End of lease copier: return it, buy it out or sell it

When a copier lease or managed print contract ends, you usually have a few choices. Which one is right depends on who owns the machine, and the answer is in your agreement.

Who owns the copier during a lease

During a lease or rental, the machine belongs to the finance company or the provider, not to you. That is why you cannot sell a leased copier until you own it. The same goes for machines supplied under a managed print contract.

The usual ways a lease ends

1. Return it. The provider collects the machine. You pay nothing more for the machine, and you get nothing for it.
2. Extend or upgrade. You continue on the same machine or move to a new one on a new agreement.
3. Buy it out. You pay the buyout amount in your agreement, often called a residual, and the machine becomes yours.

Look in your agreement for the words buyout, ownership transfers, residual or fair market value. If you cannot find it, ask your provider to confirm in writing what happens at the end.

When it makes sense to sell

Once you own the machine, whether you bought it outright, bought it out or paid out the agreement, you can sell it. A machine that has been bought out is no different from any other machine you own.

Before you pay a buyout just to sell the machine, compare the buyout amount with what the machine is worth. We can give you a price in writing from the model and the status page, so you can see the numbers before you decide. A machine you have not bought out is not yours to sell, so please do not send it to us until you own it.

Planning the timing

If you want the machine gone on a particular date, such as the end of a lease or a move, tell us when you send your details. The date is usually the thing that matters most, and we plan the collection around it. See bulk lots and end of contract if you have several machines.

Questions