I am seeing a lot of disappointed people that buy something cheap online and then have connectivity issues that can’t be resolved by the guy who sold the copier that resides in another part of the country.  Please remember, their job is to move a box and then hope they can find someone locally to bail them out if there’s a problem.

For regular break fix type problems that’s easy.  However, where people are having trouble is finding someone to help them set up the scanning for their network or PC.  This isn’t like buying a little MFP for the home from Office Depot.  Commercial Grade copiers usually require IT assistance.  The toll free number from up North somewhere can’t help you there.  He’ll tell you to call somebody locally.  However, most local IT help is around $100 per hour and up.  It can sometimes require several hours depending on the size of the Network and other factors such as was the Network set up properly in the first place. Local copier dealers are more likely to provide this with the sale.

The other issue is buying something too old where the only drivers available are for Windows XP.  You need to buy a late model used copier to make sure you can get Drivers to work with your operating system;  especially if it’s Macintosh.  Most buyers aren’t going to know the answer to that one.  You have to call your IT person and ask him to investigate that.  It would be a shame to get a new copier and then not be able to scan with it.

As a final note beware of those online sights that say buy the copier and then find an authorized dealer locally to do a maintenance agreement.  Most authorized dealers are not going to cooperate.  And if they do, it will be at a high price.  They will resent that the copier wasn’t purchased  from them.

One of the nice things about Google searches is that you can check Reviews.  At a minimum, I would do that.  If there’s problems your options are limited with an out of town person.  A local copier dealer can at least put a maintenance agreement on it so they lose money instead of you.


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