Fritzer Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 Here's my story: I attended a presentation Friday with my husband to make sure he didn't sign anything. Presenters are very good and I would like to give this a go. However, I find their machines to be pretty out there and there's a lot of "contract" connected. Doing my due diligence, I've found these exact machines (snack/drink/entree combos) for sale in my area for a fraction of the cost. Some mentioning they've never been used, or were placed for two months. This is very interesting as this company claims they're just bringing this exciting innovative machine to my area and only will select 15 distributors in this area. Perhaps they have amnesia concerning the last go-round. LOL Hubby still wants to go to the meeting scheduled for tomorrow. I HAVE to supervise. My thoughts are to buy a couple of machines at established locations and take it from there. Of course, this company claims it will guide you through everything and I'm clueless. Or was until I started doing my research. Can anyone tell me what permits or license is needed in the state of NJ? Do I need a dba? Am a wise to run for the hills from this company that wants 20k as the minimum startup for two machines? (I need the response to the latter to convince my other half.) Thank you all so much for your anticipated help!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antoniocinisi Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 20 k for 2 machines?perhaps they are gold plated?gold is at an all time high so if that is the case they might be worth it.otherwise get 5 grand or so and go buy those 2 machines from a reputable seller,not from these scammers. this place is slow over the weekend but anyone that has been in vending for some time will tell you the same, 20k for two machines is a too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-man422 Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 Fritzer, welcome to Vendiscuss! We are glad you found us before you jump into this deal. I'm about to save you $20K, are you ready? Here it goes . . . . . . . .run away. I am very happy you decided to do your DD because a lot of people don't and then get sucked into these biz-ops. They will promise to locate your machines, say they will make thousands of dollars a month, etc but they have no way to guarantee these promises. Search eBay, Craigslist, local vending distributors and your local classifieds to find machines of equal or better quality at a fraction of the cost (just as you say you did). Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kai1836 Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 What company gave this presentation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caserri Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 I have moved this to the full line discussions. It will get a much better response here and this matter deserves top billing so we can help save Fritzer a ton of money. 20K for 2 machines? I am very thankful you found us in time Fritzer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritzer Posted October 12, 2009 Author Share Posted October 12, 2009 Thanks for your responses, Antonio and Gabe! kai1836, the company is Planet Antares. Their "new" vending machine is called the Office Deli. Holds snacks, drinks, and meal-type products. Great presentation, beautiful mailings. I'd never considered the vending business so I was really intrigued. I still plan to pursue this, but not with that company and not without further knowledge. Thanks, Caserri. It took a lot of searching to find this forum. Most hits were testimonials from companies. The two machine deal is the smallest you can order. The reorder prices are half up to a certain amount, then back to that high price. I was given a list of distributors numbers and I did speak with them. Of course, they were very pleased with the outcome of their investments and claim to have purchased many more due to demand. Several of their answers did sound a bit rehearsed, I must say, as their answers were exactly the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mission vending Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 DANGER WILL ROBINSON!!!! Several of their answers did sound a bit rehearsed, I must say, as their answers were exactly the same. Someone told me that if your a "customer", I prefer "victim", then you can get paid for good referrals. I don't really buy that due to the serious legal ramifications that would occur if it came out. But I'd be willing to bet there is some kind of in kind value for those giving the referrals. Who knows we have 300+ Million people in this great country, maybe there are one or two that actually are making some money with Antares CRAP!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snack dude Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 RUN DONT WALK to the nearest exit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedk Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 Leave your check book and all your credit cards at home! Do not sign anything! Do not give them them you real address or phone number! You can buy these machines all over the internet for $800.00 (there still over priced) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mxer518 Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 These can be had on eBay or craigslist for less than 400 brand new with a changer!!!! STAY AWAY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritzer Posted October 12, 2009 Author Share Posted October 12, 2009 OMG! I cannot believe they are available at those prices. I haven't checked eBay and I didn't see them on Craigs, but I did see some on a used vending website for 2-3k. I didn't even want to attend that presentation. I feel badly for those that didn't make it out alive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillisNYC Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 Fritzer, Fritzer, Fritzer...RUN as fast as you can from that bizop that they are trying to sell you on. I am also in New Jersey and just started my business in June of this year. I have diligently located all of my own machines here, in and around the Edison, NJ area. I have bought used machines from individuals on Craigslist and also from some companies around here that refurbish used machines. I even bought a few from other vendors. I have yet to pay as much as $1k for ANY of my machines. I have snack and soda machines in 10 locations so far and am grossing just over $400/week. You can see details of my results in the member plus section. Only pointing out my numbers to show you a realistic idea of what can be done and oh yeah, I have yet to spend $10k total on the equipment that I have. That is about to change with my first large account, but I will still be far south of the 20K you are talking about spending for TWO MACHINES> OMG. You have done the right thing by coming here and doing your homework. Get in the member plus section and read some of the ebooks there. Uncles book in particular opened my eyes to what can be done in full line. I have followed a lot of his advice in my own business. Do your due diligence and then jump on in the pool with the rest of us here. The opportunity is available as long as you spend your capital wisely and don't blow it on a bad bizop. Oh yes, I wanted to point out that I passed on purchasing 5 used Antares machines earlier this summer. The seller on Craigslist only wanted $400 apiece for them. For that amount or close to it, you can find a good used snack or soda machine. I found this ad while perusing craigslist tonight: http://cnj.craigslist.org/for/1411965103.html The top line is the seller wants $50 for 5 used Antares machines! