Defective Ribbons Resolution

This document addresses a manufacturing issue identified in monochrome and color ribbons for the LA400, LA400plus, LA450, and LA700 printers, caused by a change in manufacturing location and tooling in November 1998. The defect, which resulted in a stop-ship order issued on August 20, 1999, led to symptoms such as 'Ribbon Block Error', print integrity errors, ribbon jams, and broken ribbon cartridge support. The stop-ship order was lifted on September 16, 1999. Ribbons produced between Week 48 of 1998 and Week 38 of 1999 are considered suspect. Ribbons produced from Week 39 of 1999 onwards feature the necessary fixes and can be identified by a green label on the product box. Service personnel are instructed not to attempt printer repairs for this issue; instead, customers should return defective ribbons to the point of purchase for warranty replacement.