- For many organizations, having a postage meter in their office is akin to having Bernie Madoff on their desk. And don’t think it’s not big money we’re talking about. The four authorized vendors of postage meters have sales in BILLIONS of dollars each year. That’s billions, not millions. From the perspective of a business it’s no different. When you do agree to buy (which you can’t really do) a postage meter; you are signing an obligation to pay for many things (postage machine lease, meter rental, maintenance, postal rate change updates, etc.) for a rather long period of time. I knew a small business – an insurance company – that was spending over $10,000 quarterly on three pieces of mailing equipment on a 6 year lease. That’s almost a quarter of a million dollars spent on mailing equipment!So why compare postage to Bernie Madoff? Well there are several reasons:* First. Most small businesses don’t NEED a postage meter. They think they do because a representative from a manufacturer told them they do. When you boil it all down, all a postage meter does is put postage on a mail piece without having to use a stamp. It’s a timesaver in that you don’t have to pick up a roll of stamps at the Post Office (or, now convenience store or grocery store). In most cases, the scale which is interfaced to the postage meter is the most valuable component. It weighs the mail piece and with the meter calculates the proper postage to go on the mail piece. I’ve personally seen small businesses that send out 5 – 10 envelopes day, which don’t require weighing or postage calculation, spending over a $100 a month on a postage meter. All they really needed was a roll of stamps. Even business with mail that may have differing weights could get by easily with a $10 scale (available at the post office and a roll of stamps – maybe two. One roll for the 1 oz. basic rate and a second roll for the few pieces they have that go over 1 oz. and need the additional postage, which is slightly less than the first ounce amount.* Second. Even if you do need a postage meter, you probably are spending too much on it. Many businesses, which do legitimately need a postage system of some type, typically rely on the sales person from the postage machine company to guide them into what they need. Even the most likable salesperson is in-the-end a salesperson with quota responsibility and baby-needs-a-new-pair-of-shoes responsibility. These responsibilities probably supersede his responsibility to insure you get the best system to fit your needs at absolutely, positively the lowest cost for you.So how do you avoid getting duped?Be educated before you purchase. It’s not hard or time-consuming and it will literally save you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. A quick easy way to learn the insider secrets to buying a postage meter is to visitwebsite. You will find secrets from individuals who have been in-the-business for over 25 years show simple steps to take that can save you up to 60% on you postage system costs.