Paraflier Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 At one of my locations, there is a Vendstar 3000 as well as a random U-Turn 4-way. Both of these machines have not been touched in over a year. How hard should I look for current owners, before these machines disappear? The location owner said when I first put my 1800 in that these were abandoned, and take them if I want. I'll give it an honest try, next time I go out, I'll look for some sort of contact info, but if phones are disconnected, or no answers, I think I might have a couple more machines to clean up. What's the protocol? Anyone run into this? You place a machine, and the owner says, "This one is nasty and abandoned. Take it if you want." Have a good one all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPVendCo. Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 its risky...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caserri Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 Smiley had a solution to this dilemma. I cant seem to find it right now but I know his methods were quite controversial. I will continue to look for it because there were multiple suggestions in that long thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caserri Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 Still looking but I did come up with this gem! http://vendiscuss.com/forum/index.php?topic=1883.0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPVendCo. Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 I think I remember reading thst thread. I think it went something like, he would take it if it sat unserviced, empty for a long time, but he would leave contact info if someone ever came looking for it. (probably a good idea, if you have your own machine there.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caserri Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 Found it! Reply #65 in this thread... http://vendiscuss.com/forum/index.php?topic=971.0 The post really has nothing to do with abandoned machines. It has more to do with unauthorized machines being dumped next to yours but the same principle would apply I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavity Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 Help the store owner to put the abandoned, unserviced machines out back by the garbage since no has claimed/serviced/picked them up in a year and he no longer wants them mucking up his storefront. ...Then.... you're amazed, 2 abandoned machines in the dump, wow!! .....Someone actually threw these away? ....I think I'll take them and clean them up, maybe put them on my route. All with the store owners consent of course. Does it seem that he would be ok with this? That's one way to play the story out. I'm sure you can think of a few others so you don't get in trouble. Let us know how it pans out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercury Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 After a YEAR, they are clearly abandoned. After two months, they ARE NOT. I say two months, because SOMEONE on this board took some machines after only two months. I'm wondering if this person will admit it? I doubt it. Merc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quarter Master Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 Keep in mind your only hearing One side of the story. The owner may have some kind of beef with the guy and just wants his machines out. I've run into this situation before and I handled it this way: Location owner asks me if I know who owns the machines. I say I don't and we both go looking for name tags or labels. None found and owner states they been there a real long time(10-12 months) with no service. The product is almost gone and what's there doesn't look very good. In order to keep my good location and please the owner (brownie points) I remove the machine(s) and give the owner my business card with the type of machines written down on the back. I request that the owner contact me if the other guy shows up at that moment or give him my card with an explanation about his machines. I store his machines for 30 days waiting on contact and asking the owner if he heard anything when I go back to service my machine. No contact-these machines and the coins are mine for my trouble-with no keys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Snacks Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 I don't think there is one "right" or "standard" answer to this. I also thing you need to take each situation on a case by case basis since It can start a vending war. One big factor to consider is whether the machines are biz-ops or not. If they are Uturns, Vendstars, etc. then they are most likely a failed business enterprise and have been abandoned by a (very disappointed) newbie vendor. But I would think twice about taking an Oak, NW, A&A or Beaver. In those cases, the vendor is most likely a "professional" full time operator and may simply have a medical condition (or even died). Some other components that all should be met are: not serviced in a over year, no contact information on the machine (or contact phone is disconnected or vendor never returns phone calls) and the owner has requested it to be removed. Just my 2 pennies. Jax Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurtsman Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 I would take one if it was empty and the owner wanted it out. I'd leave contact information and store it for 2-3 months, checking in the the store owner to make sure the original vendor did not come back for it. If it was really was abandon at that point I'd open it up, clean it, and order new locks. Like Jax said, I'd be more careful with taking professional equipment since it is less likely to be a disappointed biz-op customer. I've considered doing this for a while with the abandoned equipment I've seen. I have no interest in starting a vending war, and think machines without