January 31, 2025
Leasing a MFP Printer might seem like a simple solution to meet your business’ copying, printing, faxing, and scanning needs, but navigating a contract can be tricky. MFP Printer lease agreements are often packed with legal jargon and hidden clauses, and it’s easy to find yourself locked into an agreement that benefits the vendor more than your company's required technology needs.
Poor MFP Printer leasing experiences can feel like a cycle that's hard to break. However, the key is understanding what’s really written in your contract before signing on the dotted line.
Armed with this knowledge, you can decide whether a lease is right for you, or if other alternatives are better suited for your company.
MFP Printer lease agreement terms
Before you lease a MFP Printer or copier, it’s helpful to get familiar with contract jargon. Here are some common terms you’re likely to encounter in MFP Printer lease contracts:
- Lease period — This is the length of time you’ll be leasing the equipment. Typically, contracts last 36 to 60 months.
- Automatic renewal — If no action is taken near the end of the lease period, some contracts automatically renew under similar (or even less favorable) terms. Without proper notice, you may be stuck paying for a MFP Printer that no longer serves your needs.
- Excess usage — Some agreements limit the number of pages you can print monthly or annually. If your usage exceeds this limit, you’ll incur additional fees, potentially inflating your costs more than expected.
- Maintenance agreement — Some contracts include provisions for maintenance, repairs, and replacement parts. Ensure the service agreement is reliable and doesn’t leave you waiting days for repairs or extended downtime on your equipment.
- Termination clause — Ending your lease early often comes with penalties. Review termination clauses closely to understand what additional costs you might face if you exit the agreement early.
- Buyout clause — This allows you or another provider to buy out of your contract early. Under some contracts, buyouts will incur significant fees, limiting your options if you want to move to a different vendor.
Common challenges with MFP Printer lease contracts
Not all commercial MFP Printer lease contracts are created equal. Here are some red flags and challenges to watch out for before signing a conventional lease:
Hidden costs
How much will the MFP Printer lease cost per month? Are there additional charges for exceeding page limits, early termination, installation, troubleshooting, or maintenance? Factor in these costs to understand the total cost of leasing a MFP Printer.
Term length
Longer terms (e.g. 60 months) may seem attractive due to lower monthly payments, but keep in mind that not every MFP Printer will perform at its best for five years. Over time, equipment is prone to wear and tear and become counter-productive, leading to unexpected downtime and the need for more frequent repairs.
Additionally, leases are sold to third-party leasing company vendors during their term, which can lead to inconsistent support; MFP Printer vendor companies (who you signed the lease - not who owns the title to the serial number of the equipment) often lose profit on repairs, so they deprioritize maintenance.
Serial Numbers on contracts
Some lease contracts tie you to specific machines using serial numbers. This means if your equipment breaks down or underperforms, you’re stuck with it — even if better solutions are needed for your business.
Look for agreements that guarantee services and solutions rather than specific equipment. This ensures your business can keep running without disruption even if a specific machine needs replacement.
Rigid cancellation policies
Many leases have strict cancellation requirements, including notice periods (often 60–90 days) and expensive penalties for ending the agreement early. Some vendors also sneak in automatic renewals if cancellation isn’t handled according to their specifications, leading to unnecessary costs for equipment you no longer use.
Limited flexibility
Business needs evolve over time, but MFP Printer leases lack flexibility for scaling up or down. Adding more services later may come with extra fees and new terms that don’t align with your original agreement.
For example, many businesses faced significant challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic when office MFP Printers went unused—and those locked into rigid leases ended up paying for idle equipment.
Is leasing the only option?
Leasing MFP Printers isn’t the only way to manage your office’s printing needs. While buying equipment outright is one alternative, it comes with its own drawbacks, like high upfront costs, staggered aged equipment, and long-term burdens around parts and maintenance.
The smarter option is a service and solutions agreement (Operating Rental), a contract designed around the services and solutions MFP Printers provide rather than specific machines. Benefits include:
- Hardware flexibility — Service and solutions contracts focus on delivering uninterrupted printing, copying, and faxing services rather than specific hardware.
- Integrated ecosystem — You’ll gain access to a complete ecosystem of printers, software, and workflows through one streamlined agreement.
- Improved support — Because these agreements rely on keeping customers happy, maintenance is a priority, and repairs are handled efficiently with minimal IT involvement required on your end.
- Flexibility for business growth — These agreements are often more adaptable to your changing business needs, including scaling services up or down and swapping out devices as needed.
This approach shifts the focus from short-term fixes to long-term partnerships that prioritize your organization’s success.
The right vendor will offer an integrated ecosystem of MFP printers, software, and workflows, plus quick repairs, dependable tech support, and the flexibility to scale your printing needs up or down as your business grows.
Avoid MFP Printer lease hassles with UBEO
MFP Printers shouldn’t slow your business down. If you’re currently stuck in a frustrating MFP Printer lease agreement or aren’t sure if leasing is right for your business, UBEO is here to help. We may even be able to buy out your lease early.
We offer business technology assessments to determine the best printing solutions, visibility to security, workflow efficiencies, content management solutions and more business technology requirements for your organizations needs, all being offered through an Operating Rental for all services and solutions. Our goal is to create efficiencies within your workflows, minimize downtime, and ensure your business runs smoothly.
Even if you’re locked into a lease right now, we’ll help you explore your options. Don’t settle for inflexible contracts with underwhelming performance — reach out to our team and discover a new approach to your Business Technology.
Tag(s):
Renting