Digital BW, The Print

I received a refill kit from MIS this week so I can do away with 
continuously buying new Epson 2200 carts.

This is my first refilling experience but I have to say that my 
initial satisfaction is not very good at all. 

My calls to MIS tech support roll into voicemail so I'm posting here 
hoping that someone out there in forum-land can offer some advice.

Here are my concerns:

-- the 35cc syringes I received from MIS do not fill; I cannot even 
get them to draw water into the main chamber with or without a needle 
attached; I find no instructions anywhere that would indicate that the 
tip of the syringe needs to be cut or punctured in order for it to draw

-- when filling the syringe from the top (water only, with the plunger 
removed) and then try to empty it through the needle to see what 
happens, no water seems to go through the syringe but rather leaks out 
around the collar where the needle meets the tip of the syringe; witj 
ink this would be a diaster.

-- with the empty 2200 cartridges themselves, the online instructions 
inindicate that the filler hole on the top has a sealer cap that needs 
to be remove prior to filling -- but none of the seven empty carts 
that I received from MIS has a cap -- just an opening that ink will 
definitely leak (even flow) out of if the cartridge is inadverently 
inverted.

Needless to say this accumulation of problems renders the refill kit 
all but useless. With all of the MIS ink raves I see on this forum, I 
must say that I am extremely underwhelmed with my first out-of-the-box 
experience.

Am I missing something? Did I get sent lemons?

Any comments will be greatly appreciated.