In recent years, thanks to the national media, a lot of information has come into the public domain surrounding photocopier lease deals, with some reports even claiming that certain 3rd sector and public sector organisations have found themselves paying six-figure fees after signing up to photocopier and MFD lease contracts.
Whilst speaking with businesses in and around the Manchester area, we often speak to people who have a negative perception of the photocopier industry thanks to these reports, with some holding such pessimistic views that they perceive photocopier sales people as on a par with double-glazing, sofa or car sales people.
Thankfully, the reputation of our industry has improved somewhat over recent years, yet it’s still not something that we at North West Digital take lightly. We understand why this perception has arisen and are very conscious of the misgivings of our potential customers, that’s why we take seriously the need to be vigilant when speaking with businesses and customers about our industry generally, and photocopier lease agreements in particular.
What Are Lease Agreements?
Photocopier lease agreements are generally considered to be the most sensible way for businesses to source their equipment; it means that your company can get the latest, most up-to-date technology without having to foot the bill for the often hefty upfront costs. Instead, your company gets to lease the equipment it needs and pay a monthly rental fee instead, often getting the much needed technical support and customer assistance in addition to the device itself.
Hence, for many of today’s businesses, lease agreements for photocopiers, printers, faxes and scanners just make sense, but there are a few key things that you need to remember before signing on the dotted line. True, the majority of people in our industry are as good as their word – in fact, we’ve never come across anyone who would knowingly scam their unsuspecting customers, but it’s always wise to stay vigilant, even if it’s only for your own piece of mind.
Leasing Cons To Watch Out For
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Long Term Leases
Make sure the length of time stated on the lease agreement is right for your business. Circumstances can change quickly in business and technology can change even quicker, so it’s never wise to tie yourself in to something that may not suit your company further down the line. Common lease periods of three to five years can often be beneficial for your business but watch out for anything longer; occasionally businesses are unnecessarily required to sign up for contracts of seven years or more, which may sound attractive at first, but could do you more harm than good in the long run.
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Leaving Parts of the Contract Blank
Be aware of what you’re signing! If you sign up for a contract, make sure that every part of the agreement has been filled in accurately and take the time to make certain that you’re happy with what’s been entered on the form. It may seem like a laborious process, especially if you’re pushed for time, but some unscrupulous sales people may offer to complete the form for you at a later date and it could prove to be to your detriment. Even if your sales person is honest and has the best intentions of speeding the process up for you, they may inadvertently complete the form later in a way that you won’t be happy with, so make sure you do it together and take the time to check it before you sign.
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Overly Complicated Lease Forms
Leasing agreements are a legally binding contract and so are, by their very nature, complicated documents. That’s why it’s so important that you take your time over them and be wary of salespeople who try to skip past the small print without giving you any kind of indication of what’s included. Plus, no matter how complicated the leasing form appears to be, you should be able to clearly understand the amount you are expected to pay, the frequency of the payments and how long the agreement will last for. If you can’t make sense of the contract, then don’t sign it.
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Lease Agreements and Maintenance Contracts
Industry best practice is for the device leasing agreements to be kept separate from the maintenance contracts, although it’s not always done that way. The main thing to watch out for is to make sure the maintenance contract runs over the same period as the lease deal, so you can rest assured your machine is covered should there be any issues with it. The last thing you want is to be left with an obsolete machine that you’re contractually obliged to keep but have no way of maintaining.
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Check Out the Company
Due diligence is a process you should always undertake with any company you engage and your printer and photocopier leasing company is no exception. Before signing anything, just take a quick look online to see if there are any reviews about the company you are dealing with. If there aren’t any reviews, then ask your salesperson for some references and call one or two of them to check they’re genuine. If your salesperson can’t give you any background about the company or any viable references, then don’t touch them with a barge-pole.
The North West Digital Guarantee
Here at NWD, we take our leasing agreements seriously; we’ve got over 30 years’ experience in this business so not only can we provide you with proper references for genuine local companies, but we will also make sure you’re only ever sold a leasing agreement that works for your business.
What’s more, thanks to our Zero Rental Leasing Scheme, you could lease a brand new, state-of-the-art photocopier, printer, scanner, fax or MFD from us and never pay a single penny for the privilege. All you pay for is your consumables and what you print, so the machine and our expert customer support is completely free of charge. You can find out more on our blog post here.
Get in Touch
Although we primarily provide printers and photocopiers on leasing contracts in the Greater Manchester area, we’d be happy to discuss any questions or concerns you may have regarding your leasing contract, and one of our dedicated and highly trained team may even be able to find a better solution to fit your businesses requirements.
You can get in touch with us easily by email at info@, by phone on 0161 477 8950 or simply complete the contact form on the website and one of our friendly team will get back to you as soon as possible.