The Newest “Gotcha” from Copier Companies

Copier companies always seem to be coming up with some new way to increase what they can extract from you.  I have been seeing an interesting new way they are doing this….  It is basically by starting to sell a Black and White copier and then try and switch you over to a color device at “no extra charge.”  Now let’s consider for a second the claim being made…  A color copier with MANY more componets is being sold at the same price as the black and white at no additional cost…  Why would a copier company do this?  The answer is really quite simple…  everyone wants to own your color prints.  This is the area we can actually make some money.

Why WOULD you want to accept this offer?

• You need a color printer anyway and this would save you some money.
• Your company, unlike almost every other company, would be disciplined in only using color in very specific settings.
• You understand the difference between composite gray and black ink only gray…
• You are using a high priced color printer for Marketing

When should you AVOID such an offer

• When employees are not accountable to the amount of color they’ll print
• When you are running a color printer which costs $.07 per print or less
• When you have HIGH RELIABILITY needs…  A black and whit copiers has 3 or 4 replaceable parts whereas the typical color copier will have between 10 and 15 consumable items.
• When you actually don’t need color printing.  (Black and white copiers will color scan…)

If you print 200 color pages per month which you aren’t expecting (E mails, maps, etc…) it will cost close to $1,000 extra over a 4 year lease. This is a VERY VERY conservative number.  Color is great, just make sure you need it before you take it.