If you are considering a refurbished photocopier, the potential savings can be substantial. But after more than 23 years in the photocopier industry, I would never judge a used machine on price alone. Its age, meter reading, previous environment, remaining manufacturer support, service history and the length of the agreement can all make the difference between a great-value machine and an expensive mistake.
Are Refurbished Photocopiers a Good Deal?
They certainly can be. A good refurbished photocopier can give you a much higher specification for your budget and can save thousands compared with buying the equivalent machine new.
But “used” is not a specification. Two machines of the same model and age can have very different histories. One may have spent its life in a clean office and produced relatively few prints. Another may have operated in a dusty warehouse, been stored in damp conditions, processed a very high volume or reached the point where parts and manufacturer support are becoming more difficult.
The key is not simply whether a machine is refurbished. It is whether that particular machine is suitable for your organisation, your workload and the period you intend to keep it.
What Is a Refurbished Photocopier?
A refurbished photocopier is a machine that has previously been used, returned, demonstrated or otherwise placed into service and is then prepared for resale or rental. The level of refurbishment can vary considerably between suppliers, so I would always ask exactly what work has been carried out rather than relying on the word “refurbished”.
That preparation may include cleaning, testing, replacing worn components and carrying out preventative maintenance. A reputable supplier should be able to explain the condition of the machine, its meter reading, its age, what has been replaced and what service or warranty support is included.
The Main Advantages of Buying a Refurbished Photocopier
- Lower equipment cost. Refurbished machines are normally considerably cheaper than buying the equivalent specification new.
- A higher specification for the same budget. In some circumstances, buying used enables you to move into a larger, faster or better-equipped machine without paying the new-equipment price.
- Potentially lower running costs. A larger business-class machine can sometimes have a lower cost per copy than a smaller new device. Whether that makes financial sense depends on your print volume.
- Reduced environmental impact. Extending the useful life of existing equipment can reduce waste and avoid replacing a serviceable machine unnecessarily.
- Excellent value where downtime is manageable. If you have other devices available or your printing is not time critical, a well-selected used machine can be a very sensible financial choice.
When I Would Be More Cautious About Buying Used
I often compare buying a used photocopier with buying a used car. If reliability is absolutely critical and a breakdown would create serious commercial consequences, paying more for new equipment can be worthwhile.
For example, if you are a solicitor who has documents that must reach court on time, or a warehouse that needs picking documents printed before orders can leave, the cost of downtime may be far greater than the saving achieved by buying used. If the machine is only used occasionally and another device is available when something goes wrong, the risk is very different.
The right question is therefore not simply “Is a refurbished photocopier reliable?” It is “How important is reliability in this particular environment, and what happens to the business if this machine is unavailable?”
Questions I Would Ask Before Buying or Renting a Used Photocopier
This is where many buyers need to go much further than asking for the price. These are some of the questions I would want answered before committing to a used or refurbished photocopier.
- Is the machine new, used, refurbished, ex-demonstration or ex-showroom? Make sure the description is clear.
- How old is the individual machine? Do not rely only on the age of the model range.
- What is the current meter reading? Ask for the mono and colour meters where relevant.
- Has the meter ever been reset, replaced or “clocked”? If the meter does not represent the full history of the machine, you need to understand why.
- Where has the photocopier been used? Has it spent its life in a normal office, or has it been in a warehouse, workshop or another dusty, damp or harsh environment?
- How long will the machine continue to be supported? Ask about the likely availability of spare parts, consumables, drivers, firmware and technical support during the period you intend to keep it.
- What refurbishment work has actually been carried out? Which parts were inspected, serviced or replaced?
- What happens if you start having problems with it? Can the supplier replace it easily with another suitable machine, and will that create a new financial commitment?
- What warranty and maintenance cover is included? Find out what happens if an expensive component fails.
- Can you buy the machine at the end of the rental? If ownership matters to you, establish this before signing rather than assuming that you will own it later.
Get the Important Answers in Writing
If an answer is important to your decision, get it in writing and make sure it is consistent with the agreement you are signing.
I have worked in sales for more than two decades and I know that verbal assurances are not enough. Salespeople can misunderstand a question, overstate something or, in some cases, simply tell you what you want to hear. If you have specifically been told that a machine has only completed a certain number of prints, will be replaced if unreliable, can be purchased at the end, or will remain supported for the length of the agreement, ask for that to be confirmed in writing.
You are much better protected by a clear written answer than by trying to remember a conversation several years later.
Why I Would Not Normally Put a Used Photocopier on a Five-Year Lease
One of the most important considerations with used equipment is not how old the machine is today. It is how old it will be at the end of the agreement.
