Psychology of the "Empty Machine Vendor"?

[Profits]

An all too familiar situation... you walk into a location, see a totally empty double-head machine.  TOTALLY EMPTY.  *queue dramatic music*.

I'm trying to understand the psychology of the empty machine vendor.  Why is it there?  Why doesn't someone come and fill it up so it has something to sell?  Why doesn't someone collect the money?

My first thought is perhaps they have "too much money".  They have exceeded Roger Folz's 150,000 locations and they're simply too bad-golpher for their own good, and they already own 12 Ferrari's, 4 McMansions across the 48 main states, and one in Hawaii... and maybe a $20m yacht too.  They already "made it".  Second thought is that they had a stroke and must have forgotten where they kept their log of machine locations.  Third thought is that they just can't be bothered making money.  How many hundreds of dollars does an empty machine have, anyway?  LOL

Fourth thought... did they die?

Any ideas?  

[T BIRD]

I see it all the time with charity vendors.  Its ridiculous.  And the machines are a total eyesore to look at after a while.

[Faith Vending]

I've had any empty Vendstar next to my machine for over a year. It is really getting on my nerves and dealership does not want to deal with it and looks like crap. I'm guess I will have to find a dumpster for the stupid thing.

[caserri]

I've left many a machine out in the field empty. Not something I'm proud of or even planned. I simply forgot about them.

Back before I was turned on to Vend-Trak, I kept very crude notes on paper and I am not very organized so many locations and machines went unserviced. Most of the locations would call me to let me know it was empty. My reply was, "Oh, that's where I put that machine!" 

There is no telling how many I lost track of and never saw again.

[The Mage]

I think most empty locations are simply people who started out, and gave up, or simply forgot they were even doing it.  One of the locations I got from KSL had me replacing a machine that had never been serviced once. 

I am keeping my eyes open, and if I see an empty machine, I will consider that an opportunity for a location.

[dperry]

I'm not happy about it, but I've gone in to some of my locations only to find that I had let the machines go empty.  I have to be honest tho, those situations were totally unexpected.  I did not expect them to be empty because they never had before, so why should they be this time.  That's a good thing I guess.

[agrantha]

Dperry

I have a charity location at a pizza restaurant beside another charity machine.  The machine was once owned by another charity vendor.  I offered to pay him for the machine.  He told me he was selling his route and would not sell single machines.  You have to buy the entire route.  He sold the route and one month later the machine is empty and not serviced.  I am going to give it a month.  If the machine is still empty I will move it to a corner somewhere at the location.  If it remains empty after several months, I will put another triple head at this location. The new owner has left no information on the machine to identify it.  If the machine is still there empty after a year I will take it home and use for parts.

Mr. Caserri

It must be nice being you.  You have entered Bill Gates territory when you forget where you put machines.  You have so much money that being careful is no longer a necessity.  There is no way I forget where my money is even if it’s only $1.00.  Please be my mentor and help me get where you are.  I am willing to work for you for knowledge and you can keep your money.  Because if I knew what you know, I can afford to forget about a machine here and there.  Wow!  There is nothing like personally knowing a millionaire. 

There is nothing like change running out your golpher everywhere you go.   

[Quarter Master]

These things do happen. An empty machine sitting next to yours is just another opportunity to upgrade the location. Now might be a good time for everyone to take an inventory of machines and locations just to make sure you haven't forgotten anything and also take another look at your service cycles. It's summertime and more people are out there and kids are out of school.Take a step back and try to get the whole picture and I'm sure you'll see some more opportunities to increase income and expand the route.

  Steve, shame on you.Sure hope you don't forget where you put VENDiscuss. lol.

[caserri]

Agrantha,

Unfortunately I can't see your face so I'm not sure if you are seriously being sarcastic or you are joking. I would hope it's the latter but based on other posts you've made about me, I will assume not.  So, pardon me for being human.

It must be nice being you as well. Please be my mentor and help me get to where you are. You are the person I would like to become if you've never forgotten anything.

[mainor5251]

Dperry

I have a charity location at a pizza restaurant beside another charity machine.  The machine was once owned by another charity vendor.  I offered to pay him for the machine.  He told me he was selling his route and would not sell single machines.  You have to buy the entire route.  He sold the route and one month later the machine is empty and not serviced.  I am going to give it a month.  If the machine is still empty I will move it to a corner somewhere at the location.  If it remains empty after several months, I will put another triple head at this location. The new owner has left no information on the machine to identify it.  If the machine is still there empty after a year I will take it home and use for parts.

Mr. Caserri

It must be nice being you.  You have entered Bill Gates territory when you forget where you put machines.  You have so much money that being careful is no longer a necessity.  There is no way I forget where my money is even if it’s only $1.00.  Please be my mentor and help me get where you are.  I am willing to work for you for knowledge and you can keep your money.  Because if I knew what you know, I can afford to forget about a machine here and there.  Wow!  There is nothing like personally knowing a millionaire. 

