Print Lease Red Flags Checklist: A Pre-Signature Audit

Before you sign any print lease, run it through this seven-section checklist. Each section lists the specific things to check, what good looks like, what bad looks like, and the questions to ask. Tick every box before the pen touches paper.

1. The quote itself

• Good: Line-item breakdown — lease, mono click, colour click, service, any extras. All-in 5-year total calculated.
• Bad: Single "monthly cost" figure with no breakdown. Buried click rates. No 5-year total.
• Ask: "Can you send a written breakdown and a 5-year total including estimated clicks at my current volume?"

2. The click-charge schedule

• Benchmark: Mono £0.003–£0.007, colour £0.040–£0.060 per A4 page.
• Good: Rates at or below benchmark, fixed or capped at CPI / 3%.
• Bad: Rates above benchmark, annual escalation above 5%, different rates for A3 without explanation.
• Ask: "Is this rate fixed for the contract term? If not, what is the escalation formula?"

3. The contract term

• Good: 3-year term available even if 5-year is cheaper monthly. Both options priced so you can compare.
• Bad: Only a 5-year term offered. No rationale for the length.
• Ask: "What would the same machine cost on a 3-year term?"

4. The exit clause

• Good: Early termination at 50% of remaining rentals, or roll-forward into an upgrade after 24 months. Clear notice period.
• Bad: 100% of remaining rentals. Ambiguous language. Auto-renewal with 6-month notice.
• Ask: "If I want out in month 30 of a 60-month lease, exactly how much do I pay and when?"

5. The service agreement

• Good: 4-working-hour engineer response. Named service desk. Loan unit after 24 hours down. Quarterly account review.
• Bad: "Engineer dispatched ASAP". No SLA. No loan clause. Engineer pool only (no named resource).
• Ask: "What is your SLA in writing, and what happens if you miss it?"

6. The hardware spec

• Good: Clear model number, whether new or refurbished, ppm, paper-tray config. Manufacturer warranty separately listed.
• Bad: Generic "A3 colour MFP". No model. No new-vs-refurb declaration.
• Ask: "Exact model number, is it new or off-lease, and what is the manufacturer warranty?"

7. The supplier's track record

• Good: 5+ years in business. Companies House accounts clean. Three current-customer references offered. Active social and review presence.
• Bad: Under 2 years trading. Recent rebrand. Refuses to give references. No external reviews.
• Ask: "Can I speak to three current customers at businesses similar to mine?"

Printable one-line summary

Before you sign, every answer to these four questions should be clear and written:

1. What is the total 5-year cost at my current volume?
2. What is the early-termination formula in year 3?
3. What is the engineer response SLA and the remedy if missed?
4. What is the renewal notice period and where is it in the contract?

Quotes that pass all seven sections are the ones worth signing. Benchmark your quote against market rates here to see where it sits before you proceed.