1.800.VENDING Complaints: Have you had any dealings with the 1-800-VENDING business opportunity or 1-800-VENDING vending machines? Please share a comment about your experience – good or bad – below, as well as advice for those considering investing with 1-800-VENDING.
The bios of founders Michael Burnett and Jeff Marsh are impressive.
The pictures of its headquarters in Kaysville, Utah are impressive.
And the 1.800.VENDING sales pitch is impressive:
1.800.VENDING provides everything you need to successfully establish, upgrade or expand your vending business. Our goal is to provide you with your own “up and running” business from day one. In other words, you don’t have to waste time reinventing the wheel. We can assist the beginner to the seasoned operator with a successful business. Let us show you how 1.800.VENDING can help you generate immediate and long-term cash flow!
1.800.VENDING: A little too impressive?
To a newcomer, 1-800-Vending has a very impressive image. To those who are aware of the controversial past of 1.800.VENDING and its founders, it might seem a little too impressive.
A little too orchestrated.
For example, if you do a Google search of the term “1.800.VENDING scam” you’ll see some red flags:
You’ll see that numerous complaints about 1-800-Vending on Rip-Off Report have been sanitized, scrubbed clean and given that cheery endorsement reserved for those, one assumes, who have worked out a financial agreement with the site owner.
You’ll see numerous listings for phony blogs (called splogs) that use the terms “1.800.VENDING” and “scam” in their titles, urls, tags and body copy. This is a common technique used by those who have, or expect, a lot of scam complaints on the Internet. The intent is to flood Google search results with these sites and posts in order to bury legitimate scam warnings or complaints.
Be wary of those who “Splog.”
Here are a trio of suspected “splogs” that appear to be designed to dilute search engine results for the terms “1-800-Vending Scam,” “1-800-Vending Complaints,” and “1-800-Vending Ripoff,” respectively:
Each of the URLs are registered to a “private party” using a premium ownership masking service (Hmmm… wonder who owns these?). Each of the supposed blogs uses the offending term in its url, title and as a keyword in the single awkward article that appears on the site. The blogs are so phony the authors didn’t even change the generic WordPress sample posts (Hello World!).
While there’s nothing illegal about splogging, it is certainly a red flag that a company would need to manage its reputation in such a fashion.
“We are seriously considering laying the stupid machine on the tracks and watching a train obliterate the *** thing”
Despite the suspected Internet countermeasures, some complaints have snuck through to the top page of Google. On ComplaintsBoard, Norman wrote:
I cannot explain how much of a HEADACHE our experience has been with 1-800-VENDING. There are railroad tracks across from our business and we are seriously considering laying the stupid machine on the tracks and watching a train obliterate the *** thing. The machine didn’t work from day 1, and trying to get customer service that was actually helpful was impossible. We were sent various parts, chips, circuit boards… NOT worth the headache it’s caused. The company’s communication has been terrible, we’ve gotten jerked back and forth and given the run around for weeks now… Don’t go with 1-800-vending! Not worth the headache!
Sins of the Past: Turnkey Vending, FTC & Connecticut Legal Actions
According to Wikipedia entry for the 1-800-Vending opportunity, founders Michael Burnett and Jeff Marsh seem to have a good reason for covering their Internet tracks. Prior to 1-800-Vending, the partners founded and operated Turnkey Vending. In 2003, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sweep titled Project Busted Opportunity led to the U.S. Government filing a complaint alleging that Turnkey had operated a fraudulent business opportunity. The FTC filed a permanent injunction against the company and its founders.
When the dynamic duo started fresh with a new entity and name (1-800-Vending), it seems they hadn’t abandoned their scurrilous ways. According to Wikipedia:
After Turnkey’s dissolution, the two men founded 1.800.Vending. The latter has been fined by the State of Connecticut. Specifically, the agency accused the defendants of ‘misrepresenting its prior Connecticut business opportunity sales activity’ and alleged that the company’s disclosure documents:
- failed to include financial statements as required by law;
- failed to make adequate disclosure concerning 1.800.Vending, Inc.’s affiliates and predecessors;
- failed to describe in sufficient detail the employment histories of Michael S. Burnett and Jeffrey L. Marsh;
- failed to adequately set forth the risks involved in the business opportunity venture;
- lacked sufficient information on the employment and disciplinary histories of 1.800.Vending, Inc.’s sales representatives; and
- did not mention the fact that purchaser-investors might have to pay retailers for the use of space for the purchaser-investors’ vending machines.
