Jump to content

Advanced Placement Service (APS)


caserri

Overall, I am a  

1 member has voted

  1. 1. Overall, I am a

    • Satisfied Customer
      0
    • Neutral Customer
      0
    • Un-Satisfied Customer
      1


Recommended Posts

Here is a review forwarded to me from a member here on the board. Knowing the member who submitted this, I have no reason to believe this is an inaccurate review.

Steve

 

Please..... do not use APSl!

I used APS as my first locator service when I got into bulk vending over a half-year ago.  Initially, I made lots of mistakes that included buying lots of triple head vending machines that had were way overpriced.  One of their “preferred locating services†was APS.

Long story short, out of thirty machines they placed for me, only four remain placed in the same locations today.  I blew almost $1,500 in locator fees!

This rip-off triple head company offered three locators at the time, which was over the Xmas holiday season.  I chose APS because the alleged president I spoke with came off as the most professional.

I foolishly mailed them my contract without copying myself.  More on this later.

Now, as most of you know, there are generally two types of locating services. One has a rep travel to your area and physically place machines for you and the other type telemarkets for you from where they are based and the operator brings.  APS is structured so that the rep comes to your area.

My admitted weakness is that I’m bad at cold calling, but I’m really strong at service, follow up and establishing good rapports in business because I’m ethical to a fault.

The locator that was assigned to me by APS was my character opposite. She was mean, aggressive and flat out lied to prospects when we placed machines.  She told me that that was the way people did business in vending and she’d take good care of me.  She even offered to return to my area “exclusive†from APS if he ever returned.

We literally dumped 30 machines in one day, mostly in supermarket break rooms where we placed two triple-heads per supermarket.

Summarizing Advance Placement Services and at least one of their locators’ negatives:

 

  • In spite of my communicating several times to send me a copy of my signed contract, they never sent me a copy. I never heard from the APS president again either despite my attempts.
 

  • The locator that was assigned to me placed thirty machines in one day, in retrospect, not out of any interest for me and my business, but so she could collect her half of the $1,500.00-I paid her $750 in cash, only to have four machines remaining. She took my money and ran the heck out of my town!
 

  • The locator also gives NCSS, the charity I’m with, a bad name by misrepresenting them.
 

  • I later learned that APS also paid a referral fee to the manufacturer that sold me the triple heads, yet another sleazy tactic.
 

I came upon the VENDiscuss forums only after[/i] I found out I made these bad mistakes and since then I’ve been doing well (no, Steve Caserri is not paying me to say this!).  My business is growing. I found a telemarketing-type locator where we’ve established a working relationship to the point where we operate like strategic partners.  I’m adding more traditional machines (Northwestern 60 series) and hope to have doubled my machines the next three months to sixty machines and 150 by year’s end.

I took no action against APS.  I figured I’d be spinning my wheels trying to get them to get me properly serviced, not to mention having to work with that sleazy locator again. Besides I’m assuming the burden of responsibility because I foolishly fell for their self-serving tactics.

The only reason I’m writing this is because I recently saw APS posted in the [/b]Professional Vending Locator List[/b]section of this site. Anyone reading this please know there are many locators listed here that will do you well as I’ve spoken with many of them.

Please think of this negative review of APS as being the warning that’s on the side of Cigarette packs “Danger Working with APS is Hazardous to Your Health!â€

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...