BLO DAD & Sons Boozelator Vending Complaints

35 thoughts on “BLO DAD & Sons Boozelator Vending Complaints”

• I also bought 3 machine from Blo Dad and Son Boozelator… What a piece of junk… I couldn’t believe how unprofessional they were… I bought machines about 10 months ago and within the 2 months the LCD screen shorted out and the breathalyzer stopped working… I tried to call back the company numerous times and no answer… After over 3 weeks of trying to get a hold of someone they would not warranty the machine… The owner used profanity and would not assist me…. I guess they are just cheap middle man that import crappy chinese machines…

  Also who would ever name their company ” Blo dad & son” ??? It sounds like a bad 1970’s porno

  This unhappyfranchisee website is a big help and I advise anyone looking to get into the business with blo dad and son to check out this blog…

• This is Gabriel Jacobs, from Blo Dad & Sons. I am the Vice President of Sales & Marketing, and I oversee 100% of all sales, whether I am your sales associate or not. We have determined that these postings are not from one of our customers for the following reasons:

  1. We have only sold a quantity of ten (10) machines to one (1) customer, who is located in upstate NY.
  A.) I spoke with him today and he has confirmed that he did not make this posting and that he is very happy with our customer support.
  B.) We offer a deeper discount for quantities of 11, as opposed to 10, which so far has always prompted people to purchase 11, as opposed to 10; of course with the exception of this one (1) customer.

  2. We do not sell our machines for $1,400 (or even $1,500 for quantities under 50), so this also false.

  3. Our website specifically states that our machines are made with parts from around the world, including USA, Asia, Germany, Japan. We have many of our metal boxes made and designed here in Ft. Myers, FL, and those are assembled in Cape Coral, FL. We have never made a claim that our machines are ‘made in the USA.’ Only assembly and containing some USA parts. Heck, even iPhones and other Apple products (which are among the best in the industry) are made in China, so we do not see anything wrong with that, as long as it is regulated. However, our product is not just composed of Chinese parts as listed by the above poster, it is a collaborative effort among several countries.

  4. We only charge a $200 difference between the fuel cell and semiconductor, not $350, which further confirms the above story is fictitious.

  View an accuracy video on the the Boozelator™ 3001 on our homepage here: http://www.breathalyzervending.com. You cannot fake a news-clip!

  More Info On The Differences In Sensors:

  The fuel cell sensor is indeed leaps and bounds more accurate than a semiconductor sensor, and also far less expensive to maintain. A semiconductor sensor starts breaking down within about 1 hour of being exposed to alcohol fumes, and starts becoming vastly inaccurate. You will even receive false positives: for instance, you may have had nothing to drink, but your test may read a 0.02% or a 0.04%, etc. The fuel cell sensor does not give false positives. A semiconductor sensor should also be replaced a few times/year, which can cost you hundreds of dollars. The fuel cell sensor typically lasts 2-5 years (average of 3.5), and can be re-calibrated for as little as $0.25/calibration. You can often save $200/year or more by using a fuel cell over a semiconductor. It is our job to save you money on your maintenance, so you can re-invest it into more machines and more locations, as opposed to spending it on maintenance. There are far too many other differences to list between the two sensors. Contact us if you wish to learn more.

  5. You may ‘Google’ Boozelator and see several websites from our different route operators. You can contact any or all of them via the ‘Contact Us’ section on their website, and you will be sure to find 100% positive feedback on Blo Dad & Sons, and our unparalleled customer support in the industry, by contacting real people.

  6. I personally deal with any customer complaints, which are very rare. I have a vast education in business and business ethics, and have never copped a tone with a customer, let alone using profanities with them. Heck, you will only find me saying nice things about competitors, let alone talking down to a paying customer. Anyone who has spoken or emailed with me can testify to that.

  7. There have only been 2 unsatisfied customers with us, and each of them had only purchased one (1) machine and realized the industry was not for them. See their stories below.

  A. Customer #1 was located in Santa Barbara, CA – he decided to send back his machine months outside of the return period with claims that he could not place the machine anywhere in Santa Barbara, CA, and he demanded his money back. We have since sold 4 machines to route operators in Santa Barbara, CA, who have successfully placed their machines. We came to an agreement with this customer and issued him a refund, even though it was outside of his return period. He was VERY happy with the way we handled things.

