Franking machines

ballisticbrian

Buying the machine outright cost back then about £350 which meant no monthly fees for that and their guess was the life expectancy of a machine was 4 years and I'm past that now already. The ink is extortionate and chipped so cannot be bought on eBay. It works out 4p per item in ink although I buy it when there is a sale on, so probably about 2p an item in ink. I don't pay maintenance unless it goes wrong because of the fibs of the salesman, so compared to some of you guys, it sounds like I kinda did ok.

markelock

i use fp mailing. £600 a month in postage, 90£ a quarter lease, and £200 a year in maintenance (even though they don't do anything, whereas I was sure they said they have to service the unit yearly) for a mailmark machine.

I wouldn't use them again, it has to be activated each week (i.e. plugged into a socket) which was never mentioned during the sale, which affects where it is sited; and they're slow to non-existent when it comes to issues, changes being requested.

In fact the only time they do chase me is to try to sell me ink or labels

it did suit my purpose, as I could send items at 6.30pm, but now with the changes in ebay, looking to track items, I have to post earlier to track.

ballisticbrian

it did suit my purpose, as I could send items at 6.30pm,

How's that? By taking them to the delivery office?

RFW

Really useful input, thank you all.
FP seems like the best deal so far, it works out at £15 per month with lower running costs. Pitney Bowes are now at the top of my worst customer service list. From someone with an EE mobile contract and a former Yodel customer that's saying something!

McKneff

Also, be careful about buying the sticky labels. You can buy them ultra cheap from your
normal stationery supplier.

The Franking machine company will charge you double this and there are unscrupulous telesales companies will charge you 10 times their price.
Some people fall for it.

ballisticbrian

Also, be careful about buying the sticky labels. You can buy them ultra cheap from your
normal stationery supplier.

The Franking machine company will charge you double this and there are unscrupulous telesales companies will charge you 10 times their price.
Some people fall for it.

We frank straight onto jiffy bags so don't need labels, but if we do need one to put on a box I frank a normal address label by first sticking it on a piece of plastic I keep by the machine.

markelock

ballisticbrian wrote: »

How's that? By taking them to the delivery office?

Yes, there's a franking box nearby, that gets locked at 6.30pm

I think the sorting office takes them in until 7, possibly after, but it's not particularly near.