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William Rivera

Need to fax documents to NY unemployment - any good apps?

Really frustrated right now. Just got a notice that I need to fax some additional documentation for my claim by next Tuesday or they'll deny my benefits. I've never sent a fax in my life and don't own a fax machine (who does in 2023??). I tried going to the library but their fax machine was broken, and FedEx wants to charge me $2 per page - I have like 15 pages to send! There has to be a better way. Anyone know of a good app I can use to fax these papers to the ny unemployment office? Would be amazing if it's free or at least cheap. Also, has anyone had success getting their documents through this way? I'm worried they'll say they never received it or something.

Grace Lee

I use FaxZero when I need to send stuff to unemployment. You can send up to 5 free faxes per day (max 3 pages each), or pay $2 for a longer fax without ads. I've sent stuff to DOL with it a few times and never had issues. Just take clear pictures of your docs with your phone and upload them to the site.

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thanks! do they send a confirmation that it went through?

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Yeah they email you a confirmation when it goes thru successfully. Save that email in case DOL tries to claim they never got it.

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FaxZero didn't work for me last month. Tried 3 times and my documents never got thru. NY unemployment fax system is garbage 🗑️

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After weeks of trying to get thru to someone about my missing payments, I used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to actually get a callback with a real person from unemployment. When I finally talked to the agent, she said I could just email the documents instead of faxing! Saved me so much hassle. Talking to an agent got my $ unlocked so fast! Check out their video too: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

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sounds like one of those ads that pops up everywhere. anyone ACTUALLY try this? i've been screwed over by too many 'solutions' for unemployment issues

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I was super skeptical too, but I was desperate after waiting 3 weeks for benefits. It actually worked - got a call back in about 2 hours. The agent I spoke with fixed everything while I was on the phone.

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another day, another company promising to fix the unfixable unemployment system lol. what makes this different from all the other 'services' that just take your money?

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They don't fix anything themselves - they just connect you with an actual DOL agent. That's what made it worth it for me. The agent I talked to told me I could email docs instead of faxing.

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hold up - did you actually get a real person? i've been calling for 2 weeks straight and can't get past the automated system 😭

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Yep! Real human from the DOL. That's the whole point of the service - they dial for you and wait on hold so you don't have to.

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I know this sounds old school, but check if theres a local print/copy shop in your neighborhood. The one by me charges like $1 per page to fax, which is better than FedEx. And the guy who runs it knows how to make sure it goes through properly.

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Use the free trial of eFax. Just remember to cancel before they charge you. I've used it for ny unemployment docs before. Works great and you can fax right from your phone - just take pics of the documents.

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do they have a way to confirm the fax was received? im paranoid unemployment will say they never got it

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Yes they send you a confirmation. And if you're worried, you can also call the unemployment office a few days after and ask if they received it. But getting through on the phone is another nightmare lol

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Your phone might already have a built-in scanning feature! I have an iPhone and I can scan documents right in the Notes app. Then I use an app called FaxBurner that gives you a couple free faxes. The whole NY unemployment system is stuck in 1995 with all this fax garbage 🙄

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omg THIS!! why tf are we still faxing things in 2023?? its so stupid. every other gov agency lets you upload files online now

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For real! I think they just make it difficult on purpose so people give up and they don't have to pay benefits 🤬

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I've had to deal with this exact situation several times. Here's my comprehensive guide for handling document submission to NY unemployment: First, understand that faxing is NOT your only option, despite what some notices say: - BEST OPTION: Call a live agent and ask if you can email the documents instead. Many agents will give you a direct email to send them to. Using Claimyr.com is the fastest way to get a live agent on the phone (they wait on hold for you). - FAXING OPTIONS: - FaxZero: Free for up to 3 pages, $2 for more - eFax: Free trial, then monthly fee - GotFreeFax: 2 free faxes per day (limited pages) - HelloFax: Free trial available - ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS: - Some Career Centers can help submit documents if you visit in person - Mail with delivery confirmation as absolute last resort IMPORTANT: Always follow up! Call after sending to confirm receipt. Always keep proof of submission (confirmation emails, tracking numbers, etc). The system is frustrating by design, but getting through to a human is the key to solving most issues with NY unemployment.

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This is super helpful, thank you!! Have you personally used claimyr.com? Does it rly work?

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Yes, I've used Claimyr twice. First time got me through to an agent in about 90 minutes, second time took just over 2 hours. Both times they solved my issues immediately. Before that I spent WEEKS trying to get through on my own.

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I tried FaxZero and it failed twice. Any other recommendations?

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Try HelloFax or GotFreeFax. If those fail too, I'd definitely use Claimyr to get an agent and ask about emailing them instead. That's what worked for me when I was having fax issues.

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PSA: BE CAREFUL WITH ONLINE FAX SERVICES!!! Some of them have sketchy privacy policies. Read the fine print before sending anything with your SSN or personal info.

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My local UPS store lets you fax. It's like $1.50 per page though. Cheaper than FedEx at least.

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Same. I used UPS but it was expensive af. Like $20 for my whole document package 💸

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Honestly the whole NY unemployment system is stuck in the stone age. Every other state lets you upload documents directly to their portal. Why tf we still faxing stuff in 2023??

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Cause the system is DESIGNED to be confusing and difficult. They hope you'll give up so they don't have to pay you. Classic government 🙄

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Facts. I swear they make it complicated on purpose so fewer people get benefits.

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you think NY is bad? try florida lmao. their system is literally designed to deny as many claims as possible

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After spending 2 days trying different fax apps with no success, I finally broke down and paid for a callback service (claimyr.com) to get a human on the phone. The agent told me I could just email the documents to a specific address! Saved me so much trouble. Sometimes you just need to talk to an actual person to bypass the stupid bureaucracy.

