It has been the practice for a very long time now to attempt to restrict users to only install the cartridges produced by the printer manufacturer. Good quality printers are now, due to the competition, as "cheap as chips" and the manufacturers have to make their money somehow. Thus we are restricted to use dreadfully over priced ink cartridges with dire threats as to what will happen if we use others. "Chipping" cartridges is the usual trick, so when the ink level is down to about a quarter full, the printer stops working until another cartridge is inserted and this also enables the printer to recognise when a thrid party cartridge is used. The latest sneaky, as you have found, is to ignore it for a cartridge or two and then take the usual punitive action - possibly when you have taken up the offer of a cut price bulk buy of perfectly serviceable non OEM cartridges!
For Epson users, Dazdaz1's post is of interest, but many other manufacturers of ink jet printers use similar techniques.
I have always been careful never to use printers which use this technique which I cannot overcome. At present I am using a Canon unit for which I have acquired refillable cartridges. This means that a refill costs me about 50p using inks manufactured to British Standards. I have discovered in recent years that Brother do not chip their cartridges and thus third party cartridges can be used without a problem.
The third party cartridge manufacturers are aware of this problem and are always trying to fit their cartridges with compatible chips to fool printers into accepting them.
Reputable suppliers of third party cartridges like
www.tonezoneuk.com are naturally aware of this and will always advise whether their cartridges will work in a certain model of printer, so it is worth talking to people like this when considering a printer replacement.
P.P.