4 Things The Printer Sales Person Doesn't Tell You

I was at a (National Chain Store) 1 day and asked a sales person for some recommendations on buying a printer. The first thing he recommended was to purchase the most expensive printer they had on the floor because it would last longer and give me the best quality! After talking with him a little more and telling him I did not want to spend that kind of money, he took me to a (brand name ink jet printer) and began telling me that this printer now had laser like features. I was amazed to say the least at the questions he never asked.

·         What was I going to use this printer for?

·         What did I need this printer to do?

·         What was my print volume a month?

To be fair, not all printer sales people will do this, however you need to consider if they truly have your best interest at heart or if they are just trying to make a sale. You as the customer should consider the questions that are afore mentioned as well. I also want to arm you with 4 things the printer sales person doesn’t tell you.

1.       Cost Of Consumables:

There are a lot of inexpensive printers today. But are they a good choice for you? For example if you purchase an inexpensive (brand name) inkjet printer. You can be paying more for the ink cartridges than you paid for the printer.  In the color or black & white laser jets there are times you will give more for the cartridges than you did for the printer. You also have maintenance kits and transfer belts to consider in the color or the black & white laser printers. . This brings us to our next point Cost per Print.

2.       Cost Per Print:

Most ink jet printers you pay about .03 cents for black & white, and .09 cents for color per print. This is at 5% coverage; if you are printing at a higher coverage rate the cost is higher. Some color laser printers can be around .02 cents for black & white and .14 cents for color. Depending on volume you may be able to get by with an inkjet printer. It wouldn’t make sense to get an inkjet printer if you are printing large volumes. Some of the black & white laser printers get around .01 cents per print. Which brings us to our next point Cost of Repair?

3.       Cost Of Repair:

Unfortunately when it comes to inkjet printers, it does not make good business sense to have them repaired. Usually the parts and labor exceed the cost of the printer. There are some minor adjustments that can be made from time to time. A paper jam that is under the paper feed assembly can be removed sometimes. When it comes to more technical issues like a bad carriage assembly or PCA board, it’s time to replace the printer. On the color or black & white laser printers it makes more sense to repair, unless the cost of repair exceeds cost of the printer. Sometimes it is good to have the extended warranty or service agreement on your printers.  Which brings us to our next point Return on Investment?

4.       Return On Investment:

When buying a printer keep in mind that the initial purchase will represent little of the total cost of ownership. The real cost over the life of the printer will be in the consumables and maintenance of the printer. Where inkjet printers print in the hundreds before service or an ink cartridge is needed. The laser printers print in the thousands before service or a cartridge is needed. The laser printers are more durable and serviceable than the inkjet printer. On the other hand if your printing needs are a minimal, the inkjet printer may be the way for you to go.

These are 4 things the printer sales person doesn’t tell you. I hope this will help in the next purchase of a printer.

Action Printer Repair

George Thomas

Phone: (650)569-3990 Ext. 404

Cell: 650-518-1544

Email: george@actionprinterrepair.com

Web: http://www.actionprinterrepair.com/