Questions to ask about printer & photocopier leasing

There are many important questions to ask when buying or leasing office equipment like photocopiers, printers and scanners. We are here to help you to buy what you want, when you want it. Thinking about some of the questions people frequently ask can ultimately save you time and money.

Should I lease a photocopier or buy one?

It makes sense to lease a copier if you are sure that your business will be capable of paying your monthly charge for the entire term of the contract.  Copier leases often lock you into a year, two-year, or three year monthly contract. For many businesses, copier leasing is a practical way to save thousands of pounds on the initial purchase price, and can enable you to spread out the cost over time.  Service agreements are an important reason why customers opt for a copier lease over buying a machine, because they include free service calls and can cover major parts that break over time. Therefore copier leasing does make sense for established businesses, whatever size you are. 

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If you decide to rent or lease your photocopier from us, we have a range of first rate, flexible photocopier leasing and rental packages, available to both business and home users, which will ensure that you receive all the benefits that photocopier leasing provides. Paragon's flexible leasing service also allows you the option of upgrading your lease should your circumstances change at any point during the leasing period, and once the service agreement has been signed, we can have your new machine installed within 48 hours. When you lease from us, we will supply you with the most current models that are available on the market.  We also offer deferred payments of 6 months, lease periods from between 1 to 5 years, and the option of buying your photocopier when the leasing agreement comes to an end.  And don't forget, leasing is a good alternative to purchasing a photocopier, due to the tax allowances that are available if you lease, rather than buy, your photocopier.  What's more, as a little thank you, we give each of our new customers an iPod nano.

When does a photocopier lease not make sense?

If you are a new company, a copier lease may not make sense. Keep in mind that copier leases can be difficult to break, like any other contract. Also, if your business makes fewer than 700 copies a month, it may not be feasible to enter a leasing contract for a business-level or multifunction copier. As an alternative, you might consider buying an all-in-one copier, which is a smaller, yet can print, copy, scan, and fax just like a multifunction copier but at a slower speed.   Ensure that you look for a laser all-in-one copier rather than an inkjet, as inkjet ink is far more expensive than laser toner. Inkjet printers have a price per page of around 20 pence per sheet, whereas laser printer pages cost about 5 pence per page. Also consider buying a used copier. These are purchased directly from dealers have the added advantage of coming with a warranty; something you won't usually get if you're buying from an individual owner.

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Paragon is an independent company meaning that we are unbiased when we make recommendations to our customers. We stock Kyocera, Canon and Toshiba because we believe they are the most efficient printers, photocopiers, scanners & multifunctional machines on the market.  If you do decide to buy rather than lease or rent from us, we have a price match promise that is second to none.  We know the document solutions world is incredibly competitive and prices from company to company fluctuate considerably. To help make your lives easier, and save time and energy searching the market for the best quote, Paragon offers a simple price match promise. This means we will endeavour to match any quote from our competitors, giving you the very best price you can get.  So what's the point of looking any further, when we can assure you of the best price?

How much does it cost to lease a photocopier?

Most businesses pay between £100 and £250 a month to lease a multifunction copy machine. Top Tip: when you compare copier lease rates between companies, ensure you calculate the full cost of the copier by taking your monthly rate multiplied by the number of months of the contract. This is important if you are indecisive about buying or leasing -- you can see exactly how much your copier will "cost" over the term of the lease compared to what you'd pay to purchase a new copier.

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Paragon's experts can guide you every step of the way in calculating what is right for you.  We will advise you on which is the best option for your circumstances and budget.

Paragon also recognises that excellent customer service is integral part of giving you value for money and that's why we pledge to deliver a premium customer service to every customer. This includes an unrivalled guaranteed response time, ongoing training and also the assurance of an expert who is just a phone call away, whenever you might need one.   Paragon will also ensure that you have extras such as toners and drums stored away on site with you. This way, if you run out of something or something fails, you don't always have to wait for the emergency services to arrive before you can return to business as normal.

All these benefits come as standard and, as such, means no additional costs for you to consider.  In effect, Paragon prides itself on offering the best of both worlds - premium customer service and unbeatable value for money.

What is the average length of a photocopier lease?

24-month and 36 month leases are most common, though some businesses opt for a longer lease to spread out the payments and lower their monthly rate.

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Our leases are very flexible and can be tailored to your needs and requirements.

What is the difference between leasing and renting a photocopier?

Copier rental is usually a monthly rental that can last from 1 to under 12 months. Renting a photocopier is usually more expensive per month than leasing one, but the advantage is that renting it is a temporary contract rather than a several-year commitment.  Rental is advantageous for short-term projects, events etc.  Renting a copier usually means you're renting a used copier, which can be fine for most businesses. Leasing is generally more common and requested by most types of businesses.

