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Sketchy Vendors


MikeFeldman

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There's a fella near me selling some 1800s. he has some in storage and some on at locations, I asked to see some pics and he said he didnt have a camera, and he's also lives far from his storage unit so he dosen't want to go there unless I'm positive about buying. I asked if I could just go to one of his locations to look at one of his machines just to see what his idea of "in great shape was" and he said he would let me look at a machine but not the locations for "obvious reasons". What do you think he means by that? Obvious reasons? everyone selling routes near me are so difficult to do business with and very sketchy, is this normal?

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That is weird. I'd tell him that you are unwilling to commit to buy anything unless you can see what it is you are getting for "Obvious reasons". If the guy is too lazy/sketchy to even give you pictures, then he's not worth sinking any money or time into. There will always be more machines for sale, so hold off if he's not willing to negotiate with you.

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Why play games? Why disguise your concern? Wanna know what "obvious reasons" are? Just ask him.

Since you are the one with nothing to hide, lay it all out there, and let him decide how to proceed.

I'd say, "I'm really interested in the machines, but this clandestine nature (not supplying photos, not welcoming an inspection, etc) has me worried this sale isn't above-the-board. I'd love to see some of your machines, and I'm not sure what "obvious reasons" would prevent this. You may possibly find a buyer willing to blindly gamble, but not me. If you are willing to work with me, please let me know - I would love to come see the machines."

It's possible (since you mention "everyone selling routes near me are ... very sketchy") that these route sales are accompanied by machine thefts, or who-knows-what. Maybe the guy will come back with a valid reason, maybe he'll open up. If not, he either sold to someone else, or you dodged a bullet - either way, no skin off your back.

This guy also isn't overly motivated by money; he clearly values his time ("he doesn't want to go there unless I'm positive about buying"). So I suggest describing to him, as best detail as possible, your requirements for good, buy-able machines, to reduce the chances of wasted visits for both you and him. Lay "blame" on yourself, such as, "I do have some limits for machine quality, so if I have a better image of what you're selling, I may save us both some time." Worded nicely, any serious seller should appreciate this clarity, and should invest a wee bit more time talking to you.

My 2 cents.

EDIT: The other thing that draws my attention is, this guy has advertised machines for sale somewhere (you read an ad, I guess), but he didn't already have pictures in the ad, or prepared to email. So this adds to my belief that he's halfhearted about moving his machines. He's just not in dire need for money. So again, if you spell out your minimum quality requirements, he should appreciate the honesty and clear planning on your part. Also, if you sound as though anything above that quality-line is an automatic sale, he'll be more likely to invest time with you and perhaps meet you at his warehouse.

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is this normal?

For a bulk vendor? Yes.

Just hang around here long enough and you'll understand. I mean no disrespect to anyone here but bulk vendors are the oddest group of individuals I've ever come into contact with. Even weirder than carnival workers.

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For a bulk vendor? Yes.

Just hang around here long enough and you'll understand. I mean no disrespect to anyone here but bulk vendors are the oddest group of individuals I've ever come into contact with. Even weirder than carnival workers.

Sent using Tapatalk 2

Just because I spray Pam all over my bed and roll around in it in my clown suit...doesn't mean you have to get mean. Whhheeeee!!!!!! Now it's a party...

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There's a fella near me selling some 1800s. he has some in storage and some on at locations, I asked to see some pics and he said he didnt have a camera, and he's also lives far from his storage unit so he dosen't want to go there unless I'm positive about buying. I asked if I could just go to one of his locations to look at one of his machines just to see what his idea of "in great shape was" and he said he would let me look at a machine but not the locations for "obvious reasons". What do you think he means by that? Obvious reasons? everyone selling routes near me are so difficult to do business with and very sketchy, is this normal?

Tell him, "Yes. I am positive about buying your machines; without knowing anything at all, and never seeing what it is that I am buying. No problem...I will come down to your creepy dark storage unit alone...by myself... I have cash and I can be there today. You do take cash right? I don't have to sacrafice a goat or anything? Because for a minute there, I thought this was getting wierd."

Just be sure and bring:

1) Duct Tape

2) Shovel

3) Filed down toothbrush (prison shank)

4) Rubber gloves (don't touch anything...like at all)

Wow, this is starting to sound like a preview for 'To Catch A Predator'... Any minute Chris Hansen is going to bust through the storage locker eating a burrito screaming 'Gotcha!!'

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There's a fella near me selling some 1800s. he has some in storage and some on at locations, I asked to see some pics and he said he didnt have a camera, and he's also lives far from his storage unit so he dosen't want to go there unless I'm positive about buying. I asked if I could just go to one of his locations to look at one of his machines just to see what his idea of "in great shape was" and he said he would let me look at a machine but not the locations for "obvious reasons". What do you think he means by that? Obvious reasons? everyone selling routes near me are so difficult to do business with and very sketchy, is this normal?

obvious reaons being he is selling his route, you could just come in and likely get him

kicked. no doubt hes probably giving poor service due to the fact hes selling

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For a bulk vendor? Yes.

