Helpful Tips
Some potential problem areas for finance based agreements.
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All inclusive contracts; these have a number of names, 'Total Volume Rental Plan', 'Copy Plan' 'Print Plan' etc, generally these are used as a way of hiding the price of the equipment and disguising the real cost of the contract. We have heard of instances where the customer thought they had 5 years worth of copies and prints included, when they only had less than 2 years worth. Sadly, this has meant that they are now paying twice for service. What appeared to be a great deal initially has now turned to be the exact reverse! If it seems too good to be true then it probably is.
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'Flagship' Special 'Promotions' or 'Cash-Back': Some customers have been offered a deal where a promotional subsidy or cash back is paid. This means that instead of £1,000 per qtr for the new lease, the dealer guarantees to pay half back to you, this very enticing offer has fooled many into signing up to a seemingly amazingly good deal. The lease document says 5 years but the dealer also promises to give you a free upgrade before the halfway point. With part of the rental being paid by the dealer, this sounds a wonderful offer. Sometimes financial inducements are offered as this is a massively profitable contract for the dealer. The dealer may also offer free Laptops or other 'goodies' as an inducement to sign up. One dealer offering this type of contract has just gone into receivership leaving many of his customers high and dry"; the promotional 'corporate sponsorship' has stopped, and in one case has left a junior school with a massive £500,000+ debt with the finance company. What appeared initially to be wonderful deal has now caused tremendous stress and anxiety for the Head and staff there. Many otherwise 'savvy' commercial organisations have also been 'stung' with this horrible scam.
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Rolling 'managed print services' or 'green' contracts, they appear to offer tremendous flexibility but are really just a 'cash cow' for the dealer and account manager! For example, at the regular quarterly 'account management' meetings, if you add any accessory or change any small detail, you start a whole new 5 year term! This is a recipe for a very expensive disaster! There are examples of large organisations that have been seriously misled by these clever agreements. These companies have expensive legal departments to check contract terms for them, and even they have been known to miss these hazardous terms! What chance does a more modest company stand?
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Old lease settlements not being properly accounted for or paid off; this can leave you paying for both the new and the old lease! You probably will not discover this for 6 months or more after the new contract starts. The original salesman may have left and it is now hard to get a proper resolution, as no one seems interested and you are legally bound to pay the whole amount.
You could read to the bottom, but to save your valuable time and resources, speak to us!
Service contract clauses to watch out for:
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Tying you to a 'minimum' 5-year contract term, even though your lease was only for 3 years!
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If you decide you want to leave at the end of your 3-year lease or before perhaps, they will charge you in full for all of the future print and service charges, many thousands of pounds for absolutely nothing! On the other hand, you could just stay with them of course!
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Compounded increases of 15% p.a. are common (one dealer even charges 25% p.a.) and you cannot query the increases as you have already agreed to them in the small print! Your service charges will actually double in 4-5 years. · If their costs go up at all, they even charge you that in addition to the above exorbitant increases!
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Some expensive parts, like electronic boards are not included, these can cost over £1,500.
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If you unhappy with their service and decide to move to another supplier, there are liquidated damages clauses that may cost thousands of pounds.
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Only providing parts in the contract for the first 3 years, you think you are covered for the full 5 years, so for years 4 & 5 (just when the machine actually starts to need expensive parts) you have to pay 'through the nose' for these parts yourself.
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Charging extra for toners, when the cost per page should cover this. This extra can easily double your service outgoings.
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Network (NIC) extended warranty charges of £60-£90 per qtr, we think this is unfair, and this part should be included in the normal service charge as it rarely fails. By using the machine as a printer you are already giving your supplier extra payments for every page you produce! Sneakily this charge only begins after 12 months so it may slip under your radar.
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Charging for delivery of included Toners & Parts. This should be fully included with any reputable supplier.
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Contracts that roll on for another full year if you do not get the cancellation letter to them right on time. More expense and potential misery. On the other hand, of course you could just pay their exorbitant 'damages' invoice.
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The list continues to grow!
The Solution
Speak to us first, it will cost you nothing and could save you a lot of time and trouble!
Our mission is to improve your facilities and save you money each year in an open and highly ethical way.
With our insider industry knowledge and vast experience, we focus on saving as much of your hard-earned money as possible.
Following a comprehensive print & copy audit to fully understand your current situation, we consult with you and your colleagues to properly assess your organisational needs; we then arrange supply and installation of cutting edge hardware and software for you.
We arrange the paperwork, pre install and full installation by our own engineers. We offer basic and advanced training, if required, and give full support from our own Sirius experts. We oversee and manage the complete project and always help with any query to ensure that everything goes smoothly from here on. You could not be better served!
