Should I Buy, Lease, Rent or Subscribe?

When acquiring devices for your clinic, there are plenty of options, all of which have their place. You can buy a new device, purchase a secondhand device, lease or rent a new or secondhand machine or subscribe through Laseraid.

All of these options are great for the right clinic, so let’s go through the pros and cons of each so that you can make an educated decision.

Buying a New Device

Popular with larger, established clinics and medispas, purchasing directly from manufacturers means you get a new device with a warranty and often marketing support including banners and brochures. This is an excellent solution if you’re comfortable with the upfront cost and have a good relationship with the manufacturer. If not, take your time and make sure they’re the right partner for your business. Reputable manufacturers will offer referrals to other clients and testimonials if you ask for them.

Pros 

• Brand new device.
• Warranty and service support.
• Potentially powerful relationships.

Cons

• High upfront cost or interest on a loan.
• Service warranty only lasts so long.
• Potentially stuck with an outdated device in the medium term.

Buying a Secondhand Device

If you’re looking to bring down the cost, a used device may be the way to go. Much like buying a used car, you end up with the device you want for a lower cost, but you have no way of knowing what that device has been through, including the internal mechanics.

If you had a parent who was mechanically minded when you were buying your first car, you may remember them checking under the bonnet and asking questions of the seller before giving you the go-ahead to buy it. Clinic devices are very similar – if you don’t know what you’re looking at and don’t know the right questions to ask, then you may end up with a lemon, especially when it comes to lasers.

But there are plenty of bargains out there if you know what you’re doing, just make sure you take someone with you who knows how the device works and not just what it does.

Pros

• Potential to get a great device at a great price.
• Dealers may have access to devices that aren’t readily available.

Cons

• A lousy device may end up costing you more than a new one.
• Used components – you’re buying wear and tear.
• You miss out on the support you get from a manufacturer.

Lease/Rent

For leasing and renting, it’s important to get your device from an established, trustworthy vendor. If you do so, you can end up with a suitable, well-maintained device without the risk of ownership. However, we’ve seen many renters/leasers come into the market and exit due to high costs and the stresses associated with servicing devices and giving the best possible experience to clients. When these businesses leave the industry, devices are collected from clients. Those clients then have to find another solution quickly or risk losing business and disappointing their own clients.

There are excellent renting and leasing operators out there; just make sure they’ve been around for a while and have a good reputation by asking for referrals and testimonials.

Pros 

• You get a device without the risk of ownership.
• Weekly or monthly fees are often more manageable
• The supplier should handle servicing support as they own the device.

Cons

• If the supplier leaves the industry, then you’re left without a device.
• If the supplier doesn’t have a substantial servicing team, downtime can be an issue.
• Restrictive contracts can mean you’re stuck with an outdated device that you don’t use or own.
• Some suppliers are limited to only one or two brands.

The Laseraid Subscription

We’ve sold new devices, secondhand devices and rented and leased a wide range of products. In the end, we created the Laseraid Subscription to – we hope – give our clients the best of all worlds. 

Here’s how it works – 

1. Choose your device from our wide range of partner brands: Lumenis, Cynosure, Beco, Laseroptek and more.
2. You get a three-month ‘cooling off’ period with most devices. This means we’ll take it back if you don’t want it for any reason.
3. You can upgrade throughout your contract if new or better technology comes out. 
4. Our servicing team are based in our Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane offices and have the best response rate in the industry.
5. Our marketing team offers marketing coaching – empowering you to promote your clinic more effectively.
6. Our in-house training team will work with you and your team to ensure you know the device and treatments. Does a new staff member need training? Give us a call, we’re here to help.
7. Our clients get a monthly credit to spend in our online store.
8. We’re constantly developing ways to add value to our subscription offering.

Pros

• Established in 2007 with offices in Australia, the UK, and (soon) the US- we’re very stable.
• Extensive support network both internally and externally.
• Relationships with numerous major brands.
• Online store for clinic supplies.
• No expiring warranties for subscription clients – we own the device and take responsibility for its reasonable upkeep regardless of how long you’ve had it. This includes periodic preventative maintenance checks.
• The subscription model is constantly improving.

Cons

• You don’t own the device if that’s important to you (talk to us about purchasing options).