# How to fax without a fax machine (international) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 31, 2021, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-fax-without-a-fax-machine-international/939102 "2021-03-31T18:42:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![PoppaSan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/poppasan/32/189_2.png) [@PoppaSan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoppaSan)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2021, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-fax-without-a-fax-machine-international/939102/22 "2021-04-01T16:05:04Z")
I did find this from [a fax site](https://www.efax.co.uk/blog/why-fax-is-legally-binding) in the UK relatively recent: > [@](#): > > **The Importance of Legally Binding Fax** > More and more organisations are seeking to upgrade their technology and ditch old-fashioned practices, such as the use of physical fax machines. > Fax machines, however, enable a number of important processes to continue, and that includes the transmission of legally binding documents that are admissible in a court of law. > This functionality cannot be lost. > > #### **Why Email Isn’t Legally Binding** > > Email seems like the obvious solution to your problems, but email documents are rarely admissible in court. For a document to be legally binding, it must be able to be authenticated to 100% accuracy. Email cannot offer this because … ETA: something about signatures that a fax transmits but email they can be faked. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2021, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-fax-without-a-fax-machine-international/939102/23 "2021-04-01T18:29:43Z")
How ‘relatively‘ recent? All that’s required to turn an emailed document into a hard copy is a printer, so I’m not sure what’s so hard here. I have both relinquished ownership, via signed document, this very way. And also signed a medical consent, both in the last two months! ---
**Author:** ![gdave](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gdave/32/3683_2.png) [@gdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gdave)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2021, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-fax-without-a-fax-machine-international/939102/24 "2021-04-01T18:48:02Z")
Dude, I don’t know what to tell you. I work for a national lab company. There is still some medical paperwork that has to be hardcopy, by physical mail, hand delivery, or fax, and printing out an email or PDF doesn’t count. OP posted _yesterday_, and the firm they’re dealing with is insisting on that the paperwork be physically mailed or faxed. I get it that it seems like it shouldn’t be this way, that a lot of legal paperwork is routinely done with e-signatures these days, that insisting on a fax seems bizarre if you’re not in one of the fields where it’s still routine, but it’s just the way it is. Regardless, the firm the OP is dealing with is, for whatever reason, insisting on physical mail or fax and won’t accept an email or e-doc. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2021, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-fax-without-a-fax-machine-international/939102/25 "2021-04-01T18:54:38Z")
> **[Why do people still use fax machines?](https://www.thestar.com.my/tech/tech-news/2019/02/07/why-do-people-still-use-fax-machines#close)** > > The fax machine is a symbol of obsolete technology long superseded by computer networks – but faxing is actually growing in popularity. ---
**Author:** ![Joeu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/joeu/32/2911_2.png) [@Joeu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joeu)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2021, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-fax-without-a-fax-machine-international/939102/26 "2021-04-01T20:04:24Z")
I have a friend who was told that he had to fax in some paperwork–email would not do, only fax. He said “I’m sorry. I can’t fax from where I live.” “Oh, where is that?” they asked. “2020.” They still made him send the fax, although they laughed. I’ve also used [efax.com](http://efax.com) for years in this kind of situation, and never had a problem. I’ve even used it on my phone, standing in the doctor’s office, to the fax machine on the desk right in front of me. It was the only way they would accept it. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2021, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-fax-without-a-fax-machine-international/939102/27 "2021-04-02T05:04:38Z")
Thanks to @Colibri for putting my thread in the correct home. [efax.com](http://efax.com) sends me immediately to efax.ch and only lets me use French, German or Italian, which I do not find convenient. I was not able to convince it I wanted some other language. > [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > I used fax.plus recently and it was fine. > [@FastDan1](#): > > I used FAX.PLUS just yesterday. Worked like a charm. I went with Fax.Plus and found it very painless. Thanks to all for the recommendations. Overnighting the paperwork would be 90 CHF, which is pretty close to 90 USD. That’s a big nope for me, if there’s a cheaper alternative. My fault for not getting it done earlier. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2021, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-fax-without-a-fax-machine-international/939102/28 "2021-04-02T07:59:12Z")
I am glad it worked out for you, and that you did not have to hire a courier to hand-deliver it. I was never a big faxer, unlike my colleague who never learned how to type, but, it you think about it, if you need a hard copy then with a traditional fax machine that step is already done for you. An exercise pertinent to this thread, which I never attempted, is to successfully fax without a fax machine using just your own computer and VOIP (possibly skipping the V). ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2021, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-fax-without-a-fax-machine-international/939102/29 "2021-04-02T08:13:09Z")
I don’t think it’s possible. The way fax works; it’s on a handshake protocol. The two machines have to be actually in connection with one another in order for it to work. With digital technology the two machines are never in the “same place” at the “same time”. ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2021, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-fax-without-a-fax-machine-international/939102/30 "2021-04-02T08:17:15Z")
That’s what I did and suggested, pretty much. Our landline is VOIP through our internet service. I used a printer/scanner/fax multifunction plugged into the phone port of the modem to fax in my ballot last November. It works, but it’s a little clunky. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2021, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-fax-without-a-fax-machine-international/939102/31 "2021-11-30T06:13:00Z")
> [@Die\_Capacitrix](#): > > I went with Fax.Plus and found it very painless. As I no longer needed the ability to fax, I canceled my account. I received 3-4 emails that the fax number was still available and I could sign back up. Today I got an email that my account has been changed to Free. Not too shabby. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-fax-without-a-fax-machine-international/939102.md?page=1)