FAQs

Basic

Where are you located?

We are located right off route 355 (North Frederick Avenue) in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The cross street is Game Preserve Road. If you know the area, we are a mile north of the Costco, just past Professional Drive.

What kind of copiers do you sell?

We sell copiers manufactured by Kyocera.

What else do you sell?
We are an authorized dealer for Workstream.  Workstream is quality, durable office furniture that is made in the USA to order with a 15 day delivery.
We are an Authorized Safco dealer.  We offer Safco Products to our copier customers at below market prices.  Please request a free catalog or veiw it online in our furniture section.

What are your business hours?

Our office hours are Monday thru Friday 9am-6pm.

Technical

My copies seem light, should I add toner?

You should only add toner if the machine indicates it requires toner. Most likely your copier needs to be cleaned. Some models require the user to perform light maintenance when replacing the toner cartridge. Check your user manual or call in for assistance.

I get a line down every page that is copied. Is there anything I can do?

Check to see if the line is there only when you use the automatic document feeder. If the line is not there when copying off the glass, check to see if there is dirt, whiteout or dust build-up on the long-thin glass to the left of the main original copy glass. If debris builds up here the machine sees it as a line as the feeder scans paper past it.

My copier displays a message "call for service C-6000", what should I do?

Write down the number so that when you call us we know what code we are dealing with. Try opening and closing the front door of the copier. Some codes the machine can reset and allow you to continue using the machine in a diminished capacity. If you are not set up for automatic monitoring, Call and let us know even if the code resets.

My copies are crooked. Is there anything I can do?

Check to see if the paper guides in the paper drawer are tight up against the paper. Many times we find that they have moved away from the paper allowing the page to be feed crooked.

My copier is jammed but I cannot find any paper inside. What can I do?

Does you copier indicate a jam location number? Some models have special hiding places. Some of these places are sometimes located in your user manual. You can check there or call in for assistance. If we can't help you over the phone we will send someone out immediately.

Whenever I try to scan back to my PC the copier says "unable to connect, see network administrator", or “unable to connect to user pc”. Is there anything I can do?

Make sure the scanner file utility is running in the tool bar on the bottom right of your screen, if not open through your program files, under the start menu. If any new security software has been added or updated recently, be sure that an exception allowing the copier to communicate with your PC is in place.

Someone called and said they were from Freestate and want to sell us toner. Do they work with you?

NO! Most toner is included in your service agreement. At Freestate, we will never call to sell you toner. Do not let anyone sell you toner; they are most likely a toner pirate. They can be smooth-talking and quite persuasive, but they are nothing more than scam artists. Toner pirates call businesses and use scripts to trick office personnel into thinking the call is coming from the company’s regular office products supplier and offer you a “special” or “last chance before the price goes up sale”. What they are offering, however, is no bargain at all. Instead, their intentions are to coerce companies into accepting supply shipments for copy machine toner or other office supplies that are grossly over-priced, sometimes as much as 10 times suggested retail.

Some pirates will call a company, ask for the name of the person that orders supplies, request the business address, and then send supplies that were never ordered, with an outrageous bill attached or mailed at a later date. I have even heard where they call you and ask for your service companies name, wait a month or two and then call back and say they are your service company, actually using your service company’s name. It is recommended that you only accept toner orders that you personally called to order and refuse all supply shipments from outside your service company. Letting your staff know, even temporary staff, about toner pirates can help prevent this from happening to your business.

Sales and Leasing

I received an invoice from the leasing company that includes a charge for insurance. Is this correct?

Your lease requires you to insure the equipment. You most likely already have it insured under your business insurance. Check with your insurance agent. They can send the leasing company a binder page showing the insurance coverage. If you need assistance dealing with the leasing company for any reason we would be glad to make calls on your behalf.

What is better, a Fair Market Value (FMV) or a dollar buy-out lease?

If you are going to lease, in most cases I think a FMV lease leaves you with more options. A FMV lease will be less money per month with a high buy-out at the end of the term or you can return the equipment to the leasing company and lease a new machine. With a dollar buy-out lease you own the equipment at the end of the lease. It sounds good but you paid the same amount you would have paid if you opted for the FMV lease and executed the purchase option since the monthly payments are so much higher for the dollar buy-out lease. With color technology you most likely will not want to own the equipment after 36 or 48 months since the technology is changing so fast. With a FMV lease you have the option to return the equipment. With a dollar buy-out there is no decision to be made.

Will the leasing company remind us at the end of the lease with our options?

No! In fact most leasing companies are perfectly content to just let you keep paying a monthly amount that they will now consider a rental fee. I have seen all too often companies that have continued to pay for years after the end of a lease because they did not know that they could have just purchased or returned the equipment. Many leasing companies try to make it difficult by not returning calls etc. At Freestate we track the leases and remind you of your options."