Why is printer ink so darn expensive?

If I want to buy ink for my printer I had best be ready to pay an arm and a leg for a little ink cartridge.

And it isn't because ink is particularly expensive - its because ink cartridge companies overcharge to ridiculous levels.

At Best Buy I find the following prices for ink for my Canon Pixma MX300...

Canon PG-40 Black Inkjet Cartridge (0615B02) 
Canon PG-40 Black Ink Cartridge is compatible with the Canon Pixma IP1600 photo printer.
$29.97

Canon CL-41 CMY Inkjet Cartridge (0617B002)
The Canon CL-41 Colour Ink Cartridge is compatible with the Canon Pixma IP1600 colour photo printer.
$39.99

So $69.96 for both.

If I go to Future Shop instead I find the following prices...

Canon PG-40 Black Inkjet Cartridge (0615B02)
Price: $34.99
Now Only: $34.99

Canon CL-41 CMY Inkjet Cartridge (0617B002)
Price: $39.99
Now Only: $39.99

So $74.98 for both. The colour ink at both locations is the same, but the black ink is cheaper at Best Buy.

HOWEVER!

$69.96 seems like a lot for two ink cartridges...

Especially when you can buy a brand new printer (with ink cartridges) for less - possibly even the same brand name as the ink you are seeking to purchase.

For example... Future Shop currently has an Epson printer for sale for $49.99. So you'd save about $20 + tax just by buying a new printer.

Ahem...

Or go to Best Buy... lots of sales to choose from. You can even get free shipping from either Best Buy or Future Shop if you order online.

If you pay attention to SALES regularly you can find cheap printers that are compatible with your current printer - and buy them just for the cheaper ink.

Now you might wonder WHY would I want to keep my current printer? Well in truth my current printer isn't that old - 1.5 years roughly - and it (Canon Pixma MX300) still works perfectly. Plus it is a scanner, fax machine and photocopier - so it has other uses compared to generic ink printers.

Although I must admit some of the Canon printers are wireless - which makes it tempting to have two printers available.

Also another complaint... the BestBuy.ca and FutureShop.ca websites are rather slow today. Appalling from companies that are supposed to be reputable.

But it all comes back to the idiocy that printer ink is more expensive than a new printer.