The State of Connecticut also accused the company of “making earnings claims on its web site without including documented data to substantiate such claims and disclosing such data to prospective purchaser-investors at the time such representations were made.”
Despite its legal difficulties, the company remains in business today, spending large sums on advertising. It is one of the first sponsored links to appear in the results when a Google search is done on vending-related topics.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? IS 1-800-VENDING AN HONEST COMPANY THAT LEARNED ITS LESSON? ARE MICHAEL BARNETT AND JEFF MARSH “THE TWO MOST APPRECIATED MEN IN VENDING” LIKE THEIR WEBSITE STATES?
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View Comments
I am so glad to now know for a fact that these machines are total crap.
it does not matter whether it is 1800 Vending or HealthyYou or whatever name they use to avoid responsibility the bottom line is that these machines are problematic and tremendously over priced.
I have a question for Mr March and Mr Burnett if this is such a great investment opportunity why are there so many people who purchased your dream of success trying to give these machines away on e-bay?. I invested my retirement savings into this debacle to now have these worthless bohemians sitting in storage.
Lets throw out the real figures that your salesmen dodge when trying to sell this great opportunity. Even if you finally become the mechanical engineer that you have to become to get these marvels of technology to work 60% of the time you can plan on a good location to net you about $50-$75 a month. At $8000.00 per machine with an initial investment of lets say $100,000 (8 machines plus product and other operating expenses) you will yield a whopping $600 to $800 per month net profit.
I should have kept my money in my SEP account. I would have made more on my money without the nightmare that I have been living. I have tried to legally settle with these clowns to no avail.
The worst thing is that they will continue this same evil scenario until they are held responsible for there actions. I only hope that this post prevents a least one person form living my nightmare.
Russell,
I am a REAL PERSON and everything that I said is 100% true. My e-mail address is [redacted]. Those that are Brave enough to come out of the shadows and rage against the injustice we shall call 1 800 vending or HealthyYou feel free to e-mail me.I have personally spoke with five people who said they also know others that have experienced "EXACTLY" what we all have.
This has to stop regardless of whether I ever get my money back or not.
RUSSELL "DO NOT PURCHASE THE MACHINES"
NOTE: We don't publish personal contact info in the comments section. Parties interested in connecting can email ADMIN at UnhappyFranchisee[at]gmail.com. Thanks. ADMIN
NOTICE OF SUBPOENA
Please take notice that 1.800.Vending, Inc. (“Plaintiff”) has served a subpoena, (the “Subpoena”), on Unhappy Franchisee.com seeking information regarding the following reviews: “Emily” on June 17, 2011 at 3:38pm; “Eleanor” on May 1, 2013 at 2:59pm; “Lynn” on October 11, 2012 at 1:45pm; “ Thomas” on January 17, 2014 at 4:03am; “MW” on August 19, 2014 at 5:28pm. The Subpoena has been issued in connection with Case No. 1:14-cv-00121-CW filed in the United States District Court for the District of Utah. Plaintiff believes that these postings may have been fictitiously authored by a competitor. The Subpoena seeks to require Unhappy Franchisee to provide the name(s), address(es), e-mail address(es), internet protocol (IP) address(es), telephone number(s), and all other information regarding the comments in the possession, custody or control of Unhappy Franchisee that would assist in discovering the identity of the author(s) of the comments.
You have the opportunity to move to quash the Subpoena or otherwise object in accordance with the law. We urge you to act promptly if you choose to respond. You may obtain a copy of the Subpoena by contacting the lawyers for Plaintiff at the address below. You must serve notice of your motions or objections upon the lawyers for Plaintiff at the address appearing immediately below within the time period provided by law. The date of this notice is the date it was posted and is reflected by the “date stamp” that appears above.
