can anyone share advice on E-Fax, MyFax or other alternative fax solutions?

[iSign]

I am tired of paying for a dedicated fax line (split with my CC terminal) ...and I am also quite aware of how little I receive faxes anymore, such that I forget to check the computer based faxes for a week or more at times. Yesterday I learned that I missed a shot at a job because I didn't see the quote request for over a week. Fixing my own spacing out of checking would make sense, but saving some of the $30 a month bill also makes sense.

A few friends use MyFax.com for $10 a month, and they may even allow porting my existing fax number to them, so all my marketing pieces, ads & business cards will remain correct. They do offer importing numbers, I just wrote that they "may" do this, because they tell me they can do that with some numbers, but not all numbers. They are checking my number & will have an answer for me tomorrow.

I also checked E-Fax, but while they claim to be the first, with the highest market share, they are also $16 a month. They claim better back-ups & protection against crashing & down time. (They also already know that can't post my number, for some reason)

Anyone have advice I should be aware of?

On a semi (sorta) related topic, I recently got an invitation to sign up for Google Voice, and got a google number. I'm not entirely sure when or how I will make use of this free opportunity, but it seems like a good thing. I'd love to hear more from anyone with new communications technology experiences or referrals who wants to chime in & educate the rest of us!

 

[SqueeGee]

I'd like to hear what others have to say on the fax topic also. I have two or three companies that order by fax but that's it. I'd love to find a less expensive alternative to my dedicated fax/credit card line also.

Would also be interested to hear if anyone is using a credit card terminal that processes via internet vs phone lines.

On the communications side, we run 2 land lines and 1 vonage line. We have a VOIP 3Com phone system that operates over our network. I've been very happy with it. It has wayyyy more functions than I know how to use. Cost was about $5k new for NBX, EPS(adds power to network cable so you don't have to plug power adapters into each phone), and 5 phones 3 or 4 years ago. I recently picked up 4 more used phones on ebay for $40 each.

 

[Rojo]

I use Rapidfax. $10/month. Haven't had any problems. Don't know about using your number.

 

[Grafix USA]

I have used efax.com for years and I am totally satisfied. It has a lot of functionality to forward faxes, send text and emails when they come in, etc. It also allows you to send faxes from Word and other programs. I'm not sure how the others work, but eFax is the granddaddy of them all and works great.

 

[Techman]

I haven't advertised my fax number in years. It's still hooked up to the regular line and all I ever get is spam crap. Its merely there just because.
Its either email or a phone call. No more faxes here.

 

[royster13]

I have used Myfax for several years.....I still get the odd order and/or quote request via fax so the 10.00 a month is worth....I also like the fact I can fax via my email and get faxes via email if I am on the road.....

 

[briankb]

We've been using eFax.com since 2003 and really enjoy getting our faxes via email and sending PDF's and DOC files as well. I usually login and use their form to send faxes but you can also enable the feature to send fax via email. Never had any service issues or downtime that I noticed. My only issue is that we've never had a local number. That may not be an issue now but it was at the time I signed up.

We pay the annual fee to get the price around $14mo.

Google voice is nice if you want to replace your existing voice mail or have a single number. It has a lot of call cascading options and you can even have a different greeting for each "group" of people in your contacts. It will also send you a text or email of voice mails they translate. However the voice mail translations are not very accurate. You can use the google voice number to give out to customers or vendors instead of your cell.

 

[ProWraps]

we use our fax a lot. we require a signed copy of an invoice, a signed copy of our terms as well as 50% down to start a job.

most docs are signed and faxed back to us. our customers also use it to send us sketches of their ideas on a picture of their vehicle.

i hate land lines. all of our 800 numbers forward to my cell phone so we have no use for one other than a fax, and well, because stupid att makes us have it to have dsl "LAME!".

i wish i could give you some help but i am trapped in the damn land line fax number. im really suprised to hear you dont use your fax much though.

 

[GypsyGraphics]

I've used eFax for many years and was happy with it, but i so rarely used it and switched to a totally FREE eFax number. You can't port your current number or even choose a number, with the free service and it's incoming faxes only. Mac have built in fax capability so I use that for outgoing faxes. In the past year I think I've sent 3 faxes, all for friends who didn't have fax lines.

A tip on the free eFax service... eFax purposely gives you a number out of your area code, offering a number in your area code only with a paid plan. If you are on the west coast, you'll likely be given an area code on the east coast. So, if you want an area code even close to your, enter an area code phone number from a far off state.

Opened 4 free accounts with different email address, to get an area code that wasn't several states away.

And like ProWraps, I require a signed copy of an invoices, terms and approvals, but all are emailed PDF files and clients usually return in the same manner.

 

[ProWraps]

yeah i email the pdfs, but for some reason most of my clients fax back. i guess its just easier for them. some do email though. but its rare. i personally hate faxes. it feels like the stone ages! heh. i pray for the day when faxes and landlines are but a distant memory.

 

[GypsyGraphics]

i pray for the day when faxes and landlines are but a distant memory.

couldn't agree more!

 

[Mainframe]

I have 2 numbers on 1 line using distinctive ring service from Verizon, I think it is 7 bucks a month & I have a local number, you have to use a device to route the calls to your fax machine, I bought my device about 1994 & have had it hooked up since, it also works with my DSL, I just use my MAC to receive them & most of my faxes go back out the same way, I have a fax machine up stairs in my office but leave it unplugged.

Every once in a while I get a fax that won't go through from the computer & need to use the machine. I like having the local number advertised on the Bus card etc.

Here is a link to the device, one side note, this tethers me to Verizon, (which works good overall but I think it is too expensive & might not be a good choice in your area.

http://www.byterunner.com/byterunner/category=Distinctive+Ring+Routers

 

[moonfist]

My Opinion of MyFax Justwent way up

I called MyFax to cancel my account and was told that for prepaid $20 per YEAR I could keep the same number and pay only per page in and out. no monthly fees....

Oh Yeah and they really do seem quite good.

Cheers,
moonfist

 

[SignManiac]

Doug, what solution did you ultimately arrive at regarding this issue? Curious, because I too have both biz and fax line and get about three faxes a year on a line that cost $80 per month.

 

[royster13]

I used MyFax for several years and it worked well.....I needed more minutes and they did not have a plan that was just a little bit bigger so I switched to Ring Central.....So far so good....

If you just get a few faxes you might be better with My1Voice which is a toll free telephone number but also let you receive faxes on the same number....I do not think you can send faxes from it though....

I love the fact I can send/receive faxes while on the road...

 

[Flame]

Have you considered switching to 100% e-mail? I did it about 2 years ago and really don't regret it.

 

[intensegraphics]

I also have a single line with two numbers. Pay $4/mo. for the fax number and use distinctive ring. Works well for me.

 

[visual800]

had the 2 land lines one office on fax. got sick of getting spam faxes and decided to go efax. Just got to the point I didnt get it anymore and cancelled it all. i still have the fax though i dont get incoming but I will hook it up if I need to send something out

if customer really need to get something to you they will find a way

 

[John L]

I called MyFax to cancel my account and was told that for prepaid $20 per YEAR I could keep the same number and pay only per page in and out. no monthly fees....

Oh Yeah and they really do seem quite good.

Cheers,
moonfist

What are the per page fees? I couldnt find that on their site.

 

[Cross Signs]

I've used MyFax for a couple of years. I like it. No more spam faxes.