Honor Snack Boxes

[ctrick67]

Hello,Im trying to start a honor snack box route.

Is their anybody on this board who is currently doing them,and how do they do?

[vend777]

I don't have any. I brought up the subject with one location and they told me I'd get robbed blind on it. That they had a honor system for their coffee and few people put money in the cup.

There may be people who do it successfully, but if the location you want to try it in tells you it wouldn't work there I'd trust them. They probably know the people who are there.

[Kingsrookie]

yea i just bought thirty white faces for 320.  Looked online the price was 50 a pop.  Seems like a decent deal. I am going to target a few local banks to place them. See how well i do

[The Mage]

I think I have read that you can pick these up real cheap.  Even less then $50.

It is one of the cheap ways to get into full line, and they sometimes work in small locations that do not justify a full machine.  The "shrinkage" is an unfortunate aspect though, and has to be taken into account.  But from what I understand it is a lot lower than many would think.

You could put them in places, and if the theft is too high, simply pull it.  Your cost is in the "test market".  It will simply be the cost of the candy you put in there the first time.

I do believe there is a big problem with people who honestly want to pay, and put IOU's in the thing.

But I have to say I am not an expert, and have never done this.  Just repeating what I have read, so take it with a grain of salt.

[ctrick67]

yea i just bought thirty white faces for 320.  Looked online the price was 50 a pop.   Seems like a decent deal. I am going to target a few local banks to place them. See how well i do

I found a place online where you can get the snack boxes for about 2.50.....If you order more than 50 the price goes down.

[Kingsrookie]

True, I have seen the ones for 2.50 but they are made of plastic. Mine are of the white face model. Two compartments, both acryllic and seethrough. Has a latch for a lock so harder or hopefully more intimidating to steal from. I saw the cardboard ones and was definitely turned off. As these are plastic and hope to stand up to more abuse, I see these working far better for me. Again time will tell but I hope i got a great deal at around 10 a box for them

[sherlock]

True, I have seen the ones for 2.50 but they are made of plastic. Mine are of the white face model. Two compartments, both acryllic and seethrough. Has a latch for a lock so harder or hopefully more intimidating to steal from. I saw the cardboard ones and was definitely turned off. As these are plastic and hope to stand up to more abuse, I see these working far better for me. Again time will tell but I hope i got a great deal at around 10 a box for them

I have no experience with these boxes directly but do know of 2 others using them locally.

1 uses cardboard, the other uses plastic.

I don't know them well, but they claim to have good success with them.

I hope your boxes do great for you, I really do.

But, the majority of honor-box theft involves one of two things:

Either they take items without paying or they take the whole box, product, AND money.

In either case, a latch and lock doesn't help you at all.

Please keep us informed how things are going with your boxes.

Again, I wish you all the best.

[agrantha]

I would do honor boxes for a chance to put coin operated machines in.  The honor boxes would be temporary if I would do honor boxes at all.  I would rather work a part time job to get money for a machine.

[joebob051977]

I had really wanted to do this, but I too was told I would be robbed blind. I still believe it can be done sucessfully. I  have heard of appointing a "sherrif" for the box and they would get candy if all the money was accounted at say 90%. You can use red, yellow and green stickers to indicate how close they are to losing the box. 

[Hillbilly]

I recently asked a guy who works at a place that has one of the cardboard boxes if the owner of it lost a lot of money.  He said the guy told him that there is normally more than enough money in it everytime he checks it.  He said a lot of people assume that they are placed by handicapped people and put more than what the price is in the box.

[jmac]

yea i just bought thirty white faces for 320.  Looked online the price was 50 a pop.   Seems like a decent deal. I am going to target a few local banks to place them. See how well i do

I am interested in trying them out also, but am a bit leery about the theft aspect of it. Please let us know how things go, when you get them.

[rjpapageorgio]

Stay away from them!  I had over a 100 at one time... they do okay for a few services, and then you will get robbed blind.  There is no money in it.  If there were than everyone would be doing it.

[sherlock]

Hello,Im trying to start a honor snack box route.

Is their anybody on this board who is currently doing them,and how do they do?

ctrick --- How's this going?

Were you able to get the honor box route off the ground?

[ctrick67]

ctrick --- How's this going?

Were you able to get the honor box route off the ground?

        Yes...somewhat 

The theft rate is very high ,and its very hard getting accounts

I would not recommend this business anybody

[sherlock]

         Yes...somewhat 

The theft rate is very high ,and its very hard getting accounts

I would not recommend this business anybody

Wow.

Thanks for your honesty.

Hopefully, you are doing other vending to make up for that bad experience.

[Big Mike]

Can anyone recommend a good source to honor boxes besides the cardboard trays? We are looking for plastic ones and some that set on a pedestal. We do it on a limited basis and have always made our own our of rubbermaid trays. Looking for something more professional looking.

Mike

[BudLeiser]

Guys... I'm sorry to inform you all of this. But Honor Boxes do not belong on this board. According to a SC judge honor boxes are not vending machines or equivalents.

8. S.C. Code Ann. § 12-36-110(g) is clear and unambiguous in that it specifically refers to vending machines and makes no mention of honor boxes. Furthermore, the honor box does not fit within the definition of a vending machine. While Taxpayer is engaged in vending, it is not selling its product using a vending machine. Therefore, I find that an honor box is not a vending machine or its functional equivalent and Taxpayer is liable for sales tax based on its gross proceeds of sales as prescribed under S.C. Code Ann. § 12-36-910(A) (2000).

http://www.scalc.net/decisions.aspx?q=4&id=7522

Ps. I have a couple of locations where I want to test an honor box so if anyone sees good deals let us know.