Just hang around here long enough and you'll understand. I mean no disrespect to anyone here but bulk vendors are the oddest group of individuals I've ever come into contact with. Even weirder than carnival workers.

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I dont know this guy that's selling his route so I cant really vouch for why he is acting the way he is, but to elaborate on steve's comment...I assume you are talking about how bulk vendors are protective of their territory and dont want anyone knowing where their machines are located or even what town they live in, for me it's because none of my locations are under contract and if someone sizes me up they can target my accounts, they would do so because they think if I have machines there it must be a good spot, I give good service to all my locations so Im not worried about losing them that way but location owners think that if they put more machines in they will make more money, which is not true, it only spreads the same amount out over more machines and vendors, if that makes me an oddball then oh well!

I have shared more information on this forum than I ever thought I would, and I will continue to do so, but I wont tell members everything I know about bulk vending, the way I look at it is why should I teach someone how to take away my living. Im old school so that's part of why I am protective, when I told my Dad I was a member of this forum, he said, "you'd be a damn fool to tell anyone what you know about vending" I agree and disagree with his statement.

I have met some lifelong friends on this forum and appreciate our friendship,and if it werent for this forum we never would have met, but I guess I will always have my guard up to a certain degree. This doesnt make me a sketchy vendor just a protective one.

If I misinterprted your comment, (insert gilda radner voice here) then nevermind!

hey big man can I hold a dollar? ;D

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Just heard back from the guy, He sold his entire route! I don't know to who. or for how much. his asking price was pretty reasonable. I don't really care too much it was a little far from me anyway. I think I'll keep an eye out on craigslist and ebay, just to see if it works out for whoever bought it.

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Just heard back from the guy, He sold his entire route! I don't know to who. or for how much. his asking price was pretty reasonable. I don't really care too much it was a little far from me anyway. I think I'll keep an eye out on craigslist and ebay, just to see if it works out for whoever bought it.

for anyone that doesnt know go to searchtempest.com and you can search the entire usa for things thru craigslist, ebay and I think the zon.
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I didn't mean it in a bad way

It was just a truism. Bulk vendors are odd. Nothing wrong with being odd or weird. Heck Mrs C says I'm the king of weird!

I do have to ask though will vend, do you think that other vendors in your area are blind to your locations? Do you think that not telling someone where you have a machine will keep them from finding it? I never understood that mentality even when I was vending.

Help me understand how telling your competitor where you have a machine located could possibly get you booted. Your machine locations are not private. They are there for everyone to see. I knew where every single one of my competitors machines are and he knew where mine were but that info gave neither of us an advantage.

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I didn't mean it in a bad way

It was just a truism. Bulk vendors are odd. Nothing wrong with being odd or weird. Heck Mrs C says I'm the king of weird!

I do have to ask though will vend, do you think that other vendors in your area are blind to your locations? Do you think that not telling someone where you have a machine will keep them from finding it? I never understood that mentality even when I was vending.

Help me understand how telling your competitor where you have a machine located could possibly get you booted. Your machine locations are not private. They are there for everyone to see. I knew where every single one of my competitors machines are and he knew where mine were but that info gave neither of us an advantage.

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your right they are all out there for everyone to see, but why should I give them a roadmap? that's part of the reason I am protective, Im not going to make it easy for them. and besides how do they know for sure they are my machines? If I tell them where I am located it removes all doubt. I understand what you are saying but I still feel the same.

If I were a part time vendor Im sure I wouldnt care as much but I guess it's just me being territorial. I wonder if other full time vendors feel like I do?

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I'm the same way. Both in vending and with my other business ventures. I've been called paranoid more than once. So what if I do end up being over protective of things that no one else really cares about anyway? No one gets hurt. No harm no foul. I've seen the results of those who haven't learned to hold their cards close enough to their chest in the business world.

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I mean no disrespect to anyone here but bulk vendors are the oddest group of individuals I've ever come into contact with. Even weirder than carnival workers.

I've seen normal, and normal scares me.

In the vein of the carnival worker, I know a person who eats razor blades, and another who was working on sword swallowing. (Had his esophagus measured by a doctor to determine exactly what the longest sword was that he could take before slicing his stomach.) Everyone knows getting over the gag reflex is a hard part, but many don't know pulling it out is a big problem. Your throat will actually grab on to the sword, so you have to train yourself to allow the sword to be removed.

I have done some minor work with blockhead type of stuff myself. (Hammering long nails into your nose.) Surprisingly it helps clear out your sinuses. My favorite way of doing this is to simply put long toothpick, (like what they use to hold sandwiches together,) tilt my head up, and old my hand up so it looks like I am actually holding it with my hand, and that it isn't really entering my nose. I always get called out on it, at which point I drop my hand, turn, and look directly at them and say "What?!"

Honestly you have to see their reaction at this point.

Uh... end hijack?

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your right they are all out there for everyone to see, but why should I give them a roadmap? that's part of the reason I am protective, Im not going to make it easy for them. and besides how do they know for sure they are my machines? If I tell them where I am located it removes all doubt. I understand what you are saying but I still feel the same.

