nrod7 Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 I am looking for a reliable locator for single and double head gumball machines. I am in Pasadena TX. Can anyone help? Not sure if this is the correct page for this type of help ( maybe classifieds?) nrod7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VAVending Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 55 minutes ago, nrod7 said: I am looking for a reliable locator for single and double head gumball machines. I am in Pasadena TX. Can anyone help? Not sure if this is the correct page for this type of help ( maybe classifieds?) nrod7 Probably best posted here: https://vendiscuss.net/forum/17-locating-discussions/ That said, Rodney at VendingLocator4U (https://vendinglocator4u.com/) is definitely your best bet for bulk candy machine locating. He does good work and is trusted on this site, which is quite a feat for a locator, let me tell you. I do my own placements so have never used his services, but many on here do and are satisfied with the results. He also contributes to the forums from time to time. Hope this helps and welcome to the forums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nrod7 Posted October 11, 2018 Author Share Posted October 11, 2018 Thank you for the reply. nrod7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petersvending Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 Yes. Use Rodney. He is the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSVEND Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 Honestly, do it yourself. Not discrediting Rodney or any other locating service, but if you want any sort of longevity in this business, you will NEED to learn to locate on your own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VAVending Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 13 minutes ago, SSVEND said: Honestly, do it yourself. Not discrediting Rodney or any other locating service, but if you want any sort of longevity in this business, you will NEED to learn to locate on your own. Agreed, it’s intimidating at first, and you might wind up using Rodney anyway just due to time constraints, but I would highly recommend you try it out and get your feet wet. The knowledge of how it works and that you CAN do it yourself if need be, goes a long way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameyh Posted October 13, 2018 Share Posted October 13, 2018 Kickstart ONLY!!!!! Ive used 3 locators and EVERY location from anyone other than Kickstart has been garbage. I used the guy from this site and when I showed up with machines they had no idea what I was talking about. Talk about frustrating!! When you do get a locator, use these tips, 1. Refuse any and all chain stores or restaurants. You will be asked to remove them as soon as corporate shows up. 2. Don't use anyone other than kickstart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mehehe Posted October 13, 2018 Share Posted October 13, 2018 On 10/9/2018 at 11:35 PM, nrod7 said: reliable locator 1 hour ago, jameyh said: Kickstart ONLY!!! Do a search on kickstart here and see the reviews of them. 1 hour ago, jameyh said: showed up with machines they had no idea what I was talking about. did you call him and ask him what happened? did you talk to a different manager than who approved it? could it have been an honest mistake? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameyh Posted October 13, 2018 Share Posted October 13, 2018 Happened at 3 locations on the same day!!! I was soooooooo pissed off that if I had called him, it wouldn't have been good. I agree, 1 location may have been an honest mistake, but not 3. One lady was so awful that I can't even patronize her business anymore because of it. That was my second order because the first set of locations was pretty decent I thought. Out of all the locations I got from the guy I found on here, I still have 1 (one) on location. All the others either got booted by corporate managers or just made no money. The kickstart locations that I got after the ones from the guy on here are all still on location except 1 that I pulled. And realize that this is a town of 30k people and kickstart got locations AFTER the guy on here got around 40 locations. So they were calling after he had gotten the 40 locations. Im not saying that anyone else can't get locations but kickstart is the best. This is a forum to help others in this business. Take the $1000 I wasted and save yourself the money and use kickstart. I have absolutely no affiliation with kickstart, I'm just trying to save other members time and money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orsd Posted October 13, 2018 Share Posted October 13, 2018 Kickstart is terrible. With Rodney, I've had locations where I was refused on arrival, however he will make it right. And I didn't have to pay a dime until my order was fulfilled in whole. It sucks, but he has no control over who picks up at the other end, and if that person actually has decision making power. I've gotten quite a few goldmines from him. Couple duds, but that's just the way it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VAVending Posted October 14, 2018 Share Posted October 14, 2018 Please please please read other people’s reviews on Kickstart. I wouldn’t touch them with a ten foot pole. Rodney is the ONLY