Jay-Son Vending Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 OK... Open Question...If you come across the "abandoned machine"..Do you leave it up to the business owner to find the owner and get rid of the machine?? or do you take the time to calll the "owner and find out if he wants his machine" 2. How often do you find "abandoned" machines? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T BIRD Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 There are two abandoned machines on y route of 40 locations. I am taking the double head Elite from the location with his blessing next week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay-Son Vending Posted June 28, 2008 Author Share Posted June 28, 2008 T bird, You said "I am yaking the machine ..With his blessing"...The shop owner..or the machine owner?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dperry Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 OK... Open Question...If you come across the "abandoned machine"..Do you leave it up to the business owner to find the owner and get rid of the machine?? or do you take the time to calll the "owner and find out if he wants his machine" 2. How often do you find "abandoned" machines? Those abandoned machines are not yours in any way, shape or form. Of course you leave it to the business owner to find the owner, cuz it's certainly not up to you to get rid of it out of the goodnes of your heart. My gumball machines can sit for 2-3 months since they don't need to be serviced any sooner than that. I would be pissed if some other vender walked in and 'offered' to take my 'abandoned' machines off the owners hands. If I found out from the owner that another vendor had removed my machines, I would be hot after their asses to get it back. Keep that in mind if you decide to help out the owner to get rid of an 'abandoned' machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T BIRD Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 T bird, You said "I am yaking the machine ..With his blessing"...The shop owner..or the machine owner?? The shop owner Jay. The machine has sat in his waiting room for over 2 years now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T BIRD Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 OK... Open Question...If you come across the "abandoned machine"..Do you leave it up to the business owner to find the owner and get rid of the machine?? or do you take the time to calll the "owner and find out if he wants his machine" 2. How often do you find "abandoned" machines? Those abandoned machines are not yours in any way, shape or form. Of course you leave it to the business owner to find the owner, cuz it's certainly not up to you to get rid of it out of the goodnes of your heart. My gumball machines can sit for 2-3 months since they don't need to be serviced any sooner than that. I would be pissed if some other vender walked in and 'offered' to take my 'abandoned' machines off the owners hands. If I found out from the owner that another vendor had removed my machines, I would be hot after their asses to get it back. Keep that in mind if you decide to help out the owner to get rid of an 'abandoned' machine. dperry...........I hear ya but if a machine sits for over 2 years and you call the number and it is disconnected then what? Just let it sit for anoher year? I do not think so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gum_father Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 You don't touch someone elses equipment. If i'm in a location and I find out my competitor or another vendor took a piece of my equipment you can guarantee that for every machine he took of mine I am going to go out and take 10 of his. The one thing in this business newbies need to learn is you do NOT take other's machines...regardless how long it's sat there. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vendlover Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 Personally, I would start with calling the number on the machine and if I could not get ahold of the machine owner after a week or so of really trying (not just one or two calls), then I would speak with the shop owner to see how long the machine has been left, etc. While I do agree that it is not right to take someone else's machine under the assumption that it has been abandoned, I also think if a machine has been left vacant for a long time - like the post where the machine was vacant for 2 years - and the machine owner has never serviced the machine during that time, and is not returning your calls regarding the status of the machine, then I believe at some point the owner of the store gets a say as to what happens to an abandoned machine on his property. JMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philo Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 The other thing that gets to me about these abandoned machines is this- people don't abandon profitable locations, in general. Maybe the rare occaison that some unforseen accident causes someone to do this. So if there is a machine thats been abandoned at a location do you want to put your machine in its place because you are desparate to get any location or do you really think you can magically do better than the last operator? Philo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpy Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 The other thing that gets to me about these abandoned machines is this- people don't abandon profitable locations, in general. Maybe the rare occasion that some unforeseen accident causes someone to do this. So if there is a machine that's been abandoned at a location do you want to put your machine in its place because you are desperate to get any location or do you really think you can magically do better than the last operator? Philo Interesting, I have two locations with the same problem. Probably the same operator, they are abandon and phone is disconnected (Vendstars). I have no interest in removing the machines, not mine won't touch. But here are the collections since March.27.50 39.25 28.50 22.50 38.50 17.75 19.00 52.50 I guess there is some magic there, not star performers but not dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dperry Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 The other thing that gets to me about these abandoned machines is this- people don't abandon profitable locations, in general. Sure they do. They do it all the time. They get fed a pie-in-the-sky view of vending from the biz-op, and when they realize that it's alot harder to run the business than they thought, they just cut their losses and don't come back. They have some unrealistic expectation of what a "profitable" location should be, like $100 a month for a vendstar machine. But when we all know the reality of the situation and they pull only $12.50, they feel cheated, and decide that it's a worthless location, and a worthless business. You can usually tell it's somebody new who doesn't know what they are doing. They have the (in my view) crappy machines like vendstars, uturns, SSF, V-Line, and Ashlands. They sit empty in a forrest of other empty vending machines. The location does good business for at least one of the vendors, but the rest don't ever come back. You can also rest assured that for every 