March 15th, 2009
Changing of consumable items (Rollers, guides, lamps) in your scanning equipment at regular intervals is highly recommended and necessary, so please do not ignore the warning signs and try and do it as prescribed by the owner’s manual specifications. Worn and dirty rollers can cause paper jams, and leave dirt marks on your documents. Guides that are scratched or nicked by staples or clips will have that imperfection show up on your scanned images. Lamps that are left in too long will start to dim and affect your image quality.
When you buy a pre-owned scanner you should ask that these items be new, it’s like getting a full tank of gas when you buy a car, its should be expected. You should also keep these items on hand so you have them available when they start to wear out or fail. To be safe, buy a spare set of consumables with your pre-owned or new scanners so you have a set available when you need them.
Tags: consumables, maintenance
Posted in Pre-owned Equipment | No Comments »
January 13th, 2009
Scan counts are important when buying a refurbished scanner. You should look to pay more for a scanner with low counts as the scanner will have more life left in it and have better resale value then one with high scans on it. Its like an automobile, a 2006 BMW with 20k miles is worth much more than a 2006 BMW with 120k miles. Seek out and be prepared to pay a premium for scanners with less than 2 million scans in the high volume(80PPM+) models, as you can push these scanners in some cases into the 15 million range. Less than 2 million is barely broken in! In the mid and low volume (20-80PPM) scanner set, look for scanners with LESS than a million scans, as the scanners in this range typically only last until about 5 million. So always ask for the scan counts when buying a DEMO or REFURBISHED scanner as it is worth paying extra for a scanner with low counts and low usage.
Tags: brokers
Posted in Pre-owned Equipment | 1 Comment »
November 23rd, 2008
Kofax and adaptec PC cards with proper cables should come with your scanner when buying refurbished. You cannot run your scanner or use any VRS options without these cards, so make sure if your buying from another source that you get the cards and cable included and know that it is not something you should pay extra for as its required. It is always included as part of the sale with scanner traders so no need to ask.
Tags: Accessories
Posted in Pre-owned Equipment | 2 Comments »
September 29th, 2008
I just received an e-mail from an equipment broker listing their “Current Inventory”. The list included manufacturer, model, quantity and condition, but no price. Upon further inspection I noticed this list included a lot of the inventory we actually own and have listed on our Scanner Traders website with even the same quantity levels, clearly not by coincidence.
That’s what equipment brokers do, they list every pre-owned scanner they find offered on our site or hear about from their customers. Sometimes they just list items they know are in high demand and wait for an inquiry before even trying to locate one. It’s frustrating to a business like ours, because they use these lists to make their customers believe they actually own these scanners or are at least in possession of them when in reality they at best only know where to find them.
I noticed on this particular list there were no prices, which wasn’t surprising since they don’t actually own the equipment, or even see it before it arrives at your office. They only know what the seller tells them in terms of the scanners condition, and maybe some pictures. Brokers have no idea what their final cost will be, so they typically avoid specifying prices as they add their markup and “handling” fee to their costs, which is usually up to 35%. Not a bad deal for making a few calls, collecting a check and arranging some shipping.
A brokers’ success, is much like a magicians, it’s dependent upon an illusion that they create, illusions like these “inventory lists” that they e-mail out weekly or monthly. Next time you work with a broker, ask to visit their warehouse or for the serial numbers of the scanners you are interested in, and scan counts while speaking with them. If they own their equipment they will have that on an internal list, if they have to call you back, most likely they are calling us or someone else to get that information.
Brokers do typically deliver equipment as requested, but it’s the customer that takes all the risk while paying a premium for a scanner they could have purchased directly from a company that actually owns it. Next time you are interested in a pre-owned scanner, cut out the middle man, and deal with a company that actually owns the equipment they are selling.
Tags: brokers, Joe
Posted in Pre-owned Equipment | 1 Comment »
September 5th, 2008
If you buy a scanner to scan documents that will generate revenue for you or your company, you cannot afford to have that unit out of commission to long because if the scanner stops working, you stop making money.
Scanners do fail at times, so be prepared and get your self an extended warranty when you buy the scanner as you can get a better price on extended warranties versus letting the original warranty expire and taking a POST warranty. This way if the scanner fails you can get fast on-site service and get back to generating profits.
If you don’t have a maintenance contract or extended warranty and you call for support you could wait days for a technician to arrive and you will pay a premium for parts and labor.
If you budget will allow, another consideration is to buy 2 scanners, so if one goes down you have a backup and can always continue to scan while you wait for the other unit to be fixed.
Tags: Service Contracts
Posted in Pre-owned Equipment, maintenance | 2 Comments »
August 12th, 2008
I see consumers buying pre-owned scanners from what are called “Equipment Brokers” and wonder if they realize 99% of the time the selling broker is selling them a scanner that they have never owned or even seen in person, yet they profess to know all about the unit. They are also paying a broker fee to this person when with a little more research they probably could have found an equipment reseller to buy direct from at less cost.
If your buying pre-owned scanners make sure your buying from the actual owner of the equipment. Here are some questions you can ask to help you make your decision on who to buy from.
Ask about if the machine is refurbished and if so how? What type of warranty will you receive, as good equipment resellers will offer you the same as new equipment warranties of 90 days. Ask if the seller has their own technicians who work on the equipment. Where will the unit be shipping from and ask for actual scan counts and pictures of the scanner you’re getting
Tags: brokers
Posted in Pre-owned Equipment | No Comments »
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