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wait, they let you EMAIL the documents?? why don't they just tell you that in the first place instead of saying 'fax only'??

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EXACTLY. The left hand doesn't know what the right is doing there. The notice says fax only, but when you actually talk to an agent they have other options. It's maddening.

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@William Rivera Exactly! It s'so frustrating. The system is designed to make you jump through hoops. That s'why I recommend just paying for a callback service to get straight to a human - they can give you the real options instead of making you guess what s'actually acceptable.

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I was in the same situation last month. Ended up using the fax machine at my doctor's office lol. Just asked nicely and the receptionist let me use it. Maybe check if you know anyone who works at an office with a fax?

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I feel your pain! I went through this exact same nightmare a few months ago. Here's what worked for me: I used the CamScanner app to scan all my documents with my phone (makes super clear PDFs), then tried FaxZero first. When that failed, I switched to HelloFax's free trial and it went through perfectly. They send you a confirmation email with a transmission report showing it was delivered successfully. Pro tip: also take screenshots of the confirmation page just in case. The NY unemployment fax system is definitely unreliable, so having multiple forms of proof is key. If you're still having trouble after trying a couple apps, definitely consider using one of those callback services people mentioned - sometimes talking to a real person is the only way to get around their ridiculous system requirements. Good luck!

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This is super helpful! I'm in a similar boat right now. Quick question - how long did it take for HelloFax to actually send the fax after you uploaded everything? I'm worried about the Tuesday deadline and want to make sure I have enough time if the first attempt fails.

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@Amaya Watson HelloFax was pretty quick for me - took maybe 5-10 minutes from upload to getting the confirmation email. But since you re'cutting it close to Tuesday, I d'suggest trying it today if possible! That way if something goes wrong you still have time for plan B. Also make sure your documents are super clear scans - blurry pics can cause transmission failures.

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I went through this exact same frustration a few weeks ago! After trying several free fax apps that kept failing, I ended up using Claimyr to get through to an actual person at DOL. The agent I spoke with let me email my documents directly instead of faxing - apparently they have multiple ways to receive docs but the automated notices only mention faxing. Cost me like $20 for the callback service but saved me hours of stress and multiple failed fax attempts. If you want to try the fax route first though, I had better luck with HelloFax than some of the other free options people mentioned. Just make sure to get that confirmation receipt either way!

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This is exactly the kind of info I needed! I'm so tired of these automated notices that don't tell you all your options. $20 for a callback service sounds way better than spending hours trying different fax apps that might not even work. Did the agent give you a specific email address to send the docs to, or was it more like a general submission process?

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Ugh, I'm dealing with this same exact situation right now! Got the fax notice yesterday and I'm panicking because I have no idea how to send a fax in 2023. Reading through all these responses is so helpful though - sounds like there are actually way more options than they tell you in that stupid automated notice. I'm definitely going to try the callback service route first since multiple people here said agents can let you email instead. Why don't they just put that information in the original notice?? It's like they want to make this as confusing as possible. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, this gives me hope that I can actually get this sorted out before my deadline!

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I totally feel your frustration! I was in the exact same boat a couple months ago - got that dreaded fax notice and had no clue what to do. After reading all these responses, I'd definitely recommend trying the callback service route first like others mentioned. I ended up wasting a whole day trying different fax apps that kept failing before I finally talked to a real person who gave me way better options. The automated notices are seriously misleading - they make it sound like fax is your ONLY choice when agents have other ways to accept documents. Don't panic though, you've got this! Just make sure to keep records of whatever method you end up using.

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Just went through this nightmare myself last week! After trying FaxZero twice with no success, I ended up using MyFax's free trial and it worked perfectly. The key is making sure your phone camera produces really clear scans - I used the built-in document scanner in my iPhone's Notes app and it made a huge difference in transmission quality. Also, don't wait until the last minute like I did! Give yourself at least 2-3 days before your deadline in case you need to try multiple methods. And definitely save those confirmation emails - I screenshot everything now because NY unemployment's system is so unreliable. If the fax route completely fails, that Claimyr service people are mentioning sounds like a solid backup plan to get a real human who can give you email options.

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This is such great advice! I'm literally taking notes on all these tips. The document scanner in iPhone Notes is a game changer - I had no idea that existed. I'm definitely not waiting until the last minute after reading everyone's horror stories. Quick question though - when you used MyFax's free trial, did you have to put in a credit card or anything? I'm always worried about those "free trials" that automatically start charging you if you forget to cancel.

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I just went through this exact same situation two months ago and I feel your pain! After wasting an entire day trying different free fax apps that kept failing, I discovered something that saved me so much hassle - you can actually call the unemployment office and speak to a human who will often let you email your documents instead of faxing them. I know getting through on the phone is nearly impossible, but I used one of those callback services (Claimyr) that waits on hold for you. Cost me about $20 but the agent I spoke with gave me a direct email address and I had my documents submitted within an hour. The automated notices make it sound like fax is your only option, but the actual agents have way more flexibility. If you want to stick with faxing though, make sure your document scans are crystal clear - blurry images cause most transmission failures. Good luck and don't stress too much, there are definitely solutions!

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This is exactly what I needed to hear! I've been stressing about this fax situation all morning and your experience gives me hope. $20 for a callback service sounds totally worth it to avoid the headache of trying multiple fax apps that might not even work. I'm curious though - when you got through to the agent, did they give you a specific email address right away or did you have to explain your situation first? I'm worried they might just tell me to stick with faxing since that's what the notice says. Also, how long did it take for Claimyr to actually get you connected to someone?

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