Do You Still Use Fax Machines?

[Mark Brian]

I have a first time request from an offline client asking me to fax a proposal instead of simply emailing it. I don't have a fax machine and I'm wondering if it's worth buying one (I'm cheap). Do you guys still use fax machine?

[ejfern22]

You don't need to buy a fax machine, all you need to do is go to staples or kinkos and just send a fax there. It doesn't cost that much either.

[MikeZewski]

Hardly ever,except when I was using Paypal and they would close my account for some stupid reason and have me go to Kinkos to fax them some info.

[Scott Ames]

I have eFax. I can get faxes and I can scan and send faxes. No need for a dedicated machine.

[John Rogers]

It depends on what business you're in. If your need is infrequent, and you have a place to fax from that's convenient, buying a dedicated machine isn't cost effective. A lot of businesses still use faxes however. The last one I had was an all-in-one printer/copier/scanner/fax.

John

[Steve MacLellan]

I have a fax machine. Sometimes clients use it to send me passwords and credit card numbers and stuff like that. But buying one shouldn't really be an issue -- they don't cost much, and if you're using it for your business you can write it off.

Regards,
Steve MacLellan

[JohnMcCabe]

As John Rogers mentioned, I use the fax capability built into my printer. I mainly use it for documents that require an actual signature, such as contracts.

If I didn't have the capability built into my printer already, I would probably put $30 or so into a basic machine.

[Tom Goodwin]

Originally Posted by Mark Brian

I have a first time request from an offline client asking me to fax a proposal instead of simply emailing it. I don't have a fax machine and I'm wondering if it's worth buying one (I'm cheap). Do you guys still use fax machine?

If you are going to get one, you might as well get a combo printer, scanner, faxer, copier. They aren't that expensive. I have one and use the scanning and single page copying function often.

[Ralf Skirr]

I think fax machines are the most unreliable, complicated and outdated means of business communication. :-)

But many offline businesses still use it, and since some of them are my customers, I have a fax too.

I use it only for sending, I receive faxes online via email.

Ralf

[Steven Carl Kelly]

Once in a while a wet signature is necessary, and so yes, in those instances.

[diverdown]

Mark - all we have used with our client faxes for the past few years is efax. the beauty is the minimal expense and fluidity of the process since we receive our faxes anywhere we are via email.

Chris

[WinsonYeung]

Nope, I don't use fax machine and I don't really know how to use it in fact.
The tool I'm using best suit me is email address

it's free of charge and easy to use as well

[Charann Miller]

I personally haven't used one for years but was reminded I had one when I received a junk fax the other day.

If I ever need to send a fax because mine is incredibly unreliable, for example it seems to get received only 50% of the time so I usually go to a fax service provider and have them fax it for me which is probably once or twice a year. That's how seldom I need to send a fax.

Just use a provider until such time you feel the need to buy one that justifies investing in one.

[MikeWest]

Yes, but ONLY for occasions where a signed document is absolutely necessary and the issue cannot be handled by email.

[KimW]

I use one daily, but not for my internet business.
There are many online fax services you can use if you don't have a fax machine, or as others have said, go to someplace like Kinkos or Staples and have it done there. Its cheap.
Kim

[Oscar D]

Good question, I do have a fax machine, but I don't really use it. I have signed up for a free fax number that sends the fax straight to my email.

Saves paper and works well

[kfilliez]

I have a fax/printer/copier I got from Costco for like $150...even does pictures. I don't have a permanent phone line attatched to the fax permanently since it is once in a blue moon when I need it. But, when I need to fax it is nice to not have to go somewhere and take time out of my day to get stuff done.

[Lance K]

Originally Posted by Ralf Skirr

I think fax machines are the most unreliable, complicated and outdated means of business communication. :-)

But damn they're effective. You can send or receive a single message without getting sucked into the other 50 unimportant ones in your inbox. And you don't get stuck talking to someone on the phone for 15 minutes to communicate a point that can be sent via a 1 page fax.

The old dinosaur fax machine may not be the sexiest machine/technology on the planet, but it's still as EFFECTIVE as ever.

[bobsstuff]

I voted NO because that is closer to the truth than YES. I seldom have a reason to fax more than one page of a document

If I need to fax one page, I use my scanner and built in windows FAX program to send one page. It keeps my single home phone line available for phone calls.

I use eFax to receive faxes. It is free when you let them select your fax number. It does not have the same area code as I have, but now one has ever complained.

I do have a Brother laser Intellefax FAX/PRINTER/SCANNER fax machine, HOWEVER, it sits on a shelf disconnected and almost never used.

[Vic Shake]

yes, many people do still use fax machines

[Jesus Perez]

I use a Free Efax account to receive, and a free FaxZero to send. I use it maybe 2 times per year.

[Jason Stepp]

I used to own one of those all-in-one printer/scanner/fax machines. I never once used the fax function though.

I'm sure fax machines are still used regularly in big business (especially for contracts and stuff like that), but I don't think I will ever have a need for one.