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Frequently Asked Questions

Did you know that most printer manufacturers sell their printers at discount prices? This is to get you to purchase their ink jet or toner cartridges. They recognize the purchase of a printer is a one-time sale, but that you'll be purchasing ink or toner cartridges over and over again.

123 Refills focuses on saving our customers money, all the while offering quality products and excellent customer service. Whether you want to refill your own cartridge, or buy a professionally remanufactured cartridge, at 123 Refills we're all about giving our customers options.

123 Refills offers many options such as remanufactured / compatible cartridges, refill kits and more. What product is right for me?
What is a "remanufactured / compatible" cartridge?
What is a "refill kit"?
What is a "continuous ink system"?
Does using your cartridges, CIS systems or refill kits damage my printer? Does it affect my printer warranty?
Will using Uni-Kit ink refills clog my print heads?
How many refills will I get from 1 refill kit?
Is the refill process messy? Is it safe?
Will Uni-Kit ink or toner refills work with my specific printer?
How can you afford to charge such low prices?
How can I order?
What if I am unhappy with my order?
How long will it take for my order to arrive?
What countries do you ship to?
How much is the charge for Shipping and handling?
Am I safe using my credit card on your site?
Why is the ink or toner in my refill bottle not filled to the top of the bottle?
I have a different question, how do I contact you?

1. What product is right for me?

At 123 Refills, we offer a variety of options for our customers. Whether you want to refill your own cartridges at home, whether you are a professional remanufacturer, or whether you just want a cartridge that's ready for use, 123 Refills offers something for everybody. We make it easy for you to find what you're looking for - simply use our easy navigation system from our left menu to first choose your printer brand, then choose from your specific printer model or cartridge model to see what we have that is compatible for your printer or cartridge.

We typically have 3 types of customers:

No hassle / make it easy for me type of customers (TYPE 1)
I dont mind getting my hands dirty, I want to do my own refills type of customers (TYPE 2)*
Professional grade remanufacturers (TYPE 3)

For inkjets, we offer a variety of product options:

Inkjet Cartridges (professionally refilled, ready for use) - recommended for TYPE1 customers -
Ink Refills / Accessories (professional grade inks, refill tools and instructions) - recommended for TYPE2 or TYPE3 customers -
Continuous Ink Systems (ready to use systems prefilled with ink) - recommended for TYPE1 or TYPE2 customers who do a lot of printing -
Refill equipment (for large scale remanufacturers) - recommended for TYPE3 customers -

For toners, we also offer a variety of product options:

Toner Cartridges (professionally refilled, ready for use) - recommended for TYPE1 customers -
Toner Refills / Accessories (professional grade toners, refill tools and instructions) - recommended for TYPE2 or TYPE3 customers -
Refill equipment (for large scale remanufacturers) - recommended for TYPE3 customers -

* TYPE2 customers please note:
It is important to realize that any perceived “quality” or “defect” issues with these products are usually the result of a defective cartridge that is being refilled, and not with the ink or toner that you are refilling into the cartridge. If (before you refill your cartridge) your cartridge is already printing with streaks, smudges or lines, or if the cartridge’s print heads have dried considerably due to non-use (for inkjets), your cartridge is basically already defective or exhibiting signs of defect, and “refilling” it will not bring it back to life. Don’t expect our refills to perform miracles – they are intended to refill functional cartridges. It is always recommended to refill an inkjet cartridge BEFORE it completely empties and while it is still printing well, or very soon after it empties so the print heads don’t dry beyond repair. For toner cartridges, these have multiple moving parts that do wear out and affect quality. Our refills are intended to provide the same quality prints as the last few pages that your cartridge printed before you refilled it.

2. What is a "remanufactured / compatible" cartridge?

This is a ready-to-use cartridge, which has been remanufactured using our proprietary formulas and methods, and finally tested to be similar to the original cartridge in quality and page yield. The remanufacturing process for each cartridge differs, but in general every cartridge is remanufactured through our 3 step process:
1) CLEAN (old ink or toner is evacuated, print heads and other reusable components are cleaned using proprietary formulas and equipment)
2) REFILL (every cartridge is filled to the maximum capacity, and in the case of toner cartridges most moving parts such as drums, blades, rollers and other parts are replaced with new ones)
3) TEST (this is the final phase, and ensures that when we sell you a cartridge, that cartridge has been physically tested on a printer to ensure that it will perform to the quality expectations that you and we have)

3. What is a "refill kit"?

We sell 2 types of refill kits (inkjet and toner). These are do-it-yourself type products that come with ink (or toner), tools, and instructions for you to refill your own cartridge (see each refill kit item description for specific details). Refill kits are not for everyone. Although we have a 99%+ customer satisfaction rate with these products, it is important to realize that the quality of a refilled cartridge is dependent on more than just the ink or toner that you put into it. Most quality issues with refilling cartridges are a result of quality issues with the empty cartridge that is being refilled, and not with the ink or toner that you are refilling into the cartridge. If (before you refill your cartridge) your cartridge is already printing with streaks, smudges or lines, or if the cartridge’s print heads have dried considerably due to non-use (for inkjets), your cartridge is basically already defective or exhibiting signs of defect, and “refilling” it will not bring it back to life. Don’t expect our refills to perform miracles – they are intended to refill functional cartridges. It is always recommended to refill an inkjet cartridge BEFORE it completely empties and while it is still printing well, or very soon after it empties so the print heads don’t dry beyond repair. For toner cartridges, these have multiple moving parts that do wear out and affect quality. Our refills are intended to provide the same quality prints as the last few pages that your cartridge printed before you refilled it.