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Short term photocopier rental can be a flexible, cost effective solution for companies who aren't able to commit to a long term lease or don't have the necessary capital to buy the machine they require. It is also an ideal solution for new companies which are unsure of their requirements and would like to rent a photocopier until they can see their true printing trends and volumes. We also cater for companies that have difficulty receiving finance for photocopier leasing services due to being a new start up etc. Our flexible service agreements and rental periods range from 3 days to 2 years. What's more all toners and parts are included, along with our reliable nationwide service and support. We have a regular account manager to ensure you are satisfied with the machine's performance along with quick delivery and installations.

What speed of photocopier should I lease?

If this is your office's first photocopying machine, you may not require a copier that prints faster than 30 pages per minute. Remember that 30 pages per minute means you receive 1 page every 2 seconds. Also consider what your staff be printing most often.  If it's mainly emails or short contract pages, a 30ppm multifunction copier would be fine. Copiers you might consider leasing are one of the Canon image RUNNER range.

If you need to regularly print presentations for meetings, or rely on a paper filing system, opt for a mid-range multifunction copier that prints at a speed of about 45ppm or faster. Examples of multifunction copiers that print at 45ppm are the Canon image RUNNER 2545 pr 2545i.

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We believe that quality speaks for itself, and therefore deal with only the best manufacturers, who provide quality as standard.  Cannon, Kyocera and Toshiba are the leaders in their field.  We have a range of models available, and can advise you on everything from different speed requirements to the other functions that can be performed. 

Should I lease an inkjet, laser photocopier, or digital photocopier?

Inkjet: Inkjet copiers make the least sense cost-wise as inks are more expensive than laser toners: Inkjets cost about 20 pence per page compared to laser printers which cost about 6 pence per page. Inkjet printers are also lower capacity, meaning that you'll have to replace ink more often. They also print at slower speeds than laser or digital copiers. So all in all inkjet printers may appear to make sense to customers because of their initial low cost, but really don't make economic sense for a business.

Laser: Laser copiers are a more popular option with businesses because they print faster and the toner costs less per page than actual ink. They also produce higher-quality documents.

Digital: The majority of today's business laser copiers are also digital copiers.  These copiers usually include an internal scanner, meaning that the machine can scan and store documents. This facility is a must in most offices because of the ability to send documents/ contracts as email attachments, or store contracts on a network for safe record-keeping. Digital copiers also "remember" scanned documents and can then make ten copies of it instantly, whereas analog copiers have to scan the page ten times to make ten copies.  Manufacturers like Canon, Kyocera and Toshiba, tend only to deal in digital laser copiers today, so you don't really need to worry.

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The manufacturers that we deal in have a wealth of knowledge when it comes to which copier to buy, as do we!  Let our experience help you to make informed choices.  We can provide the know how, so you don't have to!  We have copiers and printers for every budget, and can help you to select the right product for you, at the right price.

How do I get out of a photocopier lease?

Before you get to this problem, ensure that you check the contract thoroughly before you sign the copier lease. Contracts can be difficult to break, should your business be unable to pay the monthly rate.  Firstly, you need to consider that most leasing companies will auto-renew your contract and you need when you know when to cancel this. Also, it important to know your window of opportunity to exit the lease, should you need to, so that you don't renew the contract unnecessarily before you need to. So, if you think there is a slight possibility that you will need to get out of a copier lease, opt for a short-term rental.

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Our range of leases are the best around!  We don't try to hoodwink you with small print and won't try to stitch you up by tying you into a lease that you don't want.  Our flexible leases give you the option to upgrade according to your circumstances, and allow deferred payments should you wish.  Talk to a member of our friendly team and they will explain more.

If I have a problem with my equipment, how can I be sure it will be fixed quickly?

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We have 15 strategically located offices in the UK, which allow us to offer a 4 hour nationwide  response time, whether it be out in the far flung countryside or in the city. If your machine breaks down, we guarantee to have highly trained, skilled technician with the right know how and the tools to do the job quickly and efficiently.  They will repair your machine with the least fuss possible, in one quick visit.  Unlike our competitors who often have multiple departments, confusing switchboards, answer phones and long call back times, here at Paragon we provide every customer with a reliable account manager, who can be contacted directly at any time.

Is my photocopier eco friendly?

There's no such thing as an environmentally friendly photocopier, and the leading manufacturers weren't the first in line to introduce waste-reduction principles and energy saving.  Yet, as people become more eco-conscious, many manufacturers have begun to incorporate such eco features, like power management. However, the most vital factor in determining the environmental cost of your equipment is you!  By using your copier wisely, say, for example, printing double sided, you can ultimately save yourself pounds, and help the environment into the bargain!

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Paragon understands the importance of protecting and preserving our planet. To help offset our carbon footprint, we plant a tree in the Amazon for every photocopier we lease or sell. We can also advise you on how to reduce your photocopier wastage and save money, by providing print audits, for example.  Just give us a call and ask for the green team.

For more information on photocopier leasing, printer rental or anything else please contact one of our experts now and they will be able to assit you.

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