It was 2011 when my niece came to New Zealand and started looking for a job. The need to scan and print documents arose so I got a machine on special price at a local shop. The machine had done its job for quite sometime and had been with my several moves.
One day while based in Auckland a friend asked to print a number of documents. In the middle of the operation a paper jammed. We pulled it out and resumed printing. The result came out blurry and it was indicating a low supply of ink. I replaced the ink but the print did not improve. I was then caught in a dilemna as to whether to have it fixed or just dispose the machine. Here is why.
In New Zealand jobs are charged by the hour. The fact makes labour a big factor in the total cost of repair. Another thing is that spare parts can be costly too. When I achieved my practising certificate in 2009 I gifted myself with a Toshiba laptop. After a few years it went snoring and sounded like gasping for breath. With the prompting of a friend I vacuumed it. Unfortunately I did it the wrong way so the ventilation was broken. With my "saving" mentality I had it fixed and another couple of years the battery went flat and would not store anymore power. My vanity came into play - I backed up my favourite files in the drive and was ready to discard the item but a family wanted it so I googled for a replacement battery which cost over a hundred dollars. Cost of labour for previous repair and new battery together can buy a brand new notebook.
Looking at the storage cupboard I saw an old microwave still undisposed. If I discard the printer that would make 2 items needing to go. I was leaving for Wellington very shortly and I was looking forward to those items becoming an issue when we have moved and rubbish is left in the cupboard. Just by mere gut feeling I drove to the servicing centre. The technician changed the printer head which was over half the price of the machine. With the whole set of ink replaced earlier the cost comes out to around ¾ of the original price of the machine so I could only imagine how worthless the rest of the machine must be then.
During the move the landlady asked me to sign a wrong form so she emailed the right form which had to be printed,scanned and sent back. Annoyingly the paper jammed with twenty attempts so I rang the technician for instruction as to how to manage the problem. I was told to post the machine back otherwise the sensor will be damaged. Exasperated I told the lady on the phone, no thank you I am not posting the machine. If you cannot give me any advise I will throw the machine. But of course my heart was crying for the cost of the printer head and inks.
Then I reckoned I knew Karl who is an expert on similar equipments even more complicated electronics. It was sort of embarrassing to be calling on someone who is not really that familiar only to ask for help but I did try. I wanted to swear when he found out that there was really nothing wrong with the machine only that the paper holders were quite tight and possibly not letting the paper move. Now everything came back to me, how the first time the issue occur the paper had jammed and the print came bleary and so was the change of part and the successive jamming. I wonder if ever it was worth the trouble at all. If only I had somebody familiar with the job to check it before going to the technician.
To ease my mind I had to think of something good in a not so very nice experience. I think next time I have problems with my gadgets I'd rather give it to someone who can make use of it and buy a new one. It will save time, stress and complications. The better side was with the printer's issue I got to meet Karl's wife Cheryl and we had a good drive around. I may have lost some money but I gained a set of friends, had fun and enjoyed some beautiful sceneries of the Greater Wellington area.
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