Copier companies seem to always look for some inventive way to scam you out of your money. One way they came up with is to extract more cash from you is to start with selling you a black and white copier, and then try to switch you over to a color copier at “no extra charge.”

Now they’re selling a color copier, with many more components than a black and white copier, at the same price as a black and white printer.

Why would they make such a deal?

The answer is simple: Copier companies don’t make the real money from the machine itself; they make most of their money from the prints that come out of it. This statement is doubly true for color prints, as they are far more expensive than their black and white counterparts.

When Is Accepting a Free Color Upgrade a Good Idea?

Now that you know this fact, why would you want to take this offer of a “free” color upgrade? Here are a few reasons why taking a color copier would serve you and your business:

• You need a color printer, and this deal would save you money.
• Your company knows how to discipline itself with its use of color prints, and would only use them in situations where color prints are essential.
• You know the difference between “black ink only” gray and composite gray. Composite gray prints count as color prints and will cost you accordingly.
• You are using a high-priced color printer for marketing purposes.

If You Fall Under the Criteria Below, Stay Away From the “Free” Color Upgrade.

Knowing when to avoid such an offer is just as important as knowing when you should accept it. Here are some specific situations where you should avoid this offer like the plague.

• Employees produce color prints far too often.
• You already have a color printer that makes color prints for $0.07 per copy or less
• You need a copier that can stay together and work for more extended amounts of time. Color copiers have far more components than their black and white counterparts. Because color printers are far more sophisticated in their design, they will break down far more often than a black and white copier.
• You don’t need color printing for any reason.

Inventory Your Needs for a Color Printer and Negotiate Accordingly.

Before you sign a contract to take a color copier into your business, understand what you’re getting yourself into. Color prints cost far more than black and white ones, and the copiers themselves need more service to run properly over time.

If you need a color copier and know how to use color prints judiciously, then a free color upgrade could save you a little bit of money. Make yourself fully aware of the potential downstream consequences and minimize them should you take the offer.