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritzer Posted October 12, 2009 Author Share Posted October 12, 2009 Thank you very much for your tips, suggestions, and encouragement, WillisNYC. I DID read about your news in your "Persistance pays off" thread. I'm delighted for you. How great for you to land such a great one in a short time! I wish you the best! I appreciate your sharing your figures also. That's very generous of you. I'm sure those numbers are going to be changing for you BIG TIME! Since you're a NJian, can you tell me which licence/permit I have to get? The presentation discussed a dba, but somehow I sense there's more needed. I'm an IC totally unrelated to the vending field. I have minimal overhead and provide an editing service, thus no need for dba, business registration. Again, I'm so grateful to have found this forum and look forward to learning from you all and cheering you on! I feel rather foolish to have played along with that company, albeit for a day. The good outcome was finding a side business my husband can do with me. He's been very eager to start something of his own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caserri Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 I feel badly for those that didn't make it out alive! Fritzer, your posts have given me an idea that I never thought of before. We all feel badly for those who are sucked into the Biz-Op schemes. Those who have been here for a while have seen all the stories of new members who joined us a day late, after they've written the check. We've all made an effort to try and steer them back on the right course to a profitable vending business. They've all said that they wished they found us sooner! Wouldn't it be great if they did find us sooner? I've promoted this site as much as I can through various outlets on the web but never thought about actually attending these seminars with the intent of letting people know we exist. I guess a trip to the next Biz-Op seminar is in order for me! Hopefully I won't get tossed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillisNYC Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 Fritzer, New Jersey does not require you to get a license or permit to do vending, however some of the municipalities require permits. Old Bridge for instance, requires each machine to get a sticker that costs $100 per machine! However I have only seen the stickers on the machines actually in the municipality public buildings. The fine for not having a sticker is not defined well in the law there. (Yes I went there and looked it up recently.) They also do not seem to have any inspectors. I got the impression that they will simply make you buy a sticker if they discover your machine without one. They then send you a renewal notice every year. Others experience may be different, but I believe in asking for forgiveness rather than permission in situations like this. If one of my machines is found out in Old Bridge I will ask for forgiveness and buy a sticker. Also I started out doing business as a dba. I needed to register with the state to get a sales tax exemption. This allows me to buy product at Sam's Club and the like without paying sales tax. I am not sure what you mean by an IC? If you have a fed tax Id number, you can get the exemption by registering in New Jersey. I formed an LLC just because it made protecting the business like an Inc. and other things like the tax exemption easier to get and deal with. It also saves on the filing of income tax because a separate company return is not needed for the LLC. I would check with an accountant about these things because I am no expert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritzer Posted October 12, 2009 Author Share Posted October 12, 2009 Willis, thank you again for your help here! IC is independant contractor. I operate as a sole proprietorship. My clients send me a 1099 if they've paid over $600 in the calendar year. I don't have a fed tax id, I use my social. I keep a separate checking account for those funds. I am permitted to deduct a portion of things like electricity, heat, telephone, Internet access, insurance and all the memberships and software subscriptions, etc., necessary to operate. I don't have to register anything, so I'm really ignorant here. So we would need to register with the state as a dba to get the sales tax exemption? Or is it better to form an LLC first, then register for the sales tax exemption, or both? My husband and I will be doing this together, does that make any difference? If I have a bit more info before contacting the accountant I think would be helpful. I think it's better for me to have some idea of what works best from someone who knows. I still have awhile before the member plus. I look forward to the e-books! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillisNYC Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 It is my understanding that you will need a federal tax ID from a separate entity like an LLC or Corporation in order to get the sales tax exemption. However, I would consult my accountant first before doing either of these things. And it would not surprise me if he told you that I was incorrect. As I said, I am no expert and am fairly new to vending myself. There are several threads here dealing with these issues, but rarely can you get a perfect answer to structuring your business. I hate to say it, but it is not straightforward and I doubt that all accountants will recommend the same approach. Everyone has a different situation in terms of existing assets, businesses and family relationships. Get an accountant that knows accounting and see what he recommends is the best advice I can offer here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-man422 Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 I guess a trip to the next Biz-Op seminar is in order for me! Hopefully I won't get tossed. This could get fun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritzer Posted October 14, 2009 Author Share Posted October 14, 2009 Wouldn't it be great if they did find us sooner? I've promoted this site as much as I can through various outlets on the web but never thought about actually attending these seminars with the intent of letting people know we exist. I guess a trip to the next Biz-Op seminar is in order for me! Hopefully I won't get tossed. Yes, it sure would be nice! It's sad that people get so taken in. I just did a search for the "office deli" machine and when I found several being sold in my area (that I was told this is the first they're offering here) for far less than half, I started thinking, Why do I need them and why would I pay all that money? Then I kept digging. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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