contact information are an invitation to have it removed. I have no respect for people who steal machines, but it is a different situation when you've made excessive attempts to reach them, left your info, and hold onto the machine without opening it so you can return it to the owner if they come forward. Consider how you would feel. If someone took my machine, and didn't leave contact info, I'd take whatever was there. Some of my locations are on 3-4 month service cycles (gumballs in large heads). My contact info is not only on them, it is literally impossible to miss. My sticker is inside the globe, and facing the customer. My number is written VERY clearly. If my machine is taken without consent, it is clearly and unquestionably theft. If Smiley took my machine, I'd hear from him and I'd come pick it up. It happens when bulk vendors go in because a store owner does not know their contract does not allow it. There is one place in particular I'm trying to place a rack. They have THREE machines out front, 1 empty, 1 almost empty (high capacity toy) and 1 terminator with a few empty heads and some very old candy. None have contact info. They have a sign that says they are not responsible for it eating quarters and they taped it to his machine. I would certainly remove those and store them for the winter. I'd even consider putting a sign in my rack that says "If you own the equipment that was left here, please call me to retrieve it. The owners did not want it and could not find your contact information. It is being safely stored." After 3-4 months (of me storing equipment that was already empty) I'd consider the equipment abandoned and remove the sign, drill the locks, and order locations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sterling Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 I've had two situations with this. The first the owner was reall emphatic about getting rid of the gumball machine that had a disconnected number and hadn't been serviced in a year. They said I don't want your machine and if you don't take this one I'm just going to throw it in the trash. Well I took it one of my keys worked and there was $15 in it. The second one is a little more tricky. The shop owner says nobody has been by in months and the machines are still getting used but most heads are empty or near empty. She says the number is disconnected. She wants to leave them until Chistmas now and see if they show up. I found another machine today that had the same card attached to it as the forementioned location. Now I'm not so sure I want to mess with this. Maybe the vendor forgot about the location, doesn't service it too much because it is slow, has medical problems? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dperry Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 I'd even consider putting a sign in my rack that says "If you own the equipment that was left here, please call me to retrieve it. The owners did not want it and could not find your contact information. It is being safely stored." After 3-4 months (of me storing equipment that was already empty) I'd consider the equipment abandoned and remove the sign, drill the locks, and order locations.If I ever saw a sign like that on a machine, even if I knew I never had a machine in that location, I would still call and say it was mine. How are you to know whether or not the guy who calls you truely does own the machine? What if he says he lost the keys? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dperry Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 I have this one location that I've had for about 2 1/2 years now. When I first went in to try and place it, I noticed they already had one machine in there, but it was damaged and empty. It was an ashland with one of those thin plastic globes that you can cut with a knife. That globe was damaged and was obviously not usable anymore. And no contact information on it. They had moved it to the back area where they have a little play area for the kids. Flash forward 6-8 service cycles, or roughly about a year or more.... It's still there after all that time and nothing about it has changed. I ask about it and they let me buy it for $10. I knew the machine was crap but the pipe stand was certainly worth the $10. It was no surprise that there were no quarters to be had in the machine. About 8 months ago, a new machine appeared... it's a v-line with two heads. On my last service cycle, they asked me if I knew the owner of the machine because nobody has been in to service it, and one of them has a broken mech. I've thought about buying this one too, but I don't really want to deal with v-lines, especially if they are broken, and I'll have to buy new locks for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paraflier Posted November 18, 2009 Author Share Posted November 18, 2009 OK... So the Vendstar with a contact company sticker on it is a dead number. (I had to get enough dust off it so I could read the number. The 4 way's contact info rang and rang. I am going to try again later today or tomorrow. If the person on the other end of the line has no idea what I am talking about, or no interest in the machine, I am going to pick them up. I doubt there will be any sort of vending war for a Vendstar that looks like it was new in 1986, or a old U turn. If nothing else, it will get nasty looking, dusty product out of the way and out of sight for my customers at the location. If, by chance, the old owners happend to stop by the location (on their tri-yearly schedule) they will see my (secured) machine, with contact info on it., and are free to give me a call. This business is about service, and if you don't take that serious, and you leave a machine for too long, you lose the location and the machine. I have learned that lesson in the past.... The hard way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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