Fax machine? Are you serious when you say you are still in this year 2009 using such equipment in the US? I received my last fax somewhere around 2002. No wonder you caused economic recession on yourselves and rest of the world if you're still running around with papers...
Re HP machines:
Aha! then the joke is double-edged. If you are an admin, you would blame the PHB for sending lousy (or maybe blank) bids. If you're a boss, you'd blame the admin for putting the paper in upside down. This is why so little gets done around the office.... I could tell some stories....
Some of us have the HP Fax machine. This one, you have to insert print side up on the automatic feeder, but face down if you use lift the fax cover option.
Every fax machine I've used in the past 12 years has required that the document be inserted face down (blank side up). Since the admin is obviously doing it correctly, either the bids suck or Scott Adams hasn't been around a fax machine in a long time!