1 machine for sale on ebay, there are 10 sitting abandoned in a location somewhere. I get that alot when I'm trying to locate. The owner would say, "We used to have one in here but the guy never came to service it". They don't let me place one because they think I'll do the same thing and leave it abandoned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dperry Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 dperry...........I hear ya but if a machine sits for over 2 years and you call the number and it is disconnected then what? Just let it sit for anoher year? I do not think so. At the very least, cover your butt. Buy the machine for a fair price from the location owner and get a bill of sale. If the true owner of the machine comes looking for you, all you have to say is that you bought it used from the location owner and that he needs to take it up with him. I had come accross an abandoned machine once. I had concidered asking if they would give it to me. I had thought of suggesting that I could punch out the lock and leave the quarters with a check for a fair amound for the machine and if he ever came back, the owner would give it all to him. Basically it would be a sale-by-proxy. I decided it was too much hassle and forgot about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay-Son Vending Posted June 28, 2008 Author Share Posted June 28, 2008 Philo, Logically...you would think that people do not abandon a good location. BUT..I just picked up a location because the shop owner called me and asked that I put a machine in her shop(she saw mine at another location/a uturn) She told me that she had been trying to reach the owner of the machine that was there..to no avail...I placed mune..told her to put the other one in the back..and if the owner decided to visit...tell him what she thought...I also mentioned that when he came in...tell him I would consider taking over his route for him... Now the first month for this location gave me $22.75...not terrible...If the old machine owner had listened he would be getting the busines...She wanted a better selection..he had a 2 head with gum & something..not what she wanted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay-Son Vending Posted June 28, 2008 Author Share Posted June 28, 2008 Gum Father... As a Newbie...I was looking for feedback ..Seems I hit a nerve...Not to worry..I would not TAKE anyones machine... But...the one thing that I have seen in this business in my area..is the lack of customer service....If these vendors do not want to listen to the shop owner that they have placed in..then they desrve to be replaced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Mike Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 The one thing in this business newbies need to learn is you do NOT take other's machines...regardless how long it's sat there. John I couldnt have said it better. NEVER touch another persons machine. As a matter of fact I would try to call the person myself to try and get it back to them. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbo Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 dperry...........I hear ya but if a machine sits for over 2 years and you call the number and it is disconnected then what? Just let it sit for anoher year? I do not think so.Johnny,I have to disagree with you. This, to me, is breaking a cardinal sin of vending (messing w/ someone elses gear) If the business owner wants to toss it-fine, thats on him. I have seen guys do this and start a war with other vendors. Also something to consider is the concept of karma, I dont know if you have had any heads stolen yet, but if you stay in this business you will and its a crappy feeling going in and not finding your equipt. and nobody knows anything. Jimbo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T BIRD Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 Thanks for the feedback everyone. I have totally changed my opinion and mind on this. I am learning.......thats for sure. I will not touch the machine now. Whats his is his, and if the owner disappears then its the location owner's problem Thanks again everyone. I certainly do not need bad karma. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philo Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 Johnny: Amen brother. Philo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vending_General Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 I was with you at first, but after reading everyones post, I agree with your decision to leave it, you never want bad karma in the vending industry:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vend24 Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 I agree, you should never touch another vendors machine, no exceptions. If it has been there for two years without service, the owner should toss it. You don't want to get involved in a war between two vendors, there will be no good outcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desert_gold_hound Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 I haven’t got any machines out yet but what I would do is check with the laws. See if there is something that your business owner can do (I.E. Send a certified letter to the owner) make the letter out for them and pay for the costs. After this the machine would be yours. If you abandon a vehicle someplace they can take it if they do the right steps. I am sure that this would be even easier. Once the steps have been taken have someone else buy it from him. This way it is untraceable to you. Now you have the machine, the location owner did very little (if any) work, you are the in the right to keep the machine. The old vender is now one machine short and nothing he can legally do about it. Now if someone took my machine they would find them self's in court for a couple of things. I would have them for receiving of stolen property, vandalism, theft, and much more. I would also take a civil case on them and they would pay a lot more for the machine then it was worth, I would calculate all money that could have fit in the machine, the cost of the machine, cost of candy if it was full (this would be the cost I would have gotten not the cost I paid), the cost of new looks for all my machines (Yes you can do this because they could have the key number from the bottom of the lock this would even include the labor), lost wages (you wont get this but always include it), and much more. You will only get about half, of what you are going to mark down but that is fine it will teach them when a machine comes out to cost them $4000 + court costs (will get the best paid lawyer I can). Trust me I will own their business in no time at all. I will not put up with bull ####, however I will do everything legally. I have a good friend that is a business law layer. I have seen the way he works and trust me I would win. Do your business legally and do it smart. As far as the bad name this will give I don't think that it will. You may lose a couple of locations but it would be worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidsurvz Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 I would tell the owner to throw the machine out then go out back after he throws it out and get it:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now