If you take an already-used photocopier on a five-year lease, you could still be paying for it when the machine is seven years old or even older. By then it may have completed a much larger number of prints, parts may be harder to obtain, support may be more limited and the general condition of the machine may have deteriorated significantly.
That does not mean the machine is bad. It means the length of the financial commitment needs to make sense for the age, condition and expected support life of the equipment. I would be very cautious about tying a used machine into a five-year lease simply because it makes the monthly payment look attractive.
A Real Example: When a Much Bigger Used Machine Was the Right Answer
One of our customers needed to print labels for dog treats on a very thick, coarse, recycled and textured paper. The material was important to the company’s brand, but it was extremely difficult for ordinary office equipment to process efficiently.
Smaller machines could technically print onto it, but only very slowly and with greater wear on parts. We looked at different options, including other print technologies, before selecting a much larger machine that was designed to handle heavier media far better.
For the customer’s monthly print volume, the machine was significantly larger than would normally have been required. But that was not the important specification. The important specification was its ability to handle the paper properly and print it at full speed.
Buying that level of machine new would have been very expensive. We sourced a used machine with a relatively low meter reading compared with the amount of work that model was designed to handle. In that situation, buying used meant the customer could obtain a far more capable machine at a sensible cost.
It is a good example of why “over-specified” is not always the same as “wrongly specified”. It was more machine than the customer needed for volume, but exactly the right machine for the media they needed to print.
A Real Example: The “New” Machine That Wasn’t New
Years ago I canvassed a business in Wolverhampton. They told me another supplier had already left them a photocopier to try and, if they liked it, they intended to keep it.
I looked around and could not see anything that appeared to be a new photocopier. They eventually pointed me towards a machine that looked, to me, to be many years old.
I told them I did not believe it was new. When I opened the side, the inside was heavily covered in dust, as though it may have spent considerable time in storage. The customer had understood that they were being supplied with new equipment. Once they challenged the supplier, they lost confidence in the deal and I subsequently supplied them with a new machine.
The lesson is not that used machines are bad. The lesson is that you should know exactly what you are buying. If it is used, that should be clear. Then you can make an informed decision based on its age, condition, history, support and price.
Do Not Assume a Contract Is Safe Just Because You Understand the Wording
I have seen a solicitor become badly caught out by a photocopier contract. It was not because they could not understand legal terms. They could. The issue was that they did not know the photocopier industry well enough to appreciate the commercial consequences of the particular terms they were agreeing to.
That distinction is important. You can understand exactly what a clause says and still fail to appreciate how it may affect you over a three-, four- or five-year photocopier agreement. Industry-specific issues such as finance settlements, annual service increases, minimum billing, equipment ownership, replacement terms and the relationship between the finance agreement and maintenance agreement can have serious commercial consequences.
For that reason, I would not only ask “Do I understand this contract?” I would also ask “Do I understand how this term is normally used in the photocopier industry, and what could it cost me in practice?”
How to Find a Reputable Refurbished Photocopier Supplier
A good supplier should be comfortable answering detailed questions about a used machine rather than trying to move the conversation back to the monthly price.
- Ask how long they have been supplying and maintaining photocopiers.
- Ask who actually services the equipment and what engineer coverage is available.
- Ask for the machine’s age, meter reading and condition.
- Ask exactly what “refurbished” means in their process.
- Ask what happens if the machine proves unreliable.
- Ask how long parts and technical support are expected to remain available.
- Ask for important promises to be confirmed in writing.
- Compare the full cost of the used option with an appropriate new alternative rather than comparing monthly rentals alone.
So, Are Refurbished Photocopiers Worth It?
Yes—when the machine, price, history, support and contract are right for the customer.
I have supplied used machines that represented excellent value and allowed customers to obtain far better equipment than they could reasonably justify buying new. I have also seen used equipment presented in ways that left buyers without enough information to understand what they were really committing to.
The best answer is therefore not “always buy new” or “always buy refurbished”. It is to match the machine to the risk. If uptime is mission critical, new equipment may justify the premium. If you can tolerate some additional risk and the machine is properly selected, a good refurbished photocopier can save a considerable amount of money.
Talk to Camelott About New and Refurbished Photocopiers
Because Camelott supplies both new and used photocopiers, we can compare the options rather than trying to force every customer towards one type of equipment. We can look at your print volumes, paper requirements, scanning, finishing, reliability needs, current contracts and total cost before recommending the right route.
If you are considering a refurbished photocopier and want somebody to look at the machine, the deal or the contract before you commit, get a photocopier quote or speak to Camelott.