4. What is a "continuous ink system"?

Our continuous ink systems (also referred to as CIS systems) are the perfect solution for the customer who does higher volume printing with inkjet printers, for example someone who prints a lot of their own brochures, presentations, photos etc. Typically, if you go through more than 1 set of cartridges per month, you should seriously consider our continuous ink systems. They are designed to work with most of the popular Epson and Canon inkjet printers, and we are slowly releasing new models for HP. To find if we have a continuous ink system for your printer, see our continuous ink system page.
A lot of our customers even buy their printers based on whether we support it with a continuous ink system. Our CIS systems are prefilled with high quality UV resistant ink, and take only 5 minutes to install into your printer. They come with easy to follow installation instructions, and once set up - they just keep on going. The systems come with the equivalent of 5-10 cartridges worth of ink (PER COLOR), so they will last you a very long time. And when you run out of ink, simply add more ink! We sell easy to use refill bottles which will refill the system at a fraction of the price. For most Epson and Canon printers, our CIS systems offer our customers the equivalent of $2 to $4 per cartridge, where the original equivalent cartridges usually cost $12 to $20 per cartridge.
The quality of our inks will blow you away.

5. Does using your cartridges, refill kits or CIS systems damage my printer?

In most printers, the ink or toner does not touch any internal parts of your printer, it only touches the cartridge. As regards your printer warranty, please read the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Improvement Act

United States Code Annotated Title 15 Commerce and Trade Chapter 50 Comsumer Product Warranties 15 Section 2302

(c) No warrantor of a consumer product may condition his written or implied warranty of such product on the consumer's using, in connection with such product, any article or service (other than article or service provided without charge under the terms of the warranty) which is identified by brand, trade or corporate name; except that the prohibition of this subsection may be waived by the commission if: 1. The warrantor satisfies the Commission that the warranted product will function properly only if the article or service so identified is used in connection with the warranted product, and 2. the Commission finds that such a waiver is in the public interest.

What this means to you: The manufacturer of the printer you are using cannot void the warranty on your printer because you use a cartridge or refill kit manufactured by someone other than the printer manufacturer.

In short, NO - our cartridges and refills are guaranteed not to damage your printer.

6. Will using Uni-Kit ink refills clog my printer heads?

For inkjet cartridges: Print heads may become clogged if the cartridge is left empty for an excessive period of time. It is always best to refill before the cartridge empties or soon after it empties. Clogged print heads can be unlcogged most of the time by soaking the cartridge print heads in our "cartridge and print head cleaner" solution for a few hours. As long as you refill your cartridge soon after it empties (preferably even before it is completely empty), you will minimize the risk of clogged print heads almost to 0%.

For toner cartridges: There are no print heads like the inkjets so this is not a concern.

7. How many refills will I get from 1 refill kit?

This depends on the cartridges you have. With the combo Uni-Kit Inkjet Refill Kit you can refill your black and color inkjet cartridges about 3-7 times each on average. We recommend you refill HP, Dell or Lexmark cartridges up to 3-4 times, and Epson and Canon cartridges can be refilled multiple times and could even outlast your printer!

Some of the Uni-Kit Toner Refill Kits (such as Kits # 1 to #7) will give you up to 2 refills on laser toner cartridges, depending on the cartridge. Most of the cartridge specific refill kits by Uni-Kit yield at least 1 high capacity refill. Check the description of each product for more details.

8. Is the refill process messy? Is it safe?

The Uni-Kit refill kits are not messy if used carefully. The inkjet kit uses an injector system that allows you to accurately control the filling. The toner kit is as simple as 1-2-3 for most models (make a hole, fill with toner, close the hole). Generally, refilling an inkjet or a toner cartridge with the Uni-Kit systems should only take about 5 - 10 minutes.

For inks: The ink is not harmful unless ingested, so keep it out of reach of younger children and avoid contact with eyes. Wash affected areas with water, and if ingested or ill effects develop, call medical aid.

For toners: Much like the fumes released from gasoline in cars or from active or passive smoking or even from inert dust and chemicals in the environment, the exposure to fumes from toner or from burning a hole in the cartridge (when necessary) could of course be hazardous. To our knowledge, the average DIY refiller's exposure to fumes presents no significant health hazard in normal use. We recommend refilling in a well ventilated room or outside to minimize the exposure to fumes. For extra protection, wear a dust mask.

