# How much does faxing cost?



## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

I just got back from a local corner store that quoted $2/page for a fax to the US. 

This seems outrageous - are there cheaper alternatives?


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## Dana (Nov 17, 2009)

I haven't used a fax machine in years. When we dumped the landline we lost the use of our fax (something we forgot to consider when we decided to cancel the landline). For the past 3 years or so I have scanned and emailed documents. I have never had a recipient/sender insist on a fax copy.


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## Mr_DIY (Feb 3, 2010)

I've used the myFax.com free trial before. Just remember to cancel when you're done.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

Dana said:


> I haven't used a fax machine in years. When we dumped the landline we lost the use of our fax (something we forgot to consider when we decided to cancel the landline).


A fax machine is pretty archaic when you think about it

You can use a plain old fax machine over the internet with a Linksys adaptor but I also find it easier to just scan/email.... everyone has email now-a-days.. it's far better quality and it's free


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## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

Good points. I'll see if I can just email the docs. 

thanks!


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

Legal documents are often still required to be sent by fax, and scanned/emailed documents won't do. That is starting to change now that digital signatures are available, but my girlfriend works in a law office and their fax machine is still used heavily all day.

In my home office I have one of those multifunction printers that has a fax function, which I've used exactly twice in the past four years.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

If you scan your signature what is the difference to a legal document? That's exactly what a Fax machine does. The only difference is that email won't degrade the quality to barely legible

I scanned/emailed all my mortgage broker papers, but I did see the lawyer to sign a million things in person


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## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

Four Pillars said:


> I just got back from a local corner store that quoted $2/page for a fax to the US.
> 
> This seems outrageous - are there cheaper alternatives?


Our corner Mailboxes ETC and UPS charge $1 per page + $1 for each LD call.
So a fax to the US would be $2 as well, but a local one would be only $1.
Outrageous, for sure - just like many other things.


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

mode3sour said:


> If you scan your signature what is the difference to a legal document? That's exactly what a Fax machine does. The only difference is that email won't degrade the quality to barely legible


It's a lot easier to tamper with an emailed document than with a scan. In theory, someone could intercept your email, make changes to the document and keep your signature, or change the names and signatures, etc. Plus I think there are some legal concerns about your ability to electronically modify a scanned document. Mortgage papers are less of an issue here than papers in legal proceedings/court cases.


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## Belizean Beach Bum (Apr 19, 2009)

I use faxzero.com which allows 2 free 3 page faxes per day.

I've used it to send faxes to banks, lawyers & revenue canada - 3 of the dinosaurs that still use stone age technology.


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## CanadianCapitalist (Mar 31, 2009)

Why don't you get one of those 3-in-1 machines with copier, fax & print? That's what I did. It was not even the cost of faxing. It was the nuisance of driving all the way to an UPS Store or Staples just to fax a couple of pages. I believe good ones will run you about $200 but its worth spending money, IMO.


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

CanadianCapitalist said:


> Why don't you get one of those 3-in-1 machines with copier, fax & print? That's what I did. It was not even the cost of faxing. It was the nuisance of driving all the way to an UPS Store or Staples just to fax a couple of pages. I believe good ones will run you about $200 but its worth spending money, IMO.


This is what I use -- I've had a number of these over the years but the one I'm using now is by far my favourite: the Canon MX850 (there is a newer version now with a higher model number). It's been 100% reliable, the ink cartridges are cheaper than those of other brands I've used in the past, it prints two-sided, is energy-efficient, and the software works well on both PC and Mac. I hardly ever use the fax function, but having a copier and scanner, as well as a printer, is really handy. This is the first of these multifunction machines I've used where the individual components are just as good as dedicated devices (like a standalone copier, a standalone scanner, a standalone fax machine).


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## CanadianCapitalist (Mar 31, 2009)

brad said:


> This is what I use -- I've had a number of these over the years but the one I'm using now is by far my favourite: the Canon MX850 (there is a newer version now with a higher model number).


I have a Canon too -- a MF4270. Very good, all-around machine.


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## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

We've actually been planning to get one of those 3 in 1 machines - maybe now is the time. 

I'll take a look for a Canon.


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## Dana (Nov 17, 2009)

Four Pillars said:


> I'll take a look for a Canon.



We have the Canon MX700. It's great. Never had a problem and the ink cartridges are fairly reasonable (comparatively) and available at Costco.


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## the-royal-mail (Dec 11, 2009)

Actually when I sold my condo I did it all via scanner/email. I have never had the need for any fax machine and the three times in my life where I did, it was easy to pay Mailboxes Etc $3 to send a couple of sheets, no big deal.

My procedure: receive PDF via email, print it on my regular printer, sign it, scan the document to jpg and email the jpg back with signature. Cheap and easy and I've had the scanner for years. A very useful device as they are good for scanning photos and other documents for your own purposes as well.


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## canabiz (Apr 4, 2009)

Perhaps you can check your office whether there is a fax machine and whether you can use it to send personal fax?

I don't mean to say you should fax a few pages everyday to different destinations around the world. Common sense should apply here. 

I rarely send any fax these days but when I do need to do so, I bring them to the office and either ask the admin assistant to help me or do it myself during the not-so-busy periods i.e. lunch breaks or close to the end of day. The faxes that I send from the office do not typically contain any personal or confidential information so that's not a concern.


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## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

canabiz said:


> Perhaps you can check your office whether there is a fax machine and whether you can use it to send personal fax?


There is one, but I don't want to use it for my home business. (Even if some of my co-workers do)


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## Berubeland (Sep 6, 2009)

The fax machine I use is a HP. It's a multi function machine too. 

With the VOIP problem I'm having I can't use it reliably. 

One bonus about the VOIP phone is your phone number and fax number is unlisted pretty much. 

You won't get those spam faxes with fake cancellation numbers. I used to get like 30 of those a day and wouldn't you know it they feel free to use tons of black ink which costs a fortune. Then when you finally need to get a real fax from your real customer you have to pay $100 for new ink.


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## gregdo (May 18, 2010)

I do very little faxing these days, so I scan on my printer (scans but doesn't fax) and fax using my computer's built in modem. Back when I had need for a real fax, I used an old computer to receive faxes and only printed the ones that I needed.


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## johnchow101 (Dec 3, 2010)

*Faxing doesn't get authenticated. The number you send from/to is not authenticated.*



brad said:


> Legal documents are often still required to be sent by fax, and scanned/emailed documents won't do. That is starting to change now that digital signatures are available, but my girlfriend works in a law office and their fax machine is still used heavily all day.
> 
> In my home office I have one of those multifunction printers that has a fax function, which I've used exactly twice in the past four years.


I have sent a lot of legal documents via e-mail. Faxing doesn't get authenticated. The number you send from/to is not authenticated. That is where Telex comes in. Therefore, insist on faxing doesn't hold value. However, secretaries to be trained to work on scanned images could be an issue on firms where they started employment decades ago.


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