S. Ian Hiatt
Burbidge Mitchell & Gross
215 South State Street, Ste. 920
Salt Lake City, Utah, 84003
ihiatt@bmgtrial.com
I bought the machines and I know they were expensive but business is tought anyway and nothing is easy , I will say the Seaga combo machine drink portion is difficult. I'm not sure how else to say this I am new so I'm working out problems but if they had regional tech reps that could come and assist you that would be key. I bought 1800 healthy vending and whatever everything is a gimmick in life I just wish the machines drink portion was easier to operate
So I have been looking at investing in Vending business as I have heard and SEEN good things. I to have been sold on HealthyYou opportunity but have yet invested. I see the above comments, which unfortunately seem to unreliable with controversy of possible inaccurate or competitor immoral posts.
Any actual investors that can provide truthful insight, anybody having success now?
I have a rc 800-850 combo michine. I am trying to set the sensor so that when the drink runs out it will tell you to make another selection. Can any one help?
I am am a glutton for punishment. I used their machine 4 times and all 4 times I lost my money. I just kept thinking... one of those buttons should work. Today was the worst. I put .50 cents in for an Espresso. I was so sleepy and so wanted the machine to just work one time! Out came three drops of coffee. And on top of that, it was contaminated. this was the first time I actually bent down and looked underneath. There is mold growing all around the spigot. Please access situation for OSHA and safety standards ASAP! Thank you! I have photos.
Pro City Vending
7327 Ashcroft Dr
Houston, Texas 77081
Phone (713) 534-4591
Mary K Hayes: Is Pro City Vending somehow related to 1-800-VENDING or did you just post this here at random? Also, did you call the number and request a refund? What did they say? Thanks- ADMIN
I have purchased 10 machines from Healthy You Vending. In four months their location services have managed to place two machines. So I am now paying storage fees! My salesman, Brett Tabor, promised that it was easy to place the machines. Ha. I have kept in touch with over 20 others that attended my training class, Healthy Youniversity. Almost all of them are disappointed in one way or another. Most commonly I hear that the location services are a disappointment. My father purchased 15 machines at the same time as me. They have placed just two for him. These guys do not deliver on their promises.
Has anyone spoken to an attorney in Utah about the possibility of a class action lawsuit? I think it is time.
I purchased two Healthier 4 U vending machines. It's been 6 months and I just got the second one placed. The first one is making $6.00 a day! That's about $3 profit. I keep asking for better placement and they tell me they are working on it. I called daily. The contract says they will move the machine, but that changed. I've now paid $200 to move the first machine form an school that I knew could not sustain it. They place the machine in places that could NEVER be viable! Oh, and by the way, NO ONE wants to eat healthy vending. If you give people a choice, they will choose chips and candy over nuts or bars everyday!!!! Before you buy, call around your area to seek placement BEFORE you purchase the machines. If you can't place them, they probably can't be placed! DO NOT BUY. Endless promises and no delivery! You will lose money!!!!!! Buyer beware!
I was lured by false promises from 1800 vending too. Several months ago I purchased several machines because the salesman told me there were lots of places that were actually begging to have one of these vending machines with healthy products. He was clever enough not to promise any amount in guaranteed revenues but he said this would be a fabulous business and they would do all the location process.
Well, I received the machines and then the months started to accumulate without locations. I had to pay for storage fees until I decided to move the machines to my garage because I was (still I am) losing money.
I have contacted other people I met on the healthy you university and not a single one is happy with their investment. The machines have problems, most people, like Steve is paying storage fees because these guys failed to deilver on their promises.
Oh, and the price for each machine is strathosperic Now I regret investing all this money on these machines. At the pace the machines are generating revenue, if I´m lucky, I will recover my investment in 8 or 10 years.
So, short story: DO NOT BELIEVE WHATEVER THIS COMPANY PROMISES TO YOU
If there´s something we can do together for a legal action against 1800 vending count me in.