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Brother Refresh EZ Print Subscription Service: Difference between revisions

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*No inkjet printers are currently eligible for the '''EZ-ARP''' yet Brother promotes "Ink & Toner Delivered Automatically" on the program page.
*No inkjet printers are currently eligible for the '''EZ-ARP''' yet Brother promotes "Ink & Toner Delivered Automatically" on the program page.


==Pay-Per-Cartridge <small>vs</small> Pay-Per-Page==
==Subscription Analysis==


=====Case Study=====
=====Case Study=====
[[File:MFCL2710DW EZ-Print.png|thumb|500x500px]]
[[File:MFCL2710DW EZ-Print.png|thumb|500x500px]]
Here we have used Brother's basis for their purported savings in the '''EZ-Print''' program:
To investigate Brother's claim for their purported savings in the '''EZ-Print''' program, we used the listed legal disclaimer as a basis for the setup:


#Mono Laser Printer: '''MFC-L2710DW''' <small><ref>[https://www.brother-usa.com/products/mfcl2710dw MFC-L2710DW Overview]</ref></small>
#Mono Laser Printer: '''MFC-L2710DW''' <small><ref>[https://www.brother-usa.com/products/mfcl2710dw MFC-L2710DW Overview]</ref></small>
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It should also be noted that:
It should also be noted that:


*the credit applies to additional page cost or any other consumable outside the plan limits, not subscription cost.
*the credit applies to any consumable or additional page cost outside the plan limits, '''not''' subscription cost.
*bonus toner is supplied once and as a 'back-up' in case the "plan" toner shipment does not arrive on time.
*bonus toner is supplied once and as a 'back-up' in case the 'plan' replenishment does not arrive on time.
*drum replacement is not specified by Brother as to availability, frequency or supply discretion. In the case study here, the MFC-L2710DW requires a '''DR730'''<ref>[https://www.brother-usa.com/products/dr730 Brother DR730 Product Detail]</ref> drum unit which Brother states has a life-span of 12,000 printed pages.
*drum replacement is not specified by Brother as to availability, frequency or supply discretion. In the case study here, the MFC-L2710DW requires a '''DR730'''<ref>[https://www.brother-usa.com/products/dr730 Brother DR730 Product Detail]</ref> drum unit which Brother states has a life-span of 12,000 printed pages.


======Printer======
======Printer======
The Brother printer chosen is the MFC-L2710DW. The main reasons for choosing this model for the case study are as follows:
The Brother printer chosen is the MFC-L2710DW. The rational for choosing this model for the case study are as follows:
*it is one of the most popular machines and has the highest number of reviews on the Brother eligibility list page.
*it is one of the most popular machines and has the highest number of reviews on the Brother eligibility list page.
*it has a sub $400 price point and is listed as eligible for the EZ Print Subscription program.
*it has a sub $400 price point and is listed as eligible for the EZ Print Subscription program.
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======Analytics======
======Analytics======
Analysis shows that laser printers are the most popular machine for everyday printing:
Market analysis shows that laser printers are the most popular machine for everyday printing:
*the average home office / small office user prints '''3.4 monochrome pages per day''' <ref name=":0">West, McDonald (July 20, 2018) [["2015, 2016, & 2017 User and Device Printing Statistics"]] ECISolutions.com. Retrieved February 8, 2025</ref>
*the average home office / small office user prints '''3.4 monochrome pages per day''' <ref name=":0">West, McDonald (July 20, 2018) [["2015, 2016, & 2017 User and Device Printing Statistics"]] ECISolutions.com. Retrieved February 8, 2025</ref>
*[https://www.consumerreports.org/ Consumer Reports.org] reports their subscribers print a median of '''33 monochrome pages per month''' <ref>Pinola, Melanie (2024) [https://www.consumerreports.org/electronics-computers/printers/are-printer-ink-subscriptions-worth-it-a4050339657/ "Are Printer Ink Subscriptions Worth It?"]. Consumerreports.org. Retrieved February 8, 2025</ref>
*[https://www.consumerreports.org/ Consumer Reports.org] reports their subscribers print a median of '''33 monochrome pages per month''' <ref>Pinola, Melanie (2024) [https://www.consumerreports.org/electronics-computers/printers/are-printer-ink-subscriptions-worth-it-a4050339657/ "Are Printer Ink Subscriptions Worth It?"]. Consumerreports.org. Retrieved February 8, 2025</ref>
*monochrome printing now makes '''up to 80% of total print jobs''' in a home or small office environment. <ref name=":0" />
*monochrome printing now makes '''up to 80% of total print jobs''' in a home or small office environment. <ref name=":0" />
*color printing has '''decreased in use by 34%''' over the 3 year period measured. <ref name=":0" />
*color printing has '''decreased in use by 34%''' over the 3 year period measured. <ref name=":0" />
By comparing the user data, the claim of cost-savings and the stipulations in methodology, it is clear that Brother has created a purely theoretical scenario, one in which the choice given by Brother in no way matches a real-world situation or printing habits of the user. Furthermore, Brother engages in a purposefully misleading comparison when they state that the saving is based upon ''"average cost per page of eligible like standard capacity cartridge"'' for here they must compare identical products as only genuine Brother cartridges are supplied in the program.
By comparing the user data against the claim of cost-savings and stipulations in methodology from Brother, it is clear the scenario is one in which the choice given by Brother in no way matches a real-world situation or printing habits of the user. Furthermore, Brother engages in a purposefully misleading comparison when they state that the saving is based upon ''"average cost per page of eligible like standard capacity cartridge"'' for they must compare identical products as only genuine Brother cartridges are supplied in the program.


