fax

[murdock]

anyone know which free fax to email service is a good one to use?

[Marq]

None of them are good to use if you wish promote your business properly.

[duncan drennan]

None of them are good to use if you wish promote your business properly.

Interested to know what your perspective is on that....

I use Telkom's mailmanager service (I think about R10-R30/month, i.e. not free) which sends faxes and voice messages to my inbox. The fax number is your land line number with an 088 in front of it (i.e. 088 021 948 4100) - the 088 can cause confusion sometimes.

What I like about the Telkom service is that the sender pays normal national rates, instead of the exorbitant special rates paid for the 086 fax numbers (about R2.50/min). Those numbers are free for the receiver, but the sender pays.

[Marq]

Interested to know what your perspective is on that....

I think that it is just plain bad business form to expect the other side of your trade to pick up all the costs for faxing and communications, unless agreed up front with the person that you are doing business with.

So you have sold me something and now expect me to fax a copy of this 20 page contract back to you.....mmmm - we shared the cost for me to receive your fax in first place and now I pay for all costs to send it back.

'Just send me a fax showing me that you have paid my account'. Ok so now I incur a further telkom cost just to make you happy.

Its like, I ask the banks or anybody who asks me to hold on the phone, as to whether they get a kick back from telkom for increasing my phone bill while I wait for their disorganised company to waste my money.

I have been stung (only one month many moons ago), for telephone bills way in excess of what should have been the norm. I am talking about R30 a time numbers paying for a 'free fax' scenario which apparently had been diverted via a 'free fax' number to a cell phone to the final destination. Not only do I pick up all the costs, but I pay for them at 4 times the normal rate. Local calls are charged for at long distance rates on this so called 'free system'. I understand that the sender is also paying for a percentage of the 'free fax' service which will be paid to the provider of the service and sometimes the receiver - so now I am also paying you to send you a fax - nice darts.

If you want to do business with me, we talk emails or normal telephone numbers. The minute you mention an 0866 number or similar, you are asking me to pay for your telephone bill and to pick up your expenses. Sorry but I feel that I pay telkom/vodacom far more than they deserve each month and I am not going to pay them more just because you have decided you are going to reduce your communication account at my expense. Now what else do I not trust in this business arrangement? Where are the other hidden costs that you want me to field? Deal or No Deal?

[duncan drennan]

I think that it is just plain bad business form to expect the other side of your trade to pick up all the costs for faxing and communications, unless agreed up front with the person that you are doing business with.

Agreed, and that is why I use the Telkom service (I pay, you pay normal rates). I avoid sending faxes to those 0866 numbers like the plague.

[Dave A]

If the consumer has a choice and they are footing the bill for the call, I guess this might influence their buying decisions.

But I wonder how many staff just take the fax to work to send off there. After all, if the company is paying, who cares if it costs more

[IanF]

I am wary when the only contact details you see are 0866 fax cellphone and a free email address.
I send faxes as part of the business and charge a lot more for 0866 numbers as it does cost more. I must now look at pricing again as the rates have gone up.

[Chrisjan B]

anyone know which free fax to email service is a good one to use?

Mine - www.bover.nationalfax.co.za

[Chrisjan B]

I understand the point about the cost involved, but one must also look at the following:
1. No upfront cost for a fax machine
2. Convienience
3. Savings on ink and paper because you do not need to print it out.
4. The guy that sends a fax to your normal fax also pay for the call albeit less.
5. Proof of payment can also be send via e-mail or SMS - what I mean is that there is a choice.

I do not try to promote or justify the service but every issue has got two sides.

[Dave A]

I was wondering how long it would take for an affiliate link to come up
Well done on being the first, Chrismine.

This is part of www.faxwhiz.com (no harm in using Chrismine's link, though) - the rates card pretty much lays out the costs side of the story. I'd note this bit:

The number can only be called from TELKOM, NO INTERNATIONAL FAXES AND NO FAXES FROM CELLULAR NETWORKS.

That makes me wonder if you could receive faxes via Neotel to the faxwhiz service.

[Chrisjan B]

I was wondering how long it would take for an affiliate link to come up
Well done on being the first, Chrismine.

Thanks for that Dave.

This is part of www.faxwhiz.com (no harm in using Chrismine's link, though) - the rates card pretty much lays out the costs side of the story. I'd note this bit:

That makes me wonder if you could receive faxes via Neotel to the faxwhiz service.

Here is a extract from the FAQ:

Q. Can my number receive calls from anywhere ?
A. No for 0866xxxxxx numbers UNLESS you enable the FAX+ service. Without FAX+ calls can only be received from South African telecommunications networks. If you enable FAX+ on a 0866 number you can receive calls from anywhere, subscriptions on 011 and 084 numbers can receive calls from anywhere with or without FAXPLUS.

[Dave A]

And FAXPLUS costs..?

[Chrisjan B]

And FAXPLUS costs..?

FAX+ :
This is an OPTIONAL monthly subscription service that enables international calls/faxes on 0866 numbers PLUS your faxes are saved/archived for 90 calendar days.
FAX+ can be added to any of the above number types.
You pay a monthly subscription of R20.00. The subscription is paid through any cellular phone on any South African cellular network.
More details at http://www.faxwhiz.com/faxplus.htm

[Dave A]

If I got this right, another way round your customer paying more is the LOCALFAX option. If my maths is right at R550.00 per annum that still works out cheaper than a line rental - not to mention ducking the wait for a line to be installed. The catch is the 1200 fax limit whereafter you have to top up, but that's an average of 100 faxes a month which might be fine for many a small business.