9. Will the Uni-Kit work with my specific printer?

For inkjets: The Uni-Kit inkjet refill kits and bulk inks will work with all inkjet cartridges. This is because all inkjet cartridges have a filling hole which can be exposed and used to refill that cartridge with more ink. The Uni-Kit has a specially designed ink that works in ALL inkjet printers with great quality results. For professional remanufacturers that want to buy more specific inks, those are available as well. The tools and instructions included cover ALL inkjet printer cartridges. Some cartridges however have chips, which need to be reset before the printer can accept them after being refilled. We sell resetters for most of these types of cartridges.

For toners: Uni-Kit offers special formulas (#1 to #7) which covers most of the black toner cartridges on the market. Uni-Kit also offers specific formulas for specific cartridge models. Search for your printer or cartridge model on this site to see which Uni-Kit refill kits are designed to work with your cartridge. If your cartridge is not listed, it may still be refilled with our kits. Please contact us for verification.

10. How can you afford to charge such low prices?

This is a common question! We save our customers such a significant amount compared to buying original cartridges, some people want to know if we make any money. We're in business to make a profit, but we're also in business to save you money - and to help the environment. We deal in volume. We'd rather make a little bit of money from each customer selling more products and saving more cartridges from landfills, than a lot of money from a few customers selling fewer products. Word of mouth is our best advertising. If we save you a ton of money and offer great service you're most likely to tell someone else.

11. How can I order?

You can order online, by phone, in store, or by mail. Click here for more info on order options.

12. What if I am unhappy with my order?

We strive for 100% customer satisfaction, and we're very close! If for some reason you are unhappy with your order, we offer a 100% guarantee. See our guarantee policy for details.

13. How long will it take for my order to arrive?

For online orders, we ship via USPS or UPS. You have an option at checkout to select the shipping method and time that makes most sense for you. We offer 2 day delivery options, 3 day delivery options, or 5 business day delivery options. For CA residents, shipping is almost always just 1 business day.
We even ship to PO boxes and APO/FPO addresses by USPS, which offers delivery on Saturday for no extra charge.

Canada and Mexico orders are sent by regular Air Mail and usually take 1-2 weeks.

Other international destinations usually take 1-3 weeks by USPS, or less than 1 week by UPS.

See our shipping policy for more details.

14. What countries do you ship to?

We ship worldwide. See our shipping policy for more details.

15. How much is the charge for shipping and handling?

USA: Free ground shipping on orders over $60. For orders less than $60, our shipping is a low flat rate of only $4.95 to contiguous US States and only $6.95 flat rate to other States (HI, AK, APO, PR, Guam). Most orders are delivered in 2-5 business days. UPS 2 day and 3 day guaranteed shipping options are also available.

Canada: Please visit 123 Refills Canada for low flat rate shipping of only CAD 5.99 or FREE SHIPPING on all orders over CAD 75.

Europe: Please visit 123 Refills Europe for low flat rate shipping of only EURO 4.99 on all orders

South Africa: Please visit 123 Refills South Africa for low flat rate shipping of only $4.99 on all orders

United Kingdom: Please visit 123 Refills UK for low flat rate shipping of only GBP 4.99 on all orders

See our shipping policy for more details.

16. Am I safe using my credit card to order from your site?

Absolutely. In fact you are safer ordering from our site than a lot of the big name companies. When you place your order it is transmitted via Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption to our secure server. Our guarantee protects you while you shop here, so that you never have to worry about credit card safety. We guarantee that every transaction you make will be safe. This means you pay nothing if unauthorized charges are made to your card as a result of shopping on our site. Our Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) 128-bit software is the industry standard and among the best software available today for secure online commerce transactions. It encrypts all of your personal information, including credit card number, name, and address, so that it cannot be read as the information travels over the Internet.

17. Why is the ink or toner in my refill bottle not filled to the top of the bottle?

We strive to provide our customers with the best deals in the market. In order to do so, we bottle our ink and toner formulas into standardized bottles. This means that we usually bottle several of our formulas in a one size fits all bottle. We do this to save on cost of creating a unique bottle for each and every toner refill we carry in our store. By doing this, we save on bottling cost, and when we save, you save.

Each of our toner refill bottles gives enough formula to provide you with one full refill of the toner cartridge you are currently refilling (unless we say otherwise). Therefore, if you notice that some bottles only have 1/4 or less of toner inside, this is the calculated amount needed to provide your cartridge with a full refill. A full refill should provide same page yield as the toner it is replacing for the current cartridge its made for. If your cartridge looks like it can physically hold more toner than we include in our refill bottles, do NOT force more toner into it as it will likely leak. The toner in our bottles will give you at least 1 high capacity refill, and its a bad idea to overfill a cartridge.

18. I have a different question, how can I contact you?

We are available for you from 9am - 5pm PST (M-F). See our contact info here.