previous orders and you have the feeling that the cartridges have not been filled properly, please send us a picture of the sealed cartridge by email and contact us by phone afterwards.

+ What do I do with my empties?
We cannot reuse empty cartridges and toner, so we cannot take them back. Please dispose of them in the designated way. We ask for your understanding.

+ What is the difference between dye and pigment ink?
Depending on the manufacturer, either dye inks, pigment inks or mixed variants are used. Canon, for example, often uses a mixed version, Epson, Brother and HP tend to use dye inks. However, this can also vary according to the type and purpose of the printer. With dye inks, dyes are dissolved in the liquid and unfold their advantages especially in photo prints and are characterized by strong and brilliant colors. Dye-based inks take longer to dry and always run the risk of smearing and over time they lose their color intensity. Pigment inks are less color-intensive, but dry much faster and retain their color longer. Another point is that this ink allows sharper and more accurate prints. There are clear advantages here for document printing.

+ Why does the ink leak before I have inserted the cartridges?
It is important to first remove the vent tape on the cartridge completely and make sure that no adhesive remains on the cartridge or the vent recess. Adhesive residues prevent the ventilation channel from being completely free and thus the ink is not properly sucked in). If your cartridge also has an orange (or other) protective clip, turn the cartridge upside down and remove it carefully and carefully. If the protective clip is removed before the vent strip, paint may drip out immediately or splash out if there are differences in temperature. We inform about this procedure in advance in every delivery on our enclosed information sheet. Then turn the cartridge upside down, remove the plastic clip at the bottom of the cartridge and then insert the cartridge into the printer.

+ Why does my cartridge carriage make such strange noises after inserting the cartridges?
Cartridges are only containers for ink and have no influence on the mechanical processes in the printer or the cartridge carriage.

+ Why is the print image bad with print heads?
A bad print image on a print head is most often caused by a clogged or dried up nozzle. This can be the case after only 3-5 days. Please clean the print head several times after you have inserted a cartridge for the first time. Check beforehand whether the ventilation strip (if present) has been removed. If the nozzle cleaning program does not solve the problem, please contact our support.

 

Store Handling/ Ordering:
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+ Where can I find information about my order?
You can get more information about your order in 2 different ways. The first way is the order confirmation via email, which contains all data and information again (e.g. address or payment link). The other way to get similar information is to log in to your store account and view the data under "My orders".

+ How do I change my password?
First log in to our store with your email address and your current password. Then select the option "My account" in the top bar. Now you have the choice between several change options. Now select the item "Change password". Now enter your previous password, choose your new password and confirm this again in the line below.

+ How can I change the address in my customer account?
First log in to our store with your email address and password. Then select the option "My account" in the top bar. Now you have the choice between some change options. Now select the item "Address book". Here you have the possibility to change the delivery and billing address for future orders (for already paid and possibly shipped orders this is not possible afterwards). Your old address is still stored, but you can now choose where the package should go in the future.

+ How do I find out if my order has been received if I have received an error message?
If maintenance work is carried out on our store, sometimes orders cannot be completed. The completion can also not take place if your internet line (bandwidth) is subject to strong fluctuations at this time. Simply check whether you have received an order confirmation from us by e-mail (check your spam folder as well). If nothing was deposited there, simply contact our customer service and we will help you.

+ Can I also pick up my order on site?
If you live near our warehouse, you are welcome to come by during our storage times. Please give us a short call beforehand so that we can check whether the desired goods are in stock and since our warehouse opening hours can vary greatly

+ Why have I not received an order confirmation?
If you did not receive our order confirmation, this may be due to the fact that our email landed in your spam folder. To avoid this in the future, please add service@start-europe.de to your contacts/address book. If there is no email from us in your spam folder, please contact our customer service and we will check your case and help you further.

+ What is the fastest payment method for shipping my order?
Regardless of the payment method, our orders will be processed as soon as possible after receipt of payment. Within this framework, the payment methods "Paypal" and "Sofortüberweisung" are among the fastest, as the money or the confirmation of receipt of payment will appear immediately. The dispatch with payment in advance can be slightly delayed due to payment bookings (especially after 5 pm or on weekends). Orders that are received by us as paid until 14:00 o'clock will be shipped the same working day.

