You sent your letter of intent to end your lease at the time it’s supposed to end. The time has come to be free of this aging, broken monstrosity of a copier.

But now you have another problem: you are responsible for packaging the copier and paying the freight back to some random warehouse. You call up the copier company you worked with, and they say that the cost to package the copier will be $500, and the shipping will cost you $300.

Then, out of the goodness of their hearts, they tell you they can waive the fees and do all of the packaging and shipping for you… if you sign up for another five-year contract and get your next copier through them.

This Tactic Is One of Many that Copier Companies use to Trap You Into Another Contract.

Every time your contract expires, you have two forces conspiring against you.

1. A leasing company that wants another contract
2. A copier company wanting another sale

When your lease is almost up, they will find any way possible to trap you into another sale. Knowing you don’t want to deal with the financial and logistical headache of sending the copier out yourself, you are willing to take their offer and handcuff yourself to another five-year contract, likely at an inflated rate to take advantage of your situation.

With this one simple tactic, they have also wiped out your ability to shop around for a better copier deal.

How to Avoid This Trap and Get Yourself Real, Competitive Quotes For Your Next Contract

The only way to avoid this trap, or paying $800 for the copier and leasing companies to handle the shipping for you is to pack and ship the copier yourself.

However, even when you decide to ship everything yourself, you still need to cover your bases to make sure you’re not held liable for any damages that mysteriously occurred in transit.

The best way to shield yourself from this liability is to remove all the consumables and package them separately. Be sure to take pictures of each item from multiple angles as you pack them. These pictures prove that you took the necessary precautions to pack everything to make sure the copier and all of its components arrive at the warehouse safely.

Once you pack your copier, you want to start getting quotes for your new copier. Let these dealers know you have a packaged copier (or will, if you haven’t already packed your copier) that needs to get sent back. Ask them if they can help with the freight costs. They will most likely go to their manufacturers and leasing companies to handle this, but this will still help reduce your costs.

Follow the steps above to make sure you can get competitive rates on your next copier purchase. Do whatever you can to remove all avenues that your copier company can use to rip you off.