$%*#ing vending machines!

[Gerrinson]

We get a free lunch (or dinner depending on when you work) at the inn, so that's awesome. But if you want juice, soda, or a snack outside of the set meal times, then you have to use the Vending Machines of Doom +3.

They recently replaced the old snack machine (circa 1980) with a shiny new digital vending machine. I thought it would be much better and more reliable (I am so gullible.) I put in my money and press E 9. The machine gives me D 0. I'm mildly perplexed but I've been known to punch the wrong keys (both of them though?). So, I put in my last dollar, very carefully push E, and check that it shows E on the LCD display. Then I push 9 and check to see if the 9 shows. It does. The machine again gives me the D 0 item.

I would be more upset, since it was my last $2 and I couldn't afford to try it again, but D 0 was Peanut M&Ms, so...

Still, I'm really, really, really jonesing for a Twix.

And though I don't drink soda, my officemates do. Apparently the soda machine refuses all change, making you use a $1.00 bill. But, for a $0.75 soda, it doesn't give you change either.

We've left several messages this week, but the guy who owns the machines doesn't return our calls. So it will be a couple weeks before this all gets sorted out when he comes in to pick up his money and restock.

[Megg]

I may be cynical ... ok, no maybe about it. I smell scam. Especially the soda machine not taking quarters or dispensing them. Can you just imagine, in even a medium sized workplace, how much extra money those machines have taken in in even a week? As for the snack machine, most people will do exactly as you did if they get the wrong thing out of a machine. Say to themselves, "I must have messed up/was distracted/whatever" and try again.

Hopefully, this guy gives money back at least from the soda machine. The snack machine ... well, at least you got M&M's.

[Gurndigarn]

Working with coin-op, it's probably a goof in the machine (one miswired, one with a non-working coin unit). Though that doesn't excuse someone from not CHECKING THE MACHINE WITHIN TWO DAYS OF INSTALL (you would not believe how many issues don't show up during the install, but do within a day), or getting back to you AFTER YOU CALLED.

It doesn't smell like a scam. It smells like a vendor who's either overworked or lazy.

[Boochan]

Only vending machine that rips me off constantly is a really, really old ice cream vending machine at my college which I use every so often. They don't load most of the ice creams properly, leading to me having to bash the absolute shit out of the machine, and actually rocking it (nobody cares about this), to get the damn ice cream to fall.

Its robbed me at least $10 this year alone.

[KellyHabersham]

*wishes she had a dollar for every time a vending machine has accepted dollar bills/coins, not dispensed the product, and/or not given the money back.

[MiloMorai]

Leave message about no change coming back. Check

Give a couple days to get back and call again. Check

Leave last message saying never mind. We got it ourselves.

Bet you hear back real fast.

[Broomjockey]

*wishes she had a dollar for every time a vending machine has accepted dollar bills/coins, not dispensed the product, and/or not given the money back.

Might make up for the dollars you've put in!

There's one specific machine on campus that it's about a 50/50 shot of getting your drink. Which is unfortunate, as the cafeteria is more expensive, and it's the only machine with the only coke product I'll drink.

[Kogarashi]

We had the occasional misprogrammed vending machine on campus when I went to University. My favorite was the ice cream/Hot Pockets machine in my freshman dorm basement. Someone forgot to reprogram one of the double-wide slots to be two single slots before stocking it with two single items. So you could press the code for the item on the right, and get just that item...or you could press the code for the item on the left and get both. Needless to say, those slots always ran out fast when people noticed the mistake.

The two Sam's Choice machines at the most recent Wal-Mart I worked at must've had a grudge against me for something. Twice, they have thwarted me of my desired soda. The machine in the break room would take my $.30 and not dispense either my root beer or my lemon-lime (I don't handle caffeine well, and dislike orange/grape). So I had to go to the service desk to get a refund of my change, after which I went to the machine outside the building. I pressed the "Root Beer" button...and receive the knockoff Dr. Pepper. ::facepalm:: Back to the service desk for another refund (and handing over the drink). Retreat to the breakroom in defeat.

The one time I was victorious over the vending machines was Black Friday, when management unlocked the break room's Sam's Choice machine so we employees could use it like a glorified soda-fridge. Cold, frothy root beer! Victory!

[JLRodgers]

I've rarely had problems with vending machines.... the few times I had a problem it wasn't with the machine so much as the person stocking it. For some reason there was a pop vending machine one place that the stocker just put random pops in the slots. Sometimes you got a diet coke, other times a regular pepsi, sometimes it was orange. Didn't matter what you pressed.

If a slot was getting low he just filled it up with something else (if he didn't have any of that type). That was so wrong.... especially since you couldn't get refunds. Since it was at a college campus, the drinks were just given away to others.

[powerboy]

My last time that I had a bad time with a vending machine. Was when it wouldn't give the dollar back. I remember once, we had to leave our names and how much we put in, when that happened at one of my old jobs. We would get our money back from that vending machine company. We all would put down that we put in either $2.00 or $3.00. The boss encouraged us to do so. After a couple of times, they sent us a new one. Which worked like a charm.

[Hon'ya-chan]

The soda machines at the mall I work had have a problem dispensing change. I recalled one time I saw the soda machine repairman putting in new Dollar Bill machines into the vendors. Didn't realize that he might've also fudged with the change mechanism. The mechanism is so weak, it can abrely spit out the change into the receptacle.

One day, the change refuses to come out unless you do a few good bashes. Another day, I get an extra 1-3 Quarters including my normal change.

[Megg]

It doesn't smell like a scam. It smells like a vendor who's either overworked or lazy.

You have a point. I still hope the vendor refunds the missing money. *crosses fingers*

[Aramika]

I walked into my breakroom one day to see that someone had made a huge hole in the front of the snack machine. It was about one foot by half a foot. I'm guessing that someone really wanted their chocolate or crackers or whatever.

[CancelMyService]

This thread reminds me of a situation now taking place in the cafeteria at work:

1. The ATM, which dispenses in $5 increments (so you can use them in the vending machines) now gives out the new redesigned five dollar bills.

2. The vending machines don't accept the new redesigned $5 bills.

3. Hilarity ensues.

[edible_hat]

One time I put it $2 for a $1.80 item, got the item free and my money back. So I tried again... and got another freebie. Then the same $2 coin was rejected by the newer Coke machine next to the snack machine, so I figured it must be blessed or cursed or something.

The free food made up for the times that machine's kept my money and given me nothing in return.