You noticed I did not use the word distributor as I believe that your customer service / sales person is the one that makes your Vending Machine management of assets a better satisfied experience. Buying a vending machine is not something you want to just spend a few minutes on and you defiantly need to have someone that can answer questions not only about how the machine operates but what machine may work for what locations. A person who understands the ins and outs of the vending machine as well as how your machine interfaces with other MDB devices can be a asset you just do not find on the classifieds and yard sale websites. As your vending machine sales representative I work with my customers all times of the day answering questions not just about the vending machine but about the vending business. A yard sale is a yard sale, I am not saying you can not find sometimes a great deal on a product that someone is selling personally, but the big question is, what am I really getting? What will be the support of that sale after the sale is done? Am I on my own to try and figure out how the machine operates or what do I need to do to change the product selections from one size to the other? How do I make the machine run reports so I can view them on my computer at my office or home? Vending machines today can do some pretty cool stuff if you know how to make them do it. Even older vending machines can be updated to operate with high tech devices of today. I get calls all the time about how to operate or fix or make that darn machine work that someone purchased cheap on the internet websites that everyone post whatever they want to get rid off. We suggest to the vending machine operators that want to sell their machines themselves and are thinking of placing their vending machines online yard sale internet sites, you have more choices and would recommend to look at a vending machine sales website as that choice. The used vending machines that vending operators list on our website do so because we still offer our services of answering questions about the sale and about how the machine operates. The biggest problem we see with the personal sales is that we are seeing many vending operators selling their vending machines at a much higher price then a vending machine sales company may sell it brand new. You will find so many of the so called biz opportunity vending machines listed on those garage sale style websites because so many people just cant make the programs work. The next big question is, who owned that soda machine you are buying for real? We see many Coke and Pepsi vending machines on the internet that still have Coke and Pepsi graphics on them. The older antique machines I understand but the more modern ones is a surprise to see Coke and Pepsi Graphics as rule of thumb from Coke, who really does not even let their machines be resold in many cases and Pepsi who demands that if a refurbished vending machine that once was a Pepsi Vending Machine is sold that the refurbish-er must remove the Pepsi Logo as it is a trademark issue. You see Pepsi and Coke branches have territories and the logo's that go with those brands are part of the exclusive rights they own for selling of those products in their territories. I have heard of stories of stolen machines right off the street by people backing up and loading the drink vending machine right on the truck and away it went, who knew that a blue truck and a person wearing a blue or red uniform may not work for the bottler. You can check to see if the machine is owned by the seller by asking for the manufacture and serial number as well as brand on the machine and call the local bottler and ask how or whom can you call to check to make sure that the machine is not part of their assets on the books. Yes you can find used Coke and Pepsi Vending Machines that are legit but those should be purchased from a Coke or Pepsi dealer and should come with a release letter on the use of the logo. So next time you are looking at that vending machine being sold on a website that is not a vending machine sales company, make sure you know what you are getting and who is going to be there to help you with it after the sale. Just saying a vending machine is an asset and that asset will come with questions. Lindel Creed Vendweb.Com ...read more