Two payment options reign supreme in the world of office equipment: Leasing and purchasing.
Which one is the better option for you?
As a long-time, local print vendor, we’ve dealt with the leasing vs. purchasing question in almost every sales interaction we’ve had and know firsthand the intricacies that go into each option.
Many consumers in the market for new office equipment don’t realize the expense of buying a printer for their workplace.
But once you get into the advanced multifunction (print, copy, scan and fax) and production printer categories, the price can range from $15,000-to-$100,000 and beyond.
Of course, not everybody needs a robust printing solution, but even a basic multifunction office printer can cost you upwards of $1,000.
If you’ve decided to lease a printer from a vendor and are formulating your contract, you will likely hear some iteration of this question at some point: “Would you like to have impressions included, and if so, how many?”
It’s probable, if you’re like most customers, that you are unfamiliar with what impressions included mean in a contract or lease agreement and how important they are.
This is precisely the reason we want to use our experience as a long-time local print vendor to help you understand what impressions included mean and why it’s critical to include the right amount in your contract.
Price fluctuation occurs in almost every industry, and printers are no different.
Whether you buy directly from a printer manufacturer or through a vendor, the price of machines can change at any given time.
This is especially true under today’s current circumstances, where supply chains are still disrupted, and inflation is readily apparent across most sectors of society.
The effect of inflation in every marketplace is easily seen in our daily life as consumers. With the current inflation rate hovering close to 8.5%, it is the highest recorded in over 40 years.
The ripple effects from industry to consumer have been vast, and the printer industry is no different in succumbing to inflationary pressures.
Prices have increased, and with the supply chain crisis still affecting the daily transportation of machines and products, delivery times have stagnated, as well.
If you type in “managed print service cost” into your search engine, what do you see?
Well, if you want the short answer, not a lot in terms of definitive numbers around what a managed print service (MPS) costs.
Indeed, the cost of MPS depends on a wide variety of factors, and depending on which managed print provider you choose, the price range can fluctuate dramatically.
There are many things to consider when purchasing a printer.
Some are obvious, like print volume and cost, and some are more inconspicuous, like space and electrical requirements, which is what we will be covering today.
As a long-time local print vendor, we’ve seen numerous cases of customers that purchased a printer and thought they had everything in order, only to realize on delivery day that the machine they bought doesn’t fit in their office or doesn’t have the correct electrical outlet.
You’ve come to the end of your printer/copier lease and decided to upgrade your equipment, signaling the start of a new lease agreement.
Because you’re working with the same vendor, you assume the previous billing process will remain the same.
When the first invoice comes in for the monthly lease payment, you pay it the same as always, foregoing attention to the minute details of the invoice.
There are a few notable documents that come with the purchase of a printer, and one of those will extensively lay out everything you need to know about your machine.
It’s called the Customer Expectation and Installation Guide, and it is a crucial document to look over before delivery and installation day.
What is the CEIG? Why is it important? Do I need to sign and send it back?
These questions will be addressed in this blog, so you’re better informed on what role the CEIG plays in the pre-delivery process.
Pop quiz: What does ppm stand for? What is a printer’s duty cycle? Do you know the difference between A3 and A4 paper?
Could you answer one of those questions? If you can, then you are in the minority when it comes to knowing basic information about printers/copiers.
You could make a textbook for all the printer terminology there is, and terms like the ones mentioned above would be useful to know as you’re searching for your new machine.