FaxMonkey
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Troubleshooting

Fax not delivered?

Quick help with delivery issues - find and fix the cause

Tested solutions
Quick fix

Quick diagnosis

80% of cases

Incorrect fax number, busy recipient fax machine, or the fax machine is turned off

First verify the fax number and wait a few minutes before trying again.

Quick check

Check these points first

  • Fax number checked with country code?
  • Fax number without spaces or special characters?
  • Recipient fax machine reachable?
  • Document as PDF or a common image format?
  • File size under 20 MB?

Possible causes & solutions

Click a cause to see the solution

1

Incorrect fax number entered

Cause

Typo, missing country code, or wrong area code

Symptoms

Immediate error message, 'Number unreachable'

Solution

Carefully verify the number. Use the format +49 (0) XXX XXXXXXX for German numbers. The zero in parentheses is omitted automatically.
2

Recipient fax machine is busy

Cause

The recipient's fax machine is currently being used for another fax

Symptoms

Error message after several attempts, 'Line busy'

Solution

Wait a few minutes and try again. FaxMonkey automatically makes multiple delivery attempts.
3

Recipient fax machine turned off

Cause

The recipient's fax machine is not powered on or not connected to the line

Symptoms

No connection after several attempts

Solution

Contact the recipient through another channel and ask them to check the fax machine.
4

Technical issue on the recipient side

Cause

Paper jam, empty toner, or a technical problem at the recipient

Symptoms

Partial transmission, distorted pages

Solution

Ask the recipient to check their fax machine. Send the fax again after the issue has been resolved.
5

Fax number no longer exists

Cause

The fax number was deactivated or changed

Symptoms

Permanent error message for all attempts

Solution

Look up the recipient's current fax number. Contact them by phone or email for the correct number.

How to prevent the problem

  • Save frequently used fax numbers with country code in a contact list.
  • Do not send important faxes right before business closing time - recipient devices may already be turned off.
  • If deliveries repeatedly fail, verify whether the recipient still actively receives faxes.

Your fax is not being delivered? There can be various causes, most of which can be fixed quickly.

This troubleshooting guide shows you the most common problems and how to resolve them.

The most common causes

In most cases, the problem is one of the following:

  • Wrong number: Typo or missing area code
  • Recipient busy: The device is currently in use
  • Device turned off: The recipient has not turned on the fax machine
  • Technical problem: Issue on the recipient side

How to verify the fax number

The correct formatting of the fax number is crucial:

  • With country code: +49 30 12345678 (Germany)
  • No special characters: No slashes, parentheses, or hyphens
  • Check the area code: The area code must match the city/region

With FaxMonkey, the format is checked automatically before you pay.

FaxMonkey Guarantee

At FaxMonkey, we do everything we can to ensure successful delivery:

  • Automatic retries: If the line is busy, we try again automatically
  • Transparent status updates: You always know what happened
  • Money-back guarantee: Refund for non-delivery due to technical reasons (see Terms)

Frequently asked questions

How many delivery attempts does FaxMonkey make?

FaxMonkey automatically tries multiple times to deliver your fax if the recipient device is not reachable on the first attempt. You will be notified about the status and can request a refund in case of persistent failure.

What does 'Line busy' mean?

This message appears when the recipient's fax machine is currently receiving or sending another fax. This is normal and not a permanent issue. Wait a few minutes, our system will automatically try again.

Do I get my money back if the fax is not delivered?

If non-delivery is caused by a technical issue on our side, we will refund the amount. If the fax number is incorrect or the recipient's device is permanently turned off or defective, the guarantee does not apply. Details can be found in our Terms.

Can I see why the fax was not delivered?

Yes. The error report provides information about the reason for the failure: 'Busy', 'No answer', 'Invalid number', or similar messages that help you troubleshoot.

Problem still not solved?

If none of the solutions worked, there may be a technical issue. Our support team will be happy to help.

Go to the help page

Problem solved?

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