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QuestionsStraight Answers About Copiers.
Everything people ask before signing, including the parts most copier companies leave for you to find in the agreement. 48 questions, grouped so you can skip to yours.
01
Cost and Billing
What you pay, when you pay it, and what can change.
How much does a copier cost per month?
It depends on what you print, which is why we do not publish a rate card. Two offices running the same number of pages can use very different amounts of toner, especially if one prints a lot of color. We look at your actual volume and color mix, put you on the right machine and plan, and quote one flat monthly rate. Then we keep an eye on your usage and review it with you once a year so the rate stays right. Your number is on the proposal before you sign anything.
Why don't you publish prices?
Because a published price is either too high for a light user or a bait figure for a heavy one. A flat rate only works if it fits, so we size it to your office rather than asking you to fit ours. Ask for a quote and you will have a real number, usually the same business day, with no credit check and no obligation.
Is that the whole cost, or are there add-ons?
The monthly rate covers the equipment, all toner and staples, all service calls including parts and labor, preventive maintenance, installation and unlimited scanning. There are no fuel, meter or supply surcharges. Outside it: paper, a one-time delivery fee of $75 to $350 depending on the machine, a matching pickup fee when it leaves, pages beyond your allowance, optional network setup billed hourly, and applicable Illinois taxes as a separate line. All of it is on your proposal.
Are taxes included in the quoted rate?
No. Applicable Illinois taxes are billed as a separate line item on your invoice rather than built into the rate. If your organization is tax exempt, send us a valid exemption certificate before installation and we will set the account up that way.
Can the monthly rate go up?
No. The rate you sign is the rate you pay. There is no annual escalator and no price increase on notice, which is the clause that quietly raises most copier bills every year. The only time your rate changes is if your usage changes significantly, enough that you belong on a different plan. We look at that with you at your annual review, and it works in both directions.
How does billing work?
One invoice a month, emailed, billed monthly in advance. Payment by check, ACH or credit card, and recurring payment can be set up so it runs itself. There is no deposit, and the monthly rate starts once you have a working copier. The one-time delivery fee appears on that first invoice. Invoices are due on receipt unless your proposal says otherwise.
Do you accept credit cards?
Yes, along with ACH and check. There is no surcharge for paying by card.
What happens if we pay late?
Invoices unpaid thirty days after the invoice date may carry a late charge of 1.5% a month on the balance, or the maximum Illinois law allows if that is lower. If an invoice goes sixty days unpaid the account is in default and we can suspend service and supplies and arrange to collect the equipment. In practice, call us before it gets there.
Do you run a credit check?
No. We do not run credit checks. There is no hard inquiry on your business or personal credit, and no waiting on an approval, which is usually the slowest part of getting a copier anywhere else.
02
Page Allowances and Overages
How pages are counted, which is where most copier bills go wrong.
How is a page counted?
One page means one 8.5 by 11 inch single-sided impression, black and white or color, all from one combined allowance with the same rate either way. Scans are unlimited and never count. Two things surprise people: printing double-sided counts as two pages, and anything on a larger sheet such as 11 by 17 counts as two. Worth knowing before you estimate your volume, because a duplex-heavy office uses its allowance about twice as fast as it expects.
What happens if we go over the allowance?
Unused pages roll over month to month and stay available for as long as the agreement runs, so a quiet month usually covers a busy one. Anything past your rolled-over balance is billed at the overage rate on your proposal, but in practice that is rare: if you keep running over, we would rather move you to the right plan at your annual review, which typically means a modest increase in the monthly rate rather than a stack of overage charges.
What is the annual review?
Once a year we look at what you actually printed against your plan and make sure you are on the right one. If you are printing more, we size you up. If you are printing less, we talk about sizing you down. Your rolled-over pages carry through the review and are never reset.
Do unused pages have any cash value?
No. They roll forward while the agreement is active but they are not credited, refunded or paid out, including when you cancel. Rollover is there to smooth out uneven months, not to bank value.
Can we change our page allowance later?
Yes, at any time, in either direction. Volume changes when you hire, when a project lands, or when a location closes, and the allowance should follow it rather than the other way round.
How do you know how much we printed?
