Vending
machine scams are one of the most widely used ways people take advantage of a
lot of work from home business entrepreneurs. Educate yourself on these bad
deals that come into your email box, mail box and phone solicitors looking to
take advantage. These are some things to look for if you are considering
working from home with vending machine businesses.
Most of the
advertisements that you see will promise the moon. They let you pick your own
routes, your own hours and advise no selling necessary to make thousands of
dollars each month. Do not believe the hype.
Many workers
searching for part time work to make more money will be very tempted to at
least look into it. However, anything that sounds too good to be true, usually
is. Common sense and caution is advised for these types of dealings.
There are
some legitimate companies with vending machine companies for work at home
business persons. However, most of these companies are not out to help you. They
are simply looking for ways to scam the next person coming their way.
These are
extremely risky investments. Most will ask for a monetary investment from you
in order to get you started with the business. For those workers looking for
additional money in their wallets, giving away even a couple of dollars could
be a hardship. There is no guarantee you will get a return on any kind of money
invested.
The Better
Business Bureau and many state Attorney Generals have investigated and cited
lots of these types of companies for their shady business practices. Charging
them with misrepresentation of the revenue potential has been the biggest
breach of business conduct for most. In
addition to the revenue misinformation, they are also charged with misrepresenting
the speed and ease of getting your machines delivered, repairs needed not being
performed or even replacement of vending machines which cannot be repaired.
The FTC
requires pre-investment detailed info delivered and many companies have been
charged with failure to take care of this portion of doing business as well. Even
bogus referrals are being seen.
What is a
vending machine business?
Most of these
include operating a personal vending machine for snacks, sodas, fax machines,
copiers, amusement games and other styles of vending machines. Snacks and sodas
are the most popular. These are generally located in shopping malls, rest areas
along the highway, airports, bowling alleys and even community centers.
Obligations
as the owner includes stocking, cleaning and making certain these are in
working order.
Companies
will either share the profits with the vending machine worker or sell the machine
outright to an owner so they keep all of the profits. A guarantee of a baseline
of profits to be made is the sales pitch. Though, there is no guarantee of what
the machine or contents will and could generate for you.
Many will
promise a set income based on a machine already in a specific location or offer
to get locations on your behalf to help out. Some have been known to promise to
move a machine to a better locale if the business does not pay off. All of
these things combined sounds wonderful. Though, they are rarely if ever seen.
Problems that
vendors see
Many vendors
see an immediate problem after their initial investment. Machines fail to be
delivered. Without the machine you are out of the money invested as well as the
potential source of making an income.
Vending
machine locations, routes and moves to more profitable locations were also
failures after investing for many business persons. A number of complaints were
made when machines were promised in new condition and delivered used or broken
machines were paid for repairs that never materialized.
Even with the
promise of a refund if things do not pan out, there were few if any actually
given.
In conclusion
Protect
yourself from these companies out to “steal” your money by promising you these
great work from home opportunities in the vending machine business and failing
to deliver.
Contact the
BBB or Better Business Bureau or your local state Attorney General’s Office to
discover if the company has any complaints or is under investigation for any of
the low life business practices listed here.
Check the company’s
references. This can be done through several avenues. If they have operating in
other states, check with those state Attorney General’s as well.
Get all of
the claimed earnings and promising made in writing. This is not the advertisement,
but a notarized letter for your personal business.
Discuss any
type of investment for money, especially a substantial one in the thousands of
dollars, with an attorney or financial investor. Make these people who will
protect you aware of anything before making the upfront payment.
Keep
verification of all discussions with the company. Who you talked to about what
matter on which date is vital for documentation purposes in case things do not
go as planned.
