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Need a fax machine to get established?
Thread poster: Ricki Farn
Ricki Farn
Ricki Farn
Germany
Local time: 22:04
English to German
TOPIC STARTER
Some conclusions Dec 6, 2005

Hi all,

thanks for the input

For incoming faxes, I find that free offers such as those by eFax and Euratel only accept faxes sent from inside this country (this may be specific to Germany, it's due to the use of 01805 or 'hotline-type' numbers). To get rid of this restriction, one has to pay about 11 Euros a month, which is a bit steep. My internet provider says "no fax service, period."...
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Hi all,

thanks for the input

For incoming faxes, I find that free offers such as those by eFax and Euratel only accept faxes sent from inside this country (this may be specific to Germany, it's due to the use of 01805 or 'hotline-type' numbers). To get rid of this restriction, one has to pay about 11 Euros a month, which is a bit steep. My internet provider says "no fax service, period."

I suppose I'll look out for a fax machine, but only switch it on upon specific request - I just can't take another machine humming all day in the kitchen, where the phone socket happens to be. An alternative is asking the senders to scan and e-mail instead of faxing, which they should be able to do if their machines are that comprehensive...

Ricki
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Astrid Elke Witte
Astrid Elke Witte  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 22:04
Member (2002)
German to English
+ ...
Yes, you need a fax machine Dec 6, 2005

I don't see how you can operate without a fax machine.

You will not get many spam faxes, as using up somebody else's paper in order to force an advertisement on them is most unethical, and no self-respecting firm would do it. There is just one discount supermarket here that does it, about once every 3 months, and, if I am in, I rush over to the fax machine and press the stop button when I see it coming through. Then they try a second time, and I press the stop button again. They
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I don't see how you can operate without a fax machine.

You will not get many spam faxes, as using up somebody else's paper in order to force an advertisement on them is most unethical, and no self-respecting firm would do it. There is just one discount supermarket here that does it, about once every 3 months, and, if I am in, I rush over to the fax machine and press the stop button when I see it coming through. Then they try a second time, and I press the stop button again. They never try a third time.

Well, what is a fax machine essential for?

I get a few documents to translate by fax - not terribly many. I don't like it very much, as I have to go to all the bother of cutting them up (I have a thermal paper roll) and scanning them in. Nonetheless, I do get paid for these orders, and welcome them if they come at a quiet period.

Slightly more important is the fact that agencies, every now and then, send me their Terms and Conditions of Business and request that I sign them and fax them back before they dish out a project to me.

However, the thing for which my fax machine is thoroughly indispensable is: sending reminders for payment of invoices. It is rather more effective than sending reminders by e-mail, and much less expensive than sending them by regular post (in summer you have to send out masses of reminders). It is less embarrassing, if they are only a short time overdue, than phoning up the company.

I get great results from faxing reminders. 80% of bills are paid within a very short time of my faxing the first reminder. I would not be without this convenient debt collection facility.

So, that is why you need a fax machine.

Astrid
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Peter Bouillon
Peter Bouillon  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 22:04
French to German
+ ...
Some providers of unified messaging Dec 6, 2005

Ricki Farn wrote:
For incoming faxes, I find that free offers such as those by eFax and Euratel only accept faxes sent from inside this country (this may be specific to Germany, it's due to the use of 01805 or 'hotline-type' numbers). To get rid of this restriction, one has to pay about 11 Euros a month, which is a bit steep. My internet provider says "no fax service, period."


Well, seeing that you are based in Germany, for what it is worth: GMX offers telephone numbers in Munich (+49 89) for incoming faxes; their ProMail offer is offered at considerably less than 11 Euros per month. (This is what I myself use.) [url=http://www.1und1.info/xml/order/MailInstantMail]1 und 1
[/url] provides unified messaging too, AFAIK, in a similar price range as GMX.

Concerning the necessity of having a fax: this depends heavily on the kind of translations you do. In my business area (computer science; EPR systems), I've yet never received a single translation job that wasn't provided in file format by email. On the other hand, if you mainly translate diplomas and so on, having a fax might be more essential to you.

P.



[Edited at 2005-12-06 23:57]


 
PAS
PAS  Identity Verified
Local time: 22:04
Polish to English
+ ...
Another argument for an internal fax modem Dec 7, 2005

Regardless of whether you get a lot of work by fax, I believe you must have a fax modem in your computer. Most laptops have them. Desktop computers - not necessarily.

Why? You need it as backup in case your gonzo 2 MB internet connection fails 20 minutes before a delivery deadline. The fax is part of the modem anyway, so you can use it to send or receive faxes, providing the computer is on.
The software either comes with the modem or you can use Windows XP fax drivers.
A
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Regardless of whether you get a lot of work by fax, I believe you must have a fax modem in your computer. Most laptops have them. Desktop computers - not necessarily.

Why? You need it as backup in case your gonzo 2 MB internet connection fails 20 minutes before a delivery deadline. The fax is part of the modem anyway, so you can use it to send or receive faxes, providing the computer is on.
The software either comes with the modem or you can use Windows XP fax drivers.
Also, older versions of Outlook (until 2000) included a Symantec fax driver.

That is the cheapest, most space-saving and most secure solution, IMHO.
And the modem saved my posterior once or twice.

Good luck
Pawel Skalinski
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Fred Neild (X)
Fred Neild (X)  Identity Verified
English to Spanish
+ ...
It is useful Dec 7, 2005

This year I bought a fax/scanner/copier and I believe it was a great investment. It helps me a lot, works very well and saves space.

But, I don't think it is necessary. But, is a CAT tool necessary? I know they save valuable time.


 
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