Because the office copier is so essential to many businesses, the service agreement that stipulates when and how repairs will be done is a very important part of any purchase or lease decision. As with pricing for the copier itself, service agreement pricing can vary significantly from vendor to vendor, so make sure you are able to compare by getting quotes for the same level of service from multiple vendors.
Service contract pricing is based on estimated copy volume. However, your copier usage is likely to fluctuate month to month due to regular business cycles or summer vacations. Be wary of contracts that stipulate an annual or monthly copy volume that is unrealistically large.
While it may be tempting to overestimate your expected copy volume to get a lower per-copy rate, if you do not meet that maximum, you will not be reimbursed for the difference. Similarly, if the volume estimate is too low, dealers often charge a per-copy fee above and beyond that limit, which can end up being quite costly.
All plans tend to cover costs of parts and labor for repairing and maintaining your copier. Unfortunately, "parts" often has a different definition from vendor to vendor. Parts that break during use are almost always covered, as are parts that wear out over time. This includes fuser rollers, cleaning blades, and other parts often bundled in preventative maintenance kits. Make sure you get a comprehensive list of what is and is not covered so you can compare plans accurately.
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