  B. Customer #2 was located in NJ and realized that he did not like being in the presence of alcohol and the bar crowd in general. He never placed his machine, and because he was outside of his return period, we helped him sell his machine to one of our other existing customers. In a recent email from him, this is what he had to say: “Gabe, I just wanted to drop you a line to thank you for all your effort and your help. I am sorry that I never got off the ground. But you were a great help to me. Thanks again for all your support.” Again, this is from a customer that we knew would never purchase another machine, and we still went out of our way to help them.

  8. There is no plastic on our machines, so that could not be breaking. The LCD monitors are ‘commercial-grade’ and built tough. We do not manufacture the monitors, but even they come with a 1 year warranty from the manufacturer of the monitor – so they are

  IN CONCLUSION:

  Sometimes when you have the top of the line product with the best customer support in the industry, you have jealous competitors who spend their time trying to bash the competition, rather than spending their time bettering their own products and own customer support. It is also unfortunate that the breathalyzer vending industry has typically been a shady business and never exploded as mainstream in bars – this was due to lack of an accurate product, as well as lack of customer support in the industry. We at Blo Dad & Sons saw this as a huge opportunity in this market, and that is how we revolutionized the industry: by changing the standards in the industry to use of a law enforcement grade fuel cell sensor, as well as offering top of the line customer support.

• Gabe here again,

  FYI, the only customers we have named Robert do not have quantities of 3 machines.

  Robert # 1: Located in South Africa
  Robert # 2: Has only 1 machine
  Robert # 3: Has only 2 machines

  So you, my friend Robert, are not one of our customers.

  Check with our BBB (Better Business Bureau) Rating. Blo Dad & Sons is an ‘A’ rated company.

  http://www.bbb.org/west-florida/business-reviews/manufacturers-producers/blo-dad-and-sons-in-cape-coral-fl-90109614

  I’m sure that any unhappy parties would have reported us to the BBB if there were any issues.

• I would be willing to bet the farm the Robert’s and the original post were done by competitors which is extremely classless. Instead of dedicating time to improving their own products/business they are bashing a great company like Blo Dad and Sons. Sure the name is a but quirky, but the company has integrity and has it’s morals in place.

• I just talked Blo Dad & Sons regarding the above post and didn’t think twice about posting my awesome experience with them, to share the truth with everyone else out there. I know exactly what poster the above competitor company is from because they gave me the same BS story when I called in trying to decide which company to go with over 1 year ago.Blo Dad was professional in asking us that we do not point fingers, because they do not believe in competitor bashing – so I will respect their wishes because I have a great respect for them as a company. They are so great to work with!!! I am actually one of the people who purchased 11 machines with my initial purchase – it was pretty much a no-brainer because it was just a few hundred dollars more for my 11th machine.

  Blo Dad was AWESOME from the start, even before I made my purchase. They answered all of my questions in great detail, and I must have sent in a thousand emails back and forth before my purchase – I was sooo nervous!!! I never owned my own business before and was nervous about the initial investment with my 11 machine purchase, but I figured I needed to get at least 10 machines to build a decent size route. They were SO patient with me. Email after email over a few month period before I dove in. They have always called me back immediately – both before and after the sale….I’m kind of a PIA sometimes! Lol. Everyone is very impressed by the classy look of the Boozelator 3001 machine and I have a few killer locations that I am very pleased with. They gave great advice in moving one of my low performing machines to a better area in the same bar, and I have noticed a pretty big increase in sales after the few months. I am just about to jump into the advertising part of it after nearly 1 full year in the business. I work and travel a lot for my day job, and you really can’t find an easier 2nd job from the vending aspect. It takes me just a couple hours to maintain my route once every 1-2 months or so, and the maintenance is actually fun! I love it! It gives me an excuse to go out in public outside of work a half a dozen times a year, and collecting cash is always fun, of course! Lol. I will be adding another 5-10 machines to my route for the upcoming summer season. That tends to be my busiest season on the shore locations.

  I commend Blo Dad and Sons for being the only company that did not bash their competitors when I called in and told them what other machines I was looking at prior to my purchase. This immediately made me feel great about dealing with them. 2 other companies that I called felt VERY threatened when I asked them about Blo Dad and Sons machines. They immediately got defensive and started bashing them, saying the exact same things written in the above post. Blo Dad had 2 things to say about their competition when I asked about other products out there: 1.) They said “as long as the other brand is offering a fuel cell sensor, they are okay in our book!.” 2.) They also said “our best advice to you is “even if you do not purchase from us, we recommend going with a fuel cell sensor for highest accuracy, highest repeat usage and lowest maintenance costs.” They NEVER once pushed for me to buy either, they just answered my questions and educated me on the business. I am so glad to be a part of saving lives and helping to take drunk drivers off the road. Keep it up Blo Dad!!!