From the machine's meter, usually collected automatically or remotely. If automatic collection is not available we will ask you for a reading and need it back within five business days. If we do not get one we estimate from your previous three months and reconcile it on the next real reading.
03
Service and Support
What happens when it stops working, which is the only question that really matters.
How quickly does a technician come out?
Onsite response is the next business day for requests received during business hours, 9:00am to 5:00pm Central, Monday to Friday. Many issues are resolved the same day by phone or remotely, and a lot never need a visit at all.
Who actually services the machine?
Our own certified technicians, employed by us. Not subcontractors, and not a dispatch company. The same people service the machines we place, which is why they know your equipment.
Is there a limit on service calls?
No. Service calls are unlimited and there is no per-visit charge, no trip fee and no parts bill. Telephone, text, email and online support requests are unlimited too. This is the point of the flat rate: nobody has to weigh up whether a problem is worth calling about.
Who covers parts and labor?
We cover 100% of both, on every visit, for the life of the agreement. There is no separate maintenance contract to buy and nothing is billed after the fact.
Will I have one person to call, or a call center?
One named local representative who knows your account, reachable directly by phone or email. You can also submit a support request on the site or call the main Chicagoland line. No ticket queue, no explaining your setup from scratch each time.
How do we order toner?
Usually you do not. Toner and staples are shipped to you before you run out, included in the rate. If something is running low sooner than expected, tell your rep, use the support form, or call.
Is anything not covered by the service program?
Repairs caused by misuse, vandalism, liquid damage, power surges or electrical faults, fire, water, pest damage, non-Ucopier supplies, or a relocation carried out by someone other than us. Normal use and normal wear are covered, and so is everything that breaks on its own.
04
Getting Started
From first call to a working machine.
How quickly can we get a copier?
The decision is fast. Most customers go from first call to a signed one-page proposal in about fifteen minutes, because there is no credit application and no negotiation. Delivery is then scheduled around your office.
What do you need from me to quote?
Roughly how much you print in a month, whether you need color, and where the machine is going. A recent invoice from your current provider answers all three, and if you do not have one we can work from headcount.
Is there a delivery fee?
Yes. Delivery is a one-time fee of $75 to $350, depending on the machine, billed on your first invoice. Pickup when the machine eventually leaves costs the same as its delivery. Both are stated on your proposal before you sign, so you know the full cost of starting and of stopping. Installation and staff training are included. Optional network setup and integration is quoted separately and billed hourly at the rate on your proposal.
What does the machine need from our office?
Adequate space, ventilation, and a dedicated grounded electrical outlet meeting the manufacturer's specification. We will tell you exactly what a given model needs before delivery so nothing turns up that does not fit.
Do we have to sign a long agreement?
No. It is a one-page proposal, signed by DocuSign, plus the standard rental terms. The proposal states the equipment, the monthly rate, the page allowance, the overage rate and the delivery address. There is no 60-page contract.
Do we own the machine at the end?
No. The equipment is rented, not financed, and title stays with us throughout. No amount of monthly payments builds an ownership stake. If owning the machine matters to you, we also sell equipment outright, which is a different agreement.
05
Changing or Ending Your Agreement
The part most copier companies make deliberately difficult.
Is there really no long-term contract?
Correct. It is a month-to-month rental with no minimum term, no fixed end date and no automatic renewal clause. It starts on the installation date and continues until one side ends it.
How do I cancel?
Give us thirty days' written notice. Email counts. There is no early termination penalty, no buyout figure and no remaining-payments clause, which is what separates this from a lease. You pay what has been invoiced through the cancellation date plus any overages already accrued.
Does it cost anything to send the machine back?
Yes, and this is the one cost worth knowing up front. There is a pickup fee, the same amount as the machine's delivery fee ($75 to $350 depending on the machine), and it is written on your proposal from day one. You make the equipment available at the delivery address within ten business days, in the condition it arrived less normal wear, with the accessories it came with.
Can we upgrade or downgrade?
Yes, at any time, with no fee in either direction. Outgrow the machine and we swap it. Volume drops and we move you down. This is the practical reason the no-contract structure is worth anything.
What if we move offices?
