Frequently Asked Questions About Copy Machine Leasing
Anyone familiar with leasing a car can intuit the basics of copy machine leasing, but for a business decision, the basics are never enough. Read on for some frequently asked questions and answers about leasing copy machines for commercial use:
What are the perks of copy machine leasing?
For most businesses, copy machine leasing is more practical than purchasing a machine. Copier leases feature lower monthly payments and require less short-term capital than buying. Plus, leases make it easy to upgrade to newer copiers every couple of years, allowing your company to benefit from the latest technology. Some contracts even allow you to pursue upgrades during a lease.
What kind of copy machines can I lease?
Copy machine leasing is ideal for businesses that make at least 700 copiers every month. For anything less than that, a standard copier available at an office superstore should suffice. The price of a machine increases with its volume, so it's important to estimate your monthly copy volume as accurately as possible. If your office already has a copier, take a look at the counter under the copying glass. Otherwise, consult your copy shop receipts. You should increase your estimate by 15 percent to factor in growth, and even more if your copier will be serving as an office printer as well.
What are some common mistakes to avoid?
Like most major financial decisions, copier leases can cost you a lot of money if you don't do your homework. For starters, take a look at your lease contract's per-copy charges. Dealers often charge you a certain amount for every copy you make, however some contracts also come with minimum monthly quotas that you will be charged for whether or not you actually use them. If your contract includes a minimum, make sure it is a number within your office's reach.
Should my contract include consumables?
Negotiating consumables is a delicate part of any leasing agreement. Your dealer might try to entice you with an "all-inclusive" deal featuring maintenance and consumables such as toner and ink. This is risky, though, because you can save as much as 20 percent on these items when you purchase them separately. Let your dealer know that you're aware of this fact - they might just offer you a bargain.
Should my lease company be local?
Although it doesn't matter where a leasing company is based, it's important to find a service with experienced repair workers in your area. But you don't just need local technicians - you need local technicians that are experienced with your machine's specific make and model. If you were browsing Xerox copiers NY, for example, you would want to check for Xerox-skilled workers based in New York that are familiar with the models you are considering.
How important is a service agreement?
It's up to you. Certain businesses depend on their copiers, and require copy machine leasing with night and weekend support as well as guaranteed response times. Flexible businesses, however, do not need to pursue such rigorous contracts.
At www.worldtradecopiers.com you can find answers to all of your printing needs including copy machine leasing, document management, mail room solutions, IT consulting, and much more.
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Photocopiers – The Pitfalls of Hire and Lease Agreements
If you are in the market for a copier and you are not sure whether you should purchase one or lease one, then you need to do some initial research to determine all the various options available. There are many copier manufacturers and dozens of models to choose from. Each model has different features and functions, some of which are difficult to understand unless you are a technical wizard. It is important to perform your due diligence and research the most cost effective alternatives and determine what will best fit your needs in order to find a copier to lease or purchase.
If all this research to find the right copier seems overwhelming and confusing, just wait until you get involved in the various contracts and service agreements that go along with leasing or purchasing a copier. There are so many variables to be factored into the copy usage and maintenance for leasing copiers that you will need to completely understand all the factors involved before moving forward with a decision. If you are in a business, other than a business which provides copiers, then your copier supplier will tell you to focus on your business's needs rather than spending a lot of valuable time and effort towards understanding the variables of copier lease agreements. Don't make this mistake. Look for clauses, often hidden in the text, that commit you to lengthy contracts, annual price increases and other pitfalls. And pay close attention to the service agreement.
Instead of researching all the different types of copiers on the market and the different copier lease scenarios perhaps your time would be better spent trying to find a company with experience in establishing and negotiating photocopier contract, maintenance and service agreements. Experts like these can help you find not only the right copier equipment to meet your needs but also help you determine the right leasing and service agreements to meet your budget and copier needs. But why not be creative - find one that can provide you with a photocopier or printer lease and service agreement on transparent, trade price terms, taking instead a percentage of the savings as his fee.In this way, he is motivated to get you the best deal you can get.
Some manufacturers and resellers who provide copier lease and purchase sales and services have terms and conditions built into their contracts that can be extremely expensive and contain numerous restrictions on the number of copies you can perform each month, quarter or year. There can even be restrictions that if you go over or under a specific number of copies per duration specified within the contract that you are liable for additional payments. There are even some clauses that will impact your future pricing and limitations for usage that can ultimately hamper your business. So a company specializing in matching the right contract to your specific requirements can save you time and money.
Read more at James Young's blog:
http://copiershark.blogspot.com
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Photocopier Service Contracts – The Sensible Option
Photocopiers require regular maintenance which can be expensive when paid for on a time and materials basis. When you take out a maintenance contract, part of the service is 'preventative maintenance' this is carried out to reduce breakdowns over the period of the contract. This also means, in most cases all replacement parts required to get your photocopier back up and running, labour costs, genuine branded toner and call out fees are included.
Before buying or leasing your photocopier you will get a costing for every print you make so you only pay for what you use on a cost per copy basis, so you will know up front what you are likely to be charged without having to worry about a huge bill at the end of the month.
The Assurances
Additionally, there are some assurances you get when taking out a service contract like copy quality assurance. This means that if there are any issues with the quality of your print a copier engineer will come and sort the problem out.
Many companies ensure their engineers are manufacturer trained prior to attending any call-outs, thus ensuring quick resolutions to problems. Work on your machine is also carried out according to the manufacturer's instructions giving a prolonged life to your photocopier, rather than having the dreaded 'down-time' with work pending but no way to print it.
Down time is also another factor when looking at a service contract as the less time it takes for an engineer to get out to the photocopier, the quicker you get to use the machine to print again. Many good copier companies target a response time to breakdown calls, generally around 4 hours maximum. So if your photocopier stops working in the morning they can guarantee it to be working again that afternoon.
So What About System Software Upgrades?
Another thing to think about before taking out a service contract would be the system software upgrades you are offered which will be carried out free of charge. A photocopier is just like a computer, over the term of your agreement, which in some cases could be 5 years, software will inevitably need upgrading so many companies do this so the equipment stays serviceable, which is beneficial to all involved.
Most photocopier companies know over a certain time period what parts will need replacing on a photocopier and the overall costs involved. It is in their best interests to fit genuine parts from the very start to help prolong the life of the various parts and keep the copier running smoothly and healthily. Fitting budget, non genuine parts can have a detrimental effect on the daily running of the photocopier.
The author is based in Surrey, England and works in the new media industry. He has successfully used DMCplc for various printing and copying equipment including: Canon colour photocopiers andmultifunction printers.
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