I know these have been around for a long time. At a different company we had customers buy toner from someone saying they were us. At least the customers got something for their money- even though toner is included in their contract. Now at the company I am with, customers are getting toner bills for like 400.00 with a Pacific Imaginglogo and also our logo on the invoice. They have cust info, machine model and serial number. How do they get this info? Anyone else heard of this pacific imaging toner scam?
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Re: Toner scams
These scams have been around for ever. Allow me to explain. I'm in sales and I always start out with a phone call. The phone call is to gather information to help me sell a machine, eventually. Over the phone I'm usually able to get the following information:
-Make and model
-Name of company that provides service.
-Service Contract details.
I'll stop there. The point is some secretaries/contact folks, are willing to give out more information than they should. And consider that the folks calling in your scenario are likely misrepresenting themselves as an employee of your company.
Once they find out this info, they start shipping toner with an invoice. That's pretty much what I've seen.Adversity temporarily visits a strong man but stays with the weak for a lifetime. -
Re: Toner scams
We often pick up trade-ins that were on contract and the toner they have obviously didn't come from us. It has been a while but customers would call every once in a while saying someone from our company called trying to sell them toner. We never do that.
We had an account where someone decided they were going to take over the copier related duties. He then began ordering toner from Staples even though they were under contact. After 2 years he looks into our Maintenance Agreement and finds out the toner is included. He calls in and is ticked off. Says we should have known that they weren't ordering toner from us anymore. He took none of the blame. He said we needed to pay for all the toner he bought from Staples. I told him if he sent me invoices from Staples I would write him a check for our cost on the amount of toners he could prove he bought. He still wasn't happy but accepted it. Turns out the price they were paying for toners from Staples was much higher than our end user price. He was so mad he switched to a different service provider.Comment
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Re: Toner scams
Years ago we sold Canon products.
We had a customer who got a call from a scammer who pretended to be us, and were told they need to buy something like 12 bottles of fuser oil to maintain their contract.
These were small bottles, and were only to be applied by a technician once he or she opened the fuser cover plate and applied it to the tray/wick assembly.
While this oil was a supply item, and needed to be purchased, they were charged about 5x the normal price.
The worst part: The oil was for the NP-200 series only, and they had an NP-120, which didn't even use it.“I think you should treat good friends like a fine wine. That’s why I keep mine locked up in the basement.” - Tim HawkinsComment
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Re: Toner scams
20231018_150159.jpg
Would you like to order some fuser oil? I just can't toss this in the trash for some reason.Comment
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If you'd like a serious answer to your request:
1) demonstrate that you've read the manual
2) demonstrate that you made some attempt to fix it.
3) if you're going to ask about jams include the jam code.
4) if you're going to ask about an error code include the error code.
5) You are the person onsite. Only you can make observations.
blackcat: Master Of The Obvious =^..^=Comment
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A tree is known by its fruit, a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost, he who sows courtesy, reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.Comment
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Re: Toner scams
Last year got a call on my cell when I was working on a Kyocera 4501i and he said he was he needed my copier/printer model number, address and contact name to send a FREE service guide to fix machine. Also ask what company services the machine so they would pay for the manual. Right then I knew it was a scam, but I gave him all my info.
Totally forgot about it until about 4 months ago got a call. The guy asked for me and informed me that he was from my company and wanted to send me extra toner because it was going on backorder and wouldn't be available for a while. Me, as a smart ass, told him send me 100. He said most he could send is 4 so I said OK. To my amassment they sent me 4 high yield toners worth around 500 the following week. About a week later got an invoice for 1920.00. After of course after not paying got a phone call to collect and the lady said she was calling from my service company and when I ask what company she actually said my company name.
After she said that I said thanks for the toner because it's under a maintenance contract and I don't pay for toner and hung up. They have called many times I just tell them thanks for the free toner. They seem to operate out of California for some reason. Last call I told him to come pick them up but Iam not boxing or shipping back. So far, no calls this month so maybe they finally realized I scammed them back
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Re: Toner scams
Last year got a call on my cell when I was working on a Kyocera 4501i and he said he was he needed my copier/printer model number, address and contact name to send a FREE service guide to fix machine. Also ask what company services the machine so they would pay for the manual. Right then I knew it was a scam, but I gave him all my info.
Totally forgot about it until about 4 months ago got a call. The guy asked for me and informed me that he was from my company and wanted to send me extra toner because it was going on backorder and wouldn't be available for a while. Me, as a smart ass, told him send me 100. He said most he could send is 4 so I said OK. To my amassment they sent me 4 high yield toners worth around 500 the following week. About a week later got an invoice for 1920.00. After of course after not paying got a phone call to collect and the lady said she was calling from my service company and when I ask what company she actually said my company name.
After she said that I said thanks for the toner because it's under a maintenance contract and I don't pay for toner and hung up. They have called many times I just tell them thanks for the free toner. They seem to operate out of California for some reason. Last call I told him to come pick them up but Iam not boxing or shipping back. So far, no calls this month so maybe they finally realized I scammed them back
LOL I've done this once before and got free toner from some random scammer!!!Comment
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Re: Toner scams
You had better be sure. It is very easy to refill an OEM cart and make it appear as if it's new. And how do you know that generic toner isn't available? There are many sources. Moreover, they'll refill the carts with anything that will give a decent print.Adversity temporarily visits a strong man but stays with the weak for a lifetime.Comment
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