Contact us and we will arrange the move. The equipment has to stay at the delivery address on the proposal unless we agree otherwise in writing, and a relocation carried out by anyone else voids service coverage for any damage it causes. Movers are not gentle with copiers.
Can we add a second machine later?
Yes. Additional equipment goes on its own proposal at its own rate, and can be cancelled independently on the same thirty days' notice.
06
Security, Data and Compliance
Copiers store what they scan. Worth asking any vendor about.
Does the copier store copies of our documents?
It can. Multifunction machines have internal storage that may retain images of what you copy, scan, print or fax. That is true of every manufacturer, not just ours, and it is the question most vendors are never asked.
What happens to that data when the machine leaves?
On written request we will overwrite or physically remove the internal storage device before the equipment leaves your premises, and give you written confirmation of the method used and the date it was done. If you handle medical, legal or financial records, ask for this in writing and keep the confirmation.
Can you help us lock the machine down?
Yes. We recommend turning on image overwrite and encryption where the machine supports it, and we will help configure both on request. It is worth doing at installation rather than later.
Do we need to insure the equipment?
Yes. You carry the risk of loss or damage from delivery until return, except for our own negligence and normal wear, and you maintain property insurance at full replacement value naming us as loss payee. Most business policies already cover rented equipment, so this is usually a phone call to your broker and a certificate, not a new policy.
07
Equipment and Brands
What we place, and what we will work on.
What brands do you offer?
We place Canon imageRUNNER and imageFORCE multifunction copiers. Canon because the machines are reliable and our technicians know them thoroughly, which is what makes next-business-day service realistic.
Is the equipment new or refurbished?
Certified refurbished. Every machine is professionally inspected, reconditioned and tested before it goes out, and none of it is new. Certified is our own standard, not a third party's, so you should not have to take our word for it: nothing is due up front, and you see the print quality and the condition of the machine in your own office before any money changes hands. On a lease it makes no practical difference either way, because you never own the machine and keeping it in good working order is our obligation for as long as you have it. On a purchase it is worth knowing, so it is stated on the buy page alongside the 30-day warranty.
Will you service a copier we already own?
Yes, whatever brand it is and whether or not we supplied it. We repair and service customer-owned Canon, Xerox, HP, Ricoh and other major manufacturers' equipment across Chicagoland.
Can we use our own toner?
No. The agreement requires Ucopier supplies, and damage caused by third-party consumables is not covered. Since toner is included in your rate at no extra cost, there is nothing to save by going elsewhere.
Should we buy a copier outright instead?
Sometimes. Buying makes sense if your volume is low, stable, and you are comfortable owning the maintenance. The all-inclusive rate usually wins when the machine is central to how the office runs, because toner, parts, labor and service are the costs that actually accumulate. We do both, and we will tell you honestly which one fits.
Do you take our old copier?
Yes. We buy equipment outright and take trade-ins against a new machine. Tell us the make, model and rough age and we will tell you what it is worth.
08
About Ucopier
Who you are actually dealing with.
What areas do you serve?
Chicago and the surrounding suburbs across nine Illinois counties: Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will, Kendall, Grundy and DeKalb. We are based in North Riverside with warehouses in Woodridge and Elk Grove Village, which is what makes next-business-day onsite response workable across the metro.
How long have you been doing this?
Since 2006. We started out renting copiers for trade shows, television and film production, Broadway touring shows, litigation support and political campaigns, then moved into no-contract office leasing when it became clear how badly small businesses were being served by the long-contract model.
Do you still do short-term rentals?
Yes. Trade shows, conferences, temporary offices, litigation, seasonal work and production. Give us as much lead time as you can, because availability is the real constraint. See short-term copier rental for how it works.
Will a salesperson keep calling me?
No. A quote carries no obligation and nobody chases it. If the numbers do not work for you, they do not work, and we would rather you came back in two years than stopped answering the phone.
Still not answered? Call 866-938-2679 and ask. If the question is about your specific office, a two-minute conversation beats anything we could write here. The full rental terms are published in plain language if you would rather read the agreement itself.
No obligation
One Flat Monthly Rate, All In.
No credit check, no long-term contract, and nobody chasing you afterwards. Tell us what you print and we will tell you what it costs.