If I were a part time vendor Im sure I wouldnt care as much but I guess it's just me being territorial. I wonder if other full time vendors feel like I do?

That's understandable. I'm not trying to change your mind, I'm just trying to understand where you're coming from. Like I said, I never felt that way so the idea of it is foreign to me.

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I've seen normal, and normal scares me.

In the vein of the carnival worker, I know a person who eats razor blades, and another who was working on sword swallowing. (Had his esophagus measured by a doctor to determine exactly what the longest sword was that he could take before slicing his stomach.) Everyone knows getting over the gag reflex is a hard part, but many don't know pulling it out is a big problem. Your throat will actually grab on to the sword, so you have to train yourself to allow the sword to be removed.

I have done some minor work with blockhead type of stuff myself. (Hammering long nails into your nose.) Surprisingly it helps clear out your sinuses. My favorite way of doing this is to simply put long toothpick, (like what they use to hold sandwiches together,) tilt my head up, and old my hand up so it looks like I am actually holding it with my hand, and that it isn't really entering my nose. I always get called out on it, at which point I drop my hand, turn, and look directly at them and say "What?!"

Honestly you have to see their reaction at this point.

Uh... end hijack?

Mage. Bulk vendor. I rest my case. :lol:

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There's a fella near me selling some 1800s. he has some in storage and some on at locations, I asked to see some pics and he said he didnt have a camera, and he's also lives far from his storage unit so he dosen't want to go there unless I'm positive about buying. I asked if I could just go to one of his locations to look at one of his machines just to see what his idea of "in great shape was" and he said he would let me look at a machine but not the locations for "obvious reasons". What do you think he means by that? Obvious reasons? everyone selling routes near me are so difficult to do business with and very sketchy, is this normal?

I think so! I have been running into this a LOT lately! I am in the market for machines and routes but seem to just get a run around.

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That's understandable. I'm not trying to change your mind, I'm just trying to understand where you're coming from. Like I said, I never felt that way so the idea of it is foreign to me.

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I know your not. we're just having a good debate and that is exactly what I love about this forum.
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I still think it is overkill to be so worried about losing a location, especially when trying to sell a route. Letting a person know about one location isn't a big risk, and if a person is really worried, they can always simply have the person agree, in writing (email should be fine) that you will reveal the location, and in exchange they will not attempt to solicit them for a location unless they buy the machine in that location.

Weak legally, and you may not want to pursue legal action, but you could, and they may feel a little more obligated not to attempt to steal your location.

Still, this has got to be the stupidest way of locating I have ever heard of.

While were on this subject, has anyone here ever had a location lost to another Vendor after attempting to sell them the machine or route, or somehow revealing the location to another Vendor? So many Vendors are worried about this happening, and yet I don't think I have ever heard of this actually happening to anyone.

I've heard of being kicked out, of another Vendor offering ridiculous commission, or making it seem like they are, of machines being stolen, of businesses closing without telling the vendor, or even the owner deciding to put a machine in instead of having a Vendor do it. I've heard of machines being stolen, broken into, and slugs being used instead of coins.

But sometimes it seems like everyone is more worried about revealing one of their locations to other Vendors then all this other stuff combined. I really doubt the facts justify the fear.

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I still think it is overkill to be so worried about losing a location, especially when trying to sell a route. Letting a person know about one location isn't a big risk, and if a person is really worried, they can always simply have the person agree, in writing (email should be fine) that you will reveal the location, and in exchange they will not attempt to solicit them for a location unless they buy the machine in that location.

Weak legally, and you may not want to pursue legal action, but you could, and they may feel a little more obligated not to attempt to steal your location.

Still, this has got to be the stupidest way of locating I have ever heard of.

While were on this subject, has anyone here ever had a location lost to another Vendor after attempting to sell them the machine or route, or somehow revealing the location to another Vendor? So many Vendors are worried about this happening, and yet I don't think I have ever heard of this actually happening to anyone.

I've heard of being kicked out, of another Vendor offering ridiculous commission, or making it seem like they are, of machines being stolen, of businesses closing without telling the vendor, or even the owner deciding to put a machine in instead of having a Vendor do it. I've heard of machines being stolen, broken into, and slugs being used instead of coins.

But sometimes it seems like everyone is more worried about revealing one of their locations to other Vendors then all this other stuff combined. I really doubt the facts justify the fear.

I could have done this to a lady but I didnt. What happened was she had a grocery store and did a terrible job, always empty, stuff out of order, dirty machines, old products that werent hot anymore. So I bought it from her and then when i went to service it for the first time the guy said to pick up the machines. It was a new owner that just bought the grocery store and wanted them gone. The only reason I bought it was because I didnt know it was a new owner and I talked to the old owner before and he seemed to think she did a great job.

I had alot of talking to do and the new owner ended up letting me stay after i brought in two new racks.

The same lady I bought the route from I took one of her restuarant locations about 5 years ago and she never even knew it was me.

These are the people I take locations from because they make other bulk vendors look bad and give us all a bad reputation.

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