This is happening on a laser printer, the M209dwe.

You have the dwe printer, which is clearly marked as requiring HP+:

https://a.co/d/1H1aI10

The alternative dw printer is not marked as such but is over twice as expensive.

I hate printers as much as the next person but in this case it's pretty clear what folks are getting into.

However I'm seeing that HP wants to slowly transition to only the e line. If that happens, I'll be pretty incensed.

I bought it at a bricks and mortar store. That notice is buried in the fine print on the box. And of course the box isn't on display at the store, just the printer.

It's nice to see the notice displayed prominently on Amazon. I guess this is one time my aversion to Amazon burned me.

TBH my experience with HP inkjet printers has been so outright crappy that I would never buy an HP laserjet either. They don't deserve my business and can go fuck off.

I'm sure there's a lot of people out there who feel the same way. It's like the opposite of the halo effect.

You haven't yet.

Why would HP gouge home users without also gouging the more lucrative business market?

One would assume that the business market has more money and more lawyers to point at suppliers who annoy them. Plus a greater network of people, e.g. at business gatherings, they can use to name-and-shame said suppliers.