The short answer
The commonest causes are a wrong number, a number that is not a fax line (a voice line or a mobile) and a recipient machine that is off, busy or out of paper. The tracking page shows the final status.
Start by checking the number with the number checker, then try again. The process page explains the stages if you want to see where yours stopped.
Read the status first
Open the tracking page from your confirmation e-mail. It shows whether the send is still in progress or has ended in failure. A pending fax is not a failed one, so give it time first: see still pending.
Note the number you typed exactly as it appears. The process page explains the stages if you want to see where your send stopped.
The usual culprits
Number: a digit transposed, a doubled country code, a missing or extra leading zero. The number checker catches many of these.
Line: the number is a voice line, a mobile or no longer in use. Recipient: the machine is off, out of paper, full of memory or shut behind a closed office. Ask them to check, or to confirm the fax number by phone.
Trying again
Once the number is verified, send again from the home page. If the file was large, try a simpler version, such as a PDF with fewer pages or lower image quality.
Do not assume a failure means the other person saw nothing: sometimes pages print partially. Ask them.
If a delivered fax is disputed, our proof answer tells you which records exist. If the problem persists, send the tracking link through the contact page.
Worth remembering
- Check the tracking status and distinguish pending from failed.
- Wrong numbers, mobiles and voice lines cause most failures.
- Verify with the recipient, then resend, or contact us.