You can’t use this Staples coupon anymore, because it’s expired since reader Chris sent it to us. That probably doesn’t matter in the long run, because you can’t use the coupon on ink cartridges from HP or Epson. “I’m guessing HP and Epson account for 85% of all printers out there,” writes Chris. That seems high, but those are two major brands in the industry.

Here’s the coupon that he received, as a mobile phone screen grab:

As of 2013, the Digital Peripherals Solutions Consulting Service estimated that HP and Epson together had about 65% of the inkjet printer market. It’s a bit unfair to customers to have an ink sale that excludes ink for almost two-thirds of the products on the market.

HP and Epson probably have agreements with retailers that explicitly keep their products out of sales like this. Those agreements are sort of why people dislike the ink and toner industry so much to begin with.

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