+ Why is my voucher code not accepted?
A voucher code will not be accepted if it is
- has expired,
- only applies to a specific product line and the selected cartridges do not apply to it,
- the conditions for redemption were not met (offer: 3 for the price of 2, but only 2 items selected)
- the code was entered incorrectly or
- there is a technical problem. In such a case please contact our customer service.

+ How many vouchers can I redeem at the same time and how long are they valid?
Only one voucher can be used per order. If there are more than one voucher to choose from, please choose the one that makes the most sense for you. Our vouchers have different validity periods. If they are issued as part of the newsletter, they are bound to the data stored there. Vouchers for newsletter registration can be redeemed once and lose their validity only when redeemed or when you unsubscribe before they are redeemed.

+ How do I unsubscribe from the newsletter if I no longer wish to receive it?
Every newsletter has an unsubscribe link at the end, which automatically carries out the unsubscription by clicking on it.

+ Why does my printer not work after I have inserted your cartridges, even though it has been running for years? Your previous cartridges have not caused any problems.
Unfortunately, current printers are not designed to last forever. They are also subject to constant wear and tear and must be carefully maintained to extend their lifetime. In this context, newly used cartridges cause printers to initialize and prepare them for use (e.g. identification and suction of ink from the new cartridge). If the printer has not been used for a longer period of time (more than 3 days), the ink in the ink channel of the printer to the print head may already have dried up. This can occur more often, especially with inexpensive printers (less than 150€). Unfortunately we have no influence on wear and tear or already existing contamination.

service:
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+ Why don't you reply to my emails?
We answer all eMails. Please check once if our email has landed in your spam folder. Otherwise there is probably a technical problem. Then simply contact our customer service and we will help you.

+ Can I change my order afterwards?
Unfortunately you cannot change your order afterwards. However, in some cases our service team can help you. However, this is only possible if the order process is not too far advanced.

+ Do I have to pay shipping costs for my return?
If the reason for a return is due to an error on our part, you do not have to pay any shipping costs. However, please do not return goods to us without being asked and without prior agreement. Freight collect shipments will be rejected on principle. If there are other situations, please contact our customer service in confidence. We will be happy to help you and provide you with all necessary information for the return.

+ What do I do in case of a double payment on my part?
Please contact us by telephone at short notice and we will check a suspected double payment. If we can confirm this, we will arrange a refund within a few days.

+ Are individual denominations possible?
If you place an order with us by phone or e-mail, we can customize the denomination within a cartridge set.

+ Why has my package not arrived yet?
This can have various reasons such as:
- the parcel service has not found you and (k)a card has been deposited,
- the parcel service has delivered the package to a neighbor who forgot to inform you,
- the deposited address is incorrect, incomplete or the corresponding mailbox is difficult to access or cannot be found,
- the package is still in the delivery process (the parcel service has delivery problems which lead to time delays, e.g. busy nodes and distribution centers)
- the parcel service has lost the package
- your shipment was not yet complete, we have tried to contact you by email or phone
Unfortunately we have no influence on transport problems or the behaviour of the parcel service staff. Please contact our customer service in any case, we will be happy to help you and check the tracking of your shipment.

+ A cartridge from my last delivery leaked in the protective case, what can I do?
Send us a picture of the cartridge(s) and contact us by phone. Unfortunately cartridges are occasionally damaged during transport, unfortunately we have no influence on this. We will take a look at the problem and help you without any complications.

+ My cartridge or ink cartridges do not print correct colors, how can I find out which color does not print correctly?
Many printers offer a test program by default, which prints a test page where you can see the missing colors. You can then locate the appropriate cartridge and check it. Due to wear or contamination, the ink suction sometimes does not work properly. We will be happy to send you a test page (in pdf format) that shows the missing color. Print out this page a few times to clean the print head and allow the ink to flow properly again. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any further questions. Simply contact our customer service.