locator I’ve seen ANYWHERE that regularly and continually garners positive reviews from unimpeachable sources. I’m not saying he never got someone a dud location, but that comes with the territory. Don’t take our word for it, search the forums here and elsewhere to get an idea. All that aside, the most reliable locator is still you. No one holds your company’s best interests as first and foremost like you do, and nobody has the drive to make it grow like you. You are your own ultimate fallback. That’s why I highly recommend trying out locating yourself when you get a chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nrod7 Posted October 14, 2018 Author Share Posted October 14, 2018 I appreciate all the feedback. I have been in soda and snack vending since 1998. I started with single and double head gumball machines ( 6 years ago). Only had a couple of dozen locations. No gold mines, but steady/safe locations. Love picking up the cash. I did try a locator (charity vending) and it just didn't work out. Funny the locations I presently have are all the ones i located myself. To say locating is my least favorite part of vending, would be an understatement. Can any one relate. However, i am talking about a high success rate and longevity in sales for my business. One last thing, When I was told that it was always best to offer (cringe!!!!) a 30% commission on a gumball location, I almost fell out of my chair. Especially, when not paying a commission on soda locations that use electricity. Why would I pay a commission on a gumball stand that takes up little space and uses no electricity. After I picked myself off the floor, and fought to be open-mined. I learned that paying a commission not only sweeten the pie (always talk to the owner/decision maker) to land the location. It ensures that you won't be booted out when the next vendor offers the commission. Also, the customer tends to watch over a piece of equipment that makes him money. Thanks for all the feedback, nrod7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mehehe Posted October 14, 2018 Share Posted October 14, 2018 22 hours ago, jameyh said: Happened at 3 locations on the same day!!! Thank you for the explanation. I could not be happier with Rodney but I still wanted more information from you on what happened. Thank you for the details. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
titandist Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Those of you who use a locator need to start locating yourself, all the locators are guilty of the same thing, sending you out on a wild goose chase, wasting gasoline and time.. It as happen too many vending operators, you go to a location and nobody knows anything about the placement. I have actually gone to an address where there is a vacant building. When you add up your time and expenses in trying to place a machine from dealing with a locator and driving 15 or 20 miles from your home base just to be turned down it adds up to a lot. It’s the job of the locator to get the correct information for you this is what you pay them for. Locators will tell you that they are only going to work with you and then come to find out there working with other operators in your area. You go back to a location after several months since you place the machine to find another vendor at that same location. Many of the locators probably use the same call sheet. The locator sometimes probably just gets the name of the person in charge and then passes on to you. I don’t believe that most of the time they even talk to the right person. Between the locator working with several different operators in your area and the people that slam the locations, the location ends up with 5 or 6 set ups and then one day a new manager shows up and removes everyone because it looks terrible and it does. Lean to locate yourself, this way you have a one on one relationship with the owner, you know who you are talking to and they know you, you also get a feedback from the start of what they want for product etc. It will also give you an idea of how many machines to place in the location depending on the number of employees they have and the customer traffic that they get. Even though you may get turned down from time to time the locations that you do get will be solid ones. Working like this limits the possibility of some other vendor placing a machine in the location that you acquired. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrshadetrees Posted November 6, 2018 Share Posted November 6, 2018 Not sure if when I quote one thread on another it notifies it's author or not. Nrod7, I posted a question to what you said in this thread, seemed more relevant there. Thank you if you do get around to answering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candy cartel Posted November 26, 2018 Share Posted November 26, 2018 i had used kickstart before i came across rodney, ill only use rodney due to his great communication and he does what he says period!!! some people, such as myself, dont like to locate there own locations and see the value in hiring a locator.. please stop bashing people that like to use a locator. remember were all her to learn from each other not talk down to each other! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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