Printer rentals have been popular among companies to help reduce costs and streamline their processes. But while selecting a printer rental, companies tend to look at the monthly payment and ignore the quality of the rented printer. Refurbished printer rentals may seem like an affordable option, but there are several hidden problems with them that could impact productivity and performance in a negative manner. This knowledge will enable companies to make informed choices and compare refurbished printers rentals against new printer rental solutions.
Since companies are leaning towards managed print and rental services, the quality and reliability of rented printers become significant for smooth operation.
Usually, a refurbished printer rental includes printers that have already been used by other people before, repaired, and then deployed to new customers. Although such devices get fixed before being sent for rent, there could be certain differences in their previous operation, which could affect future performance.
The typical features of refurbished printer rental devices include:
Such unpredictability of behaviour is one of the key difficulties for business customers of refurbished printer rentals.
Since a refurbished printer rental device has already worked for various customers, the lifespan of its components could be different. It becomes clear with time, mostly during intensive work in the office.
Even though refurbished printer rentals may work well enough in the first phase of the renting process, there are problems that may arise along the way, usually growing over time, making it difficult for businesses to predict problems ahead of time.
Perhaps the biggest challenge when using refurbished printer rentals is the high chances of experiencing downtime. Parts such as rollers, fusers, and print heads are already half-worn out by the time you get your hands on them.
Downtime doesn’t just affect the printing process itself but all related processes such as approvals, documentation, and report-making. This is especially true for companies where the printer rental services are central and depend on one device.
Some effects include:
On the other hand, brand new printers have no history of wear before the start of the rental period.
Quality of print must remain consistent in business and commercial settings. Used or refurbished printers will produce a good-quality output initially but might start producing poor output over time because of ageing components.
With time, the inconsistency in print output may damage the reputation and credibility of your documents, especially if they are meant for clients. Moreover, reprinting of documents will also result in wastage of time, effort, and other resources like paper and toner.
Problems faced by businesses usually include:
Brand new printer rentals provide consistently high print quality throughout the rental period.
Printer refurbishment rentals typically need reactive support, which means that the service providers are often contacted after a breakdown has occurred, not as a way to prevent it.
Limitations of support for refurbished printer rentals:
A brand-new printer rental, on the other hand, provides opportunities for preventive maintenance for the service provider.
Reactive approaches often result in constant interruptions as the problems only get resolved once they have caused a breakdown.
Printers store confidential information related to business operations, but security often goes unconsidered. The refurbished printers can be:
The brand new printers can be more compatible with the present-day data security standards.
Considering that printers are used as part of the wider IT infrastructure of organisations, out-of-date and insecure printers pose certain vulnerabilities. In addition, businesses dealing with regulated industries should make sure that the leased printers meet their security standards.
When viewed collectively, these costs will reduce the savings gained by low-cost rental charges.
Indirect costs usually cannot be easily seen in the monthly rental invoices. However, when viewed collectively, these indirect costs become evident over time. It is not advisable to judge printer rentals just based on rental charges.
All problems related to refurbished devices have been addressed by design in brand-new printer rentals.
Advantages of brand-new printer rentals:
In cases when business needs reliability, new rentals provide confidence, not unpredictability.
By beginning their lifespan with untouched parts, new printers bring more predictability and enable service providers to offer structured maintenance programs.
It is not always wrong to use refurbished rentals because they can be used when:
Identifying the function of the printer within the business organisation would help in determining which printer would be suitable.
In such a situation, the business organisations should have clear expectations from the printers.
Refurbished printer rentals may be considered cheaper, but the potential problems, downtime, inconsistency, and reactive maintenance can sometimes be greater than any perceived savings. Organisations that prioritise reliability and continuous business operation will find brand-new printer rentals to be a much better choice.
In Abu Dhabi and the UAE, PrinterForRent.ae offers brand-new printer rental services intended for use by corporate clients.
Printer rentals should always be for business continuity and not become a potential problem. The consideration of performance, service, and reliability along with cost is one of the major