Lease Rates: Protect Yourself

We thought today might be a great day to tell customers about this little known method to save money on their copier lease. It concerns lease rates. Let’s say you want to buy a small copier for $3,001 with a 48-month lease. With a Fair-Market Value lease, you will have to return it at the end of the term, but that costs an average of $74 per month. If you pay $2,999 for the same copier, the bank might charge $91 a month for a FMV lease. Here’s what it looks like:

• $2,999—$91
• $3001—$74

You have the same time period and the same lease. Why does paying $2 less cost an extra $815? What most customers fail to realize about copier leases is that they have a stepping mechanism that means if you spend a specific dollar amount, you will receive a better rate.

Ask ahead of time if they have only one lease rate for any dollar amount of if the lease rate will vary based on the cost of the unit. If the total cost of the unit will be factored, then you want to ask for the breakpoints. Are you within $200 of the next level? Ask for installation services for $200 and receive a better rate. We simply want our customers to be aware of these strange scenarios in the lease world.