Service without a Smile

You buy or lease a photocopier and at the end of the process a Service or Maintenance Agreement appears...These should be studied in great detail because Service Agreements tell you more about the supplier than you can ever glean from a smiling salesman. Once read you may wish to alter your choice of supplier. The trouble is you are almost embarrassed to sit there in front of the salesman you have already awarded the contract to and then pick his Agreement apart. Even if you knew what you were looking for it is difficult not to just sign it as the salesman salivates opposite and you cast your eyes over an ocean of small print. If you do not read and amend the Service terms and conditions your copiers,MFP`s or MFD`s, whatever you like to call them could become very expensive. This is because restrictive cancellation clauses of up to 90% of the unexpired contract term (which by the way may not match the lease term)between 10 and 20% annual copy cost increases and exclusions of toner and some parts or even support costs that start 6 months after signature, will leave you feeling extremely misled and out of pocket. Do the salesmen care? Of course not,the smile turns to a satisfied sneer when they reach their car!!!! Safe in the knowledge that next time you upgrade you will be negotiating with one arm tied behind your back because you now have a service agreement to terminate as well as a lease!! How competitive do they have to be subsequently? It`s Catch 22, you pay off your existing suppliers ludicrous termination fees and buy elsewhere or buy from them again because its easy, but certainly wont be competitive because they have you over a barrel!!!