At long last, you finally get to return your old copier to the leasing company. You sent your letter within 45-90 days, stating that you’ll be returning your copier and ending your lease. Now the end date is official.

Now there’s one more problem: you are now responsible for packing the copier and sending it back to some random warehouse. If the leasing company unpacks the copier and spots any damage, they’ll hold you responsible for that as well.

Here is how your copier company will “help” you out.

When you call up the copier company to ask them to help you out, they’ll give you two options:

1. Pay them $500 to package the copier and another $300 to ship it.
2. Buy your next copier from them (at an inflated price), and they’ll pack and ship the old copier for “free.”

Your copier company knows you want to avoid the headache of packing and shipping your old copier, so they use this situation to rope you into another five-year lease with them. This strategy is one of many they use to extinguish all chances of competition; they steal from you any chance of a better offer.

How did this situation happen? The leasing company wants another contract, and the copier company wants another sale.

For an extra jab in the eye, a copier company sends a tech over that makes roughly $20 an hour for the packing job, which will take him approximately two hours to complete. Your copier company charges you $500 for a job that only costs the company $40 in labor.

On the shipping end of the deal, the copier company contacts the leasing company to get a reduced shipping rate if they get you to sign a new contract. They may even go directly to the manufacturer to ask for an extra discount to accommodate this fee they’ll need to pay.

How to Reduce Your Financial Exposure and Get Competitive Quotes for Your Next Copier

There are two big things you can do to save potentially thousands of dollars on your next copier lease. These steps will take some time to complete, but they will be worth it in the long run.

Start by removing all the consumables and package them separately. Take pictures from every angle to show there is no damage to the equipment. Also, take photos as you pack the copier to show you took the right precautions to ensure it gets to its destination unscathed.

Second, as you look for new quotes, let the dealers from competitor companies know you have (or will have) a packaged copier that you need to send back. Ask them what they can do to help with the freight costs.

You don’t need to follow these steps to return your copier. However, to avoid getting nickeled and dimed to death by your copier company and leasing company, you should do whatever it takes to keep them from taking any more money than they earn through their service.

Don’t reward a company’s bad behavior; if they try to pull extortionary tactics like this on you, cut ties immediately. Your company deserves better than to do business with thieves.