======Assumptions======
======Assumptions======
To create a more realistic comparison (and based on Brother's stipulated plan), we set rules to give the end-user a more reasonable, flexible and real-world choice when investigating print pricing. In our use case:
To create a more realistic comparison we set rules to give the end-user a more reasonable, flexible and real-world choice when investigating print pricing. In our use case:


*the end-user keeps the printer for a minimum 12 months.
*the end-user keeps the printer for a minimum 12 months.
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#'''Scenario Manipulation''': Brother assumes that the user runs with the service for only a month, ending the program before the billing cycle before or prior to the auto-replenishment alert.
#'''Scenario Manipulation''': Brother assumes that the user runs with the service for only a month, ending the program before the billing cycle before or prior to the auto-replenishment alert.
#'''Comparing Different Programs''': this is a clear misrepresentation. Here Brother relates Pay-Per-Page to Pay-Per-Cartridge, a false and misleading comparison. The matrix shows us that the Brother price is roughly half that of Staples, but here the user '''owns the cartridge''' bought from Staples and only the '''rents the ability to print a certain number of pages''' from Brother.
#'''Comparing Different Programs''': this is a clear misrepresentation. Here Brother relates Pay-Per-Page to Pay-Per-Cartridge, a false and misleading comparison. The matrix shows us that the Brother price is roughly half that of the next supplier, but here the user '''owns the cartridge''' bought from Staples and only the '''rents the ability to print a certain number of pages''' from Brother.


We note also that should the end-user run with the program for a year, then the Brother program is the most expensive option for printing.
We note also that should the end-user run with the program for a year, then the Brother program is the most expensive option for printing.
====== EZ Auto Reorder Brother Cost Matrix <!-- Brother only listed here. All other competitor data remains identical to the EZ Print Cost Comparison Matrix. --> ======
{| class="wikitable"
!
!Brand
!Yield
!Price
!Pages
!Cartriges
!Total Cost
!Page Cost
!Generic Lockout
!Internet Required
|-
|'''Brother'''
|Brother
|1200 +-
|$43.19
|6000
|5
|$215.96
|$0.036
|Yes
|Yes
|}
====== Validated Claim ======
The EZ Auto Reorder subscription offers the end-user a '''10% discount''' on cartridges while they are enrolled in program. This reduces the cost-per-cartridge by $4.80 when the product is supplied directly from Brother.
== Subscription History ==
====== Overview ======
To understand the introduction rational of subscriptions within a traditional hardware company such as Brother, one must first understand how the changes in sales revenue have historically developed within the markets that they operate.
====== Brother Industries, Ltd. ======
Brother was established in Japan in 1908 <ref>[https://wiki.rossmanngroup.com/images/a/a9/Brother_Sales_Revenue_1928-2020.png Brother Sales Revenue (1928-2020).png]</ref> primarily as an industrial manufacturer of machine parts. It was not until 1928 that Brother launched its first mainline product: an high-quality industrial sewing machine. Owing to their history in manufacturing, Brother's machines were good quality and highly regarded. They sold well and prior to the second-world war, Japanese companies like Brother had access to a highly-skilled and low-cost labor force. This allowed Brother to expand its product line and to firmly capture a share of the industrial sewing category; a market in which they still operate today.
The post war years saw significant Japanese government focus on industrialization. And by the early 1950's and 1960's, Japan's electronics manufacturing sector was not only mature but had rapidly expanded. This foundation, coupled with the large national labor pool, a highly protected market and the skill-to-cost benefits from earlier government investment, quickly made Japanese manufacturers the leaders in high-quality, low-cost technology products. Brother too, benefited from this economic environment. It invested heavily in the technology sector and by 1971, released a product that would change the company direction and growth into the foreseeable future: a high-speed, '''dot-matrix printer'''.
====== Segment Reliance ======
'''Brother Business Segment Return 2024'''
{| class="wikitable"
!
!Printing & Solutions
!Personal & Home
!Machinery
!Network & Contents
!Domino
!Other
|-
|Sales Revenue
|'''58.92%'''
|6.64%
|15.22%
|7.00%
|10.41%
|1.78%
|-
|Segement Profit
|'''72.50%'''
|5.55%
|13.61%
|2.50%
|5.42%
|0.55%
|-
|Operation Profit
|'''73.57%'''
|5.56%
|13.77%
|2.22%
|1.03%
|1.11%
|}
Brother Printing & Solutions (P&S) Business


==Data Privacy==
==Data Privacy==
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