Anyone use efax? or other web based fax service?

jamscal · Nov 2, 2008

I run my business from my home and my cell is my only business number.

Our home number was transported to my wife's cell phone.

The Internet line is for DSL only, anything else we would be charged for.

I need fax capabilities and need to know if efax is worth it, or if I should look in a different direction.

Thanks,

James

Bobw · Nov 2, 2008

At our shop we were using E-fax, $12 a month, and then they started charging for outgoing faxes or incoming faxes by the page(I don't remember which). It got to the point that it was cheaper to just get a land line.

Outgoing faxes were a pain, since you had to scan it in and then send it off, gets old if you are faxing out a bunch of quotes or RFQs.

If we hadn't been running satellite internet at the time, a vonage acount at $25 a month would have been a great fax line.

SwissPro · Nov 2, 2008

I've used efax for years. It's a great service if you travel a lot and need to recieve faxes. It's a lousy way to send a fax.

I use it less and less as time goes by. More and more drawings are in some electronic format and people simply e-mail them. If you need to send out a lot of faxes, I would consider something else. If you are mostly recieving faxes then try out the free account. don't worry, they will let you know when you exceed the limit. :rolleyes5:

Not having a local number doesn't seem to bother anyone who is sending a fax, so I never bothered to pay that upcharge either.

powerglider · Nov 2, 2008

I've been using trustfax and it is perfect for what I need.

I've never had to use extra money and I get my own 866 number where people can fax for free.

I've also been lucky or maybe that company does a good job at screening for bogus faxes coming in, but I haven't had a bogus fax since I got the number.

jamscal · Nov 2, 2008

Thanks for the replies.

How do you send an outgoing fax with these services?

Scan into a .pdf?

Use a Word Document?

I usually only need to fax an estimate or recieve a drawing on occassion...<5 times a month right now. I prefer email of course, but I guess we're still in a time where it's unprofessional not to have a fax.

Thanks,

James

powerglider · Nov 2, 2008

you upload files in various formats in trustfax, .pdf is one of the accepted formats, they also store your documents and alert by e-mail when you get a fax.

For your amount of faxes you would be perfect for the same type of service I use with trustfax, you get 150 pages a year for I think it's $32. You can buy additional pages if required when you come close to running out.

rklopp · Nov 3, 2008

I bagged efax this year after about 4 years of use. The cost ($169/yr) got to be too much for how little I used it. Most of what used to come via fax comes via email now. Even paper documents are scanned to PDF and emailed.

I was pissed at efax because they made it hard to drop the service. I had to waste a bunch of time on a "chat session" sort of like AOL Instant Messenger with some rude twit in Customer "Service".

Metal Mutant · Nov 4, 2008

We've had Efax for 4 years. Love it. Still cheaper for us than an extra phone line. You can up load just about any file you like. If your RFQ form is in Word you just up load it, if the print is a .dwg or .dxf just up load that also, no need to scan it in. So, it's just like sending an email. Also, if someone sends you a print via fax it's already on your computer. You just save it and you've got it. No need to scan it and then save it.

No problems with customer service, but I haven't tried to cancel it either

IdahoJim · Nov 4, 2008

I've had Efax for several years. I use the free version. I don't use it to send faxes...simply to receive them. I find it cuts down on the nuisance faxes as it costs money for people to send them. It costs me nothing to receive them. I have a fax modem in the PC that I use to send my faxes. It's perfect for my business, though I don't receive, or send, large numbers of faxes.
Jim

Pig Soooeee · Nov 4, 2008

I used Pfax at www.packetel.com for 7 years. Cost is $3.95 per month for incoming faxes only. You are provided with your own fax number. Fax is received in .tiff format through your email. Works great and is cheap. If I had to send a fax then I would use the fax machine tied to my main business line. It worked great as I didn't have to worry about running outta paper or missing a faxed P.O.

beege · Nov 4, 2008

I'm using a VoIP phone service (VoiceEclipse). I get a Phone line and a Fax line, including long distance, for $20 USD / Month. The fax line is good for outgoing, and I have incoming faxes directed to my email. No paper wasted on spam faxes. Of course that means I need some sort of ISP, which turns out to be cable.

biometrics · Nov 4, 2008

I am just like Idaho Jim... I use the free version just to receive faxes for several years... it has never been a hassle. I just put the required e-fax marketing emails in the "trash" category and my email filter does the rest... If I have to send anything, it usually goes email or I use the faxmodem in my PC...

