Get this one.....

[BluePlate]

Had a pizza location.  The location was pretty outside of my area, but a good location.  Had potential for $80-$90/month.  Last service was in late JUNE.  Went to service the location in early Aug, location was closed for vacation.  Went to service the location in Mid Sept, note on the down, "closed due to illness".  Called the location a few times, never got the owner.  Went to location in October, machine was gone, owner was not available.  None of the employees knew anything.  Went to location today.  Owner said, the only way he would give me the machine back was to give him all the money in the machine. 

His arguement was I abandoned the machine.  He had to hand out quarter to customers that complained.  I looked at the machine, the PMM were all melted together.  I asked what happened.  He doesn't know.  One of the employees said they used the machine to prop open the front door on hot days and they it was right in the sun.

Opened the machine and there was $120.  Left the money and took the machine......AAAARRRGGG!!!

Now I could have been more agressive to service the location, but my number was on the back of the machine!  He said he called the cops and asked them what to do. WTF?!

[The Mage]

Sounds like extortion to me.

[davidsurvz]

I would have walked out with my machine (money and all) and told him to call the cops....

[BluePlate]

Walking out with the machine was on my mind.  The town is a one horse town in the middle of almost nowhere.  While I never came met the cops in this town.  My experience is, the police would make sure the shop owner won, one way or another. 

I could have got my machine and money, but I go to jail for disorderly conduct. Not worth it.

[mxer518]

I had almost the exact same ossue once where the owner demanded that I give him all of the money in the machine. I told him that was fine but I would need to go to my truck to get the key for it, I went outside called the police. 10 minutes later after pretending that I did not know what key it was I saw the police roll up out front, that's when I grabbed the machine and walked to the door. In the end In got the machine and the money and the owner got nothing but a warning from the police about ever doing such a thing as he did.

[lurtsman]

I had almost the exact same ossue once where the owner demanded that I give him all of the money in the machine. I told him that was fine but I would need to go to my truck to get the key for it, I went outside called the police. 10 minutes later after pretending that I did not know what key it was I saw the police roll up out front, that's when I grabbed the machine and walked to the door. In the end In got the machine and the money and the owner got nothing but a warning from the police about ever doing such a thing as he did.

This beats my option which would've been much more dangerous. It is clearly extortion, and theft. Without the machine in sight the police are generally completely useless tools. However if you can make the call to get the cops there and have the machine outside, you can toss it and ride. What kind of idiot puts quarters in an empty machine anyway. If the employees propped the door open with it and melted the PMM, I'd want him to pay for the product and depreciation.

[JPVendCo.]

I would have been totally up front with him, told him to call the police and they would help us sort this out.I did this at a gas station once.  I pumped my gas, rolled inside to pay and the person behind the counter says 45.50! i was like no, I'm on pump 2, that honda out there, I had 18.50....the guy behind the counter says, that I pumped once, hung it up and then pumped again! ok well, that would be impossible, I said, because I have a 11.9 gallon tank, so 19 gallons isnt going to fit. So i paid my 18.50 and then he told me he was going to report me as a drive-off! I say, look, no F-ing way call the police right now, we will sort it out. low and behold, the officer determined that 19gals, wont fit in 11.9, told the counter guy they didnt have a good case, and I didnt get arrested later for something I didnt do!