U-Turn Vending
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U-Turn Vending Machines, also known as US Vend Technologies, LLC and Vend-It-All, is an Idaho Falls, Idaho company offering bulk vending business opportunities. The company sells at least four different machines, all of which feature one or more levels of four canisters for vending four choices of candy, toys, or other merchandise. They are:
- The U-Turn (one level; four selections);
- The U-Turn Eliminator (two levels; eight selections);
- The U-Turn Terminator (two levels; eight selections; extra capacity); and
- The U-Turn Goliath (three levels; twelve selections).
Like most vending biz-ops, U-Turn charges a high price for the machines ($799 for an eight-selection machine) in exchange for giving the customer support in lining up locators to find places to put the machines. Many customers pay several thousand dollars in initial investment in a set of machines.
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[edit] Company history
US Vend Technologies has been in business since 1988[1]. According to an August 1999 article in Entrepreneur Magazine, the company is "expanding into South America and has already shipped machines to other regions around the world"[2]. In February 2000, Pacific Equity Group acquired the company[3].
[edit] Critiques
[edit] Critiques by consumers
There is anecdotal evidence from Yahoo vending group postings, Rip Off Reports, and other accounts, that some buyers have not realized the $70.58/hour income that the U-Turn website suggests vending operators can make[4]. Large lots of "like-new" U-Turn machines are often found on eBay at steeply discounted prices.
The machines seem to have a high frequency of "free vending" that happens with their coin mechanisms. According to bulk vendor Tim Schluter, "There is a solution which involves inserting a screw through a hole in the back of the mechanism."
U-Turns are considered a specialty machine. The consensus seems to be that although they can earn a fair amount in some locations, the large number of selections makes refilling the different products cumbersome, and sales with these machines are lower than what might be obtained with competing machines.
In response to a 2005 ripoff report, Tami Rigby of US Vend Technologies noted, "In the ten years that we have been a member of the BBB we have had 2 complaints filed against our company"[5].
[edit] Critiques by other business opportunities
North American Vending's website cites the following drawbacks of 4-, 8-, and 12-selection spinning machines[6]:
- Limited locations that will accept this type of machine
- You can't see half the product in these vending machines-half the product is against the wall
- Due to substantial weight on the top - makes the machine "Top Heavy"
- Very hard to service-you must take off all canisters and put your hand down inside bottom of machine
- Plastic coin mechanisms jam up and frequently break down
- Most of these machines have short-term, limited warranties
The latter complaint may be ill-founded, since U-Turn now offers a lifetime warranty.
1.800.Vending's website lists similar concerns about U-Turn machines, and adds the critique that "Machines that have 4-8-12 selections require large amounts of candy and therefore have too much product cost for the same number of customers"[7].
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- Exact Change: A business opportunity you see everyday, Entrepreneur, 1999.
- Pacific Equity Group Acquisition History.
- U-Turn Vending.
- U-Turn Vending, Rip Off Report, 2005.