John E · Nov 4, 2008

I've been using Send2Fax (send2fax.com) for a couple years, and I'm quite happy with it. $11.95/mo and includes a toll free number. Don't know off hand if there is a page limit, but I've never been charged anything extra. I got it primarily to be able to get FAXes by email.
To send a FAX you login to your account, type in the number (or get it from your address book that you've saved), upload the file to send, select the cover sheet if desired and fill it out, and click send. They email you a confirmation once it's sent. All the standard file formats are supported. Incoming FAXes come to your email address as a PDF, and can be viewed online as well.

Be ware it you use this kind of service with sensitive data (such as credit card numbers). It's no more secure than the email.

The concept of 'bogus' FAXes, as noted in an earlier post, is not quite correct. The FAX service has no way of screening them. Maybe they can block incoming numbers, but that would be it. If someone sends you an unsolicited FAX there are substantial penalties, and there are companies that will hunt these people down to stop them, and some even pay you a portion of the 'fine' they get. Check out this site to learn more on this: http://www.faxrecoverysystems.com/identi-fax-center.asp (no affiliation or recommendation inferred, just an FYI)

John

Vinz · Jan 13, 2009

jamscal said:
Thanks for the replies.

How do you send an outgoing fax with these services?

Scan into a .pdf?

Use a Word Document?

I usually only need to fax an estimate or recieve a drawing on occassion...<5 times a month right now. I prefer email of course, but I guess we're still in a time where it's unprofessional not to have a fax.

Thanks,

James

We use Onesuite Fax here. You send outgoing fax by attaching files, you scan the image, word or any file type and attached it. No need to scan of course if you have it on your computer already which most of my documents are.

The rates for sending a fax is 2.5 cents per page plus $2.95 monthly that comes with a fax number and unlimited incoming fax.

liquidTools · Jan 13, 2009

Food for thought - "virtual office"

James, when I ran my firm, I used "auction fon" and I loved this.
Here is how it works:
1) You need a land line (find the cheepest deal)
2) purchase auction fon - 29.99 monthly unlimited calling, receives unlimited faxes. You set up a virtual operator who answers your calls and she can transfer to: Sales Dpt; HR; etc - all these may be directed to your cell phone. They may e-fax to you and you can always use your computer to see a log of calls and faxes!

This works well when you are working out of your home...virtual office with full staff! :bawling:

Joe D Grinder · Jan 13, 2009

Years ago, I shot my fax machine full of holes. BIG 45 caliber holes. People ask for my fax number, I say " email me". They do. Problem solved. We need to team up and kill the fax concept. ....Joe

Vinz · Jan 13, 2009

Joe D Grinder said:
Years ago, I shot my fax machine full of holes. BIG 45 caliber holes. People ask for my fax number, I say " email me". They do. Problem solved. We need to team up and kill the fax concept. ....Joe

Hmmm...I agree that fax is a little bit outdated but you can't help it when some people insist on to send your quotes thru fax.

moldcore · Jan 13, 2009

We dumped our fax number and land lines the first of the year. Went totally wireless. Transferred the shop phone# to a cell phone. Our only drawback is no more free listing in the yellow pages, but we have never received a legitimate call from that source anyway in 15 years. If anyone wants to fax we tell them to email and they don't complain.

bjorn toulouse · Jan 14, 2009

I use MyFax. Easy to receive, semi a pain to send.
Out going scanned to either PDF or Word.
With MyFax you can send a fax as an e-mail with the pages as attachments.

Rex

jamscal · Jan 14, 2009

Thanks for all the replies.

I went with Myfax awhile back. Cheap, easy, and I got a local number.

I agree that fax should have been dead by now.

-James

Anyone use efax? or other web based fax service?

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