There is nothing like change running out your golpher everywhere you go.    

Not sure if this attempt at humor, if so its a poor one.  When posting this did the thought "its probably not a good idea to be a golpher bag to the man that makes this site possible and who has probably forgot more about vending then I know" ever pop into your head.

[agrantha]

Mr. Caserri

I did not mean to offend you.  I apologize for being over sarcastic.  I am just excited about vending and have never had a route large enough to forget a location.  I guess one day when I have more than 20 locations or so, I will forget some locations.

Again, please accept my apology and please don't kick me off the board. 

P.S. I am also  a silly person by nature...not foolish, just silly.

[agrantha]

Mainor

Thanks for keeping me in line, Buddy 

[havending]

The vending business is too easy to start in.  People but some doubles or triples put them out and dont make the kind of money that they think they should and the simply just say the hell with them.  I ahve seen some that will service them until the last candy is gone and never go back. 

[Profits]

Here's one of my new locations. 

[will.vend]

Here's one of my new locations.   

steve are those your machines? sorry I couldnt resist

[lurtsman]

He doesn't even have displays for the toys on the bottom half  :'(

[sweetstop]

Funny this topic would come up today.

Before I left florida I had sold my 2 routes totaling about 40 1-800's freshly cleaned and newly stocked, They paid a good price for it but today and in the last month I have got 3 calls from locations saying there machines are empty an wanted them serviced. I tried contacting the new owners but not returning my calls.

SAD !! they paid thousands not hundreds, you would think they would be at least keeping up with it.

Who knows??

[mainor5251]

Funny this topic would come up today.

Before I left florida I had sold my 2 routes totaling about 40 1-800's freshly cleaned and newly stocked, They paid a good price for it but today and in the last month I have got 3 calls from locations saying there machines are empty an wanted them serviced. I tried contacting the new owners but not returning my calls.

SAD !! they paid thousands not hundreds, you would think they would be at least keeping up with it.

Who knows??

Should have pulled the machines and sold me them too, I'm almost out.  Hows the route in Maine?

[sweetstop]

Slow going, Working capital is very tight right now.

looking for a "regular job"  to keep the essentials paid.

just bought a lot of 20 doubles and a spiral for $600

so far:

2 triples

5 doubles

1  4-head set up

A bunch to locate

[Rick Falcon]

I think most empty locations are simply people who started out, and gave up, or simply forgot they were even doing it.  One of the locations I got from KSL had me replacing a machine that had never been serviced once. 

I am keeping my eyes open, and if I see an empty machine, I will consider that an opportunity for a location.

That's how I picked up a location last week at a dry cleaners.

[Jax Snacks]

Yes, some vendors loose track of equipment.

Yes, some vendors do not adequately stock their machine or get blind sided by a seasonal spike.

Yes, some vendors even die or get very sick.

But the biggest reason for abandoned machines is that these vendors do not want to face their own failures.  Most of these vendors bought directly from a biz-op and had big dollar signs in their head.  When the bubble burst and reality sets in, they usually feel a bit scammed and then just want to move on and slide this stuff under the rug.  This behavior is very similar to some people not wanting to open up and read their retirement/investment statement - too depressing and just want to forget about it.  Kinda strange.  As long as there are biz-ops and their victims that buy their pitch, then there will always be a high quantity of abandoned machines.  By the way, most of the abandoned machines I see are biz-op vendstars, uturns, 1-800, tpico, altoids, buzz bites, etc.  I don't see NW, Oak, Beaver or A&A machines abandoned as often.

[tooldini]

Same thing goes on in my town .Empty, ugly dirty machines, NO labels etc. I have had a couple locations empty but I was new and did not know what to expect    I think Jax may be pretty correct on this probably many feel like failures when there machine they were told would make 150.00 a month only makes 12.00  LOL

[pdavid]

"As long as there are biz-ops and their victims that buy their pitch, then there will always be a high quantity of abandoned machines. "

Excellent! Brings down the ROI for the vendor who snatches up the machines for pennies on the dollar.

God, I love capitalism.

[sherlock]

By the way, most of the abandoned machines I see are biz-op vendstars, uturns, 1-800, tpico, altoids, buzz bites, etc.  I don't see NW, Oak, Beaver or A&A machines abandoned as often.

I agree.

You are right about that being the #1 indicator that most abandoned machines are biz-op victims jumping ship.

[Bender]

Here's a Vendstar 3000 that's been empty at the main entrance of a local Wal-Mart for several years now.  I didn't try to pick it up to see if it's heavy with quarters, but it's just as empty as it was last year.  Granted, I get out to this store only once or twice a year.  I'm planning to call the operator, then ask the store manager to let me replace it.