How Do You Negotiate A Good Copier Lease?

In recent years, printer leasing has been the standard for business equipment activities. In reality, it is a massive industry that generates billions of dollars in sales for both printer dealers and finance companies.

Copier machines are the most complicated piece of traditional office machinery, with many moving parts and circuitry. Many of them are used as main office printers, fax machines, and scanners.

This machinery can be purchased from a variety of suppliers and by a variety of methods. Partnering with a sales and support firm that specializes in leasing equipment and delivering maintenance/consumables contracts is the most popular solution.

These companies also employ slick salespeople who can visit your place of business to assess your needs. Then they make suggestions that are always slanted against their company’s best interests, not actually yours.

The Service and Maintenance Agreement for your copier lease is an essential document to review. A solid service arrangement can be negotiated. If you don’t think about or negotiate this portion of your Printer lease deal ahead of time, it could cost you a lot of money and time if your rented copier breaks down unexpectedly.

Office Machine Specialists Copier Showroom

It’s critical to comprehend the areas of risk and to work out the thorny clauses. Furthermore, as copier units and pages decline, the copier industry is under immense pressure to raise profit margins.

Customers are more likely to leave money on the table as a result of this. “There is a margin in the mystery,” as the copier industry said.

Understanding how the copier industry works will help you reduce or remove the uncertainty and get a better deal.

Although there are several different types of copier agreements, the following are few important considerations to bear in mind.

1. To guarantee a competitive negotiation, invite at least three firms to offer solutions.

Communicate the company’s goals and objectives.
Negotiate specific devices in relation to specific instruments, or at the very least equivalent specifications. The various brands each have their own set of advantages and disadvantages. Learn about them and choose the best one for your business.
Keep in mind that selecting a manufacturer with a consistent user interface for all sizes of machines would make learning and using them simpler.
Relevant, informative machine/feature cash values, as well as leasing rates, should be requested. Many merchants would attempt to sell at a single unitemized profit.
To figure out how much the equipment will cost if purchased anywhere, use Google.
It’s a smart idea to double-check anything, even whether you need to print at all for various situations in your business. Going paperless to the fullest degree possible will save you a lot of money.
Consider whether you still need color copies because black and white is so much cheaper.

2. Before executing any deal, make sure to have it reviewed by your legal counsel.

If you have questions about a lease’s conditions, you should hire a lawyer to review it and advise you on your legal options. Legal costs make this not the most cost-effective option, but it might save you a lot of time and aggravation.

3. Products for other printing machines should be avoided.

In comparison to larger copiers, copier suppliers will frequently attempt to win high margin business by selling facilities and software for low-cost laptop computers.
We have yet to see if this convenience is in the company’s best financial interests. Inexpensive printers are just that, and paying a subscription fee to keep them running is normally unnecessary.

4. Check the payment terms and get rates for periods of 2, 3, and 4 years (no longer).

The first draft would usually say something along the lines of “pay within ten days of invoice date” (or be subject to some excessive charge). Inquire about net 30 terms. This is something that any company that isn’t on the brink of bankruptcy should agree on.
Maintenance problems with these advanced computers begin to escalate dramatically as the machinery ages.
Lower-cost-of-ownership devices with better efficiency are becoming more popular as technology progresses.
It’s a good idea to review the printing, scanning, and copying situation on a regular basis.

5. Check the Assignment Clause.

The majority of these boilerplate contracts authorize the seller to freely delegate the contract. It’s not a two-way street. In the event that the company’s ownership transfers, they ask you to contact them “in advance” for their express consent to assign the deal. Try to tighten things up to make it mutual at the very least.

6. Increases in operation and procurement prices on an annual basis.

These are known as “escalators” in the copier industry, and they are used in the vast majority of template contracts/lease agreements used by copier firms.
When you bring up these provisions, copier vendors are skilled at describing them in a manner that requires the agreement to stay in the deal.
Make sure you know how high and where they will increase the prices. It is in the company’s best interests to keep the built-in automatic rises to a minimum.

7. Keep in mind that all is negotiable. The following are some often omitted details to examine in these contacts:

The selected vendor will supply you with contracts to sign after you have, in principle, settled on prices.
You will have to sign two contracts. One for the lease, if applicable, and one for the services.
Don’t be afraid to request updates. All they will say is no, and you can then determine if it’s a major enough dealbreaker to pull out or press for a new concession.
Aim to get installation and preparation costs waived.
Check the term length; three years should be the limit.
Request a 30-day cancellation notice prior to the expiration of the term, and that all renewals be on a month-to-month basis.

Are You Looking for A Business Photocopier Near Concord, California?

Office Machine Specialists has been servicing and selling office equipment since 1995. A family-run business that has dedicated our efforts to providing the best equipment options and after-sales service to our clients. Our goal is to ask the right questions and guide our customers to make smart decisions about new machine leases and purchases. We were servicing copiers long before the internet was a viable resource, and have transitioned to the digital workflow environment of color printing, scanning, account control, and fleet management. With over 20 years in the industry, we have extensive experience with many brands and consider OMS to be a valuable resource to any organization. Contact us for all of your copier needs here!

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