  Blo Dad and Sons has held true to everything they promised, and have WAY exceeded my expectations in their product and customer support. Shame on anyone trying to talk bad about them. They are truly an A+++ company that all other companies can learn from! I’ve truly never received better customer service with any one product or business I’ve ever dealt with! Keep up the awesome work guys!!!!

  P.S. – I personally think Blo Dad & Sons is a hilarious and fun name that perfectly portrays the great, relaxed and light-hearted business opportunity that they offer, and is also comical to bar patrons. Most drinkers love the name, and it causes attention to my machines, which in turn = more vending profits for me!

• After readying the above negative comments from Robert about his, so called, experience with Blo Dad and Sons, I feel I should tell how my relationship with BD& Sons has gone. First class is how I would classify my experience with there salesman, Gabe Jacobs. From my first call with dozens of questions he has been professional and prompt. He has never been rude, crude, or negative throughout our relationship. I was very hesitant about purchasing 2 machines and had many questions. I even went as far as driving to his hometown to see the product in person. After meeting Gabe for only an 1 hour, I was sold on his professionalism and the quality of the product. I was treated like I was purchasing 50 machines and gave me excellent service throughout the process.

  In the past 8 months I have grown from 2 to 18 breathalyzers. Some of these machines I have purchased from third parties. Gabe knows this and is still on top of his game with excellent customer service. I have called with questions after 5 or even on the weekends, 9 out of 10 times he answers and is able to help me. Gabe has even gone as far as to drive a hour and a half, on 2 separate occasion, to attend a advertising sales meeting on my behave. How many sales people do you know that would do that. What has really sold me lately is his unwavering service with my third party purchases. This is very appreciated Gabe, thank you.

• Maybe someone can explain this about Blo Dad & Sons.

  I googled the name “Blo Dad & Sons” and Google gave me this address: “Blo Dad & Sons, 3215 Southeast 1st Place, Cape Coral, FL (800) 604-0226 ‎ · blodad.com”

  http://www.google.com/maps?q=&layer=c&z=17&iwloc=A&sll=26.591489,-81.971111&cid=3222890624987258438&cbp=13,95.5,3.6,0,0&panoid=dbohWe70FEDejnxbfrGL4g&q=blo+dad+%26+sons&ei=fSaDT9eoI4rl0QHOp-HyBw&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=streetview-image-link&cd=1&resnum=4&ved=0CAsQnwIoADAD

  Google maps indicated that the company was located in the garage of a less-than-luxurious looking house. I looked it up on Zillow and the listing read: “Bank Owned Foreclosure, 3BD 2BTH, 1714 sq/ftListing Agent: Kazork Asset Management”

  Foreclosed? With a mortgage of $516 a month? Is or was this really Blo Dad HQ?

  The current Blo Dad website lists the address as 2722 Skyline Blvd, Suite #1 Cape Coral, FL 33914, but if you Google map it shows a computer store and a print shop. There’s some reference to a direct marketing business.

  This seems a little fly-by-night. Can someone clarify where and what this actual business is, and why there seems to be a foreclosed house that comes up as its HQ?

• That house has Gabriel Jacobs listed as owner.

  http://florida-house-values.findthedata.org/l/3828996/3215-Se-1st-Pl#tabs-1

  Zillow says its a bank-owned foreclosure.

  Gabe, who owns Blo Dad & Sons? Is it stable enough to be around to provide service, or is it being operated out of an alley or garage somewhere?

• Blo Dad & Sons address is located at 2722 Skyline Blvd, Ste #1, Cape Coral, FL 33914. This is a commercial address.

  Follow this BBB link for credibility and an address for the business, as well as to view our ‘A’ rating. : http://www.bbb.org/west-florida/business-reviews/manufacturers-producers/blo-dad-and-sons-in-cape-coral-fl-90109614

  The residential address is a nice home that we provide to those who want to come visit from out of town, free of charge. It has been a successful marketing ploy for us.

• “The residential address is a nice home that we provide to those who want to come visit from out of town, free of charge. It has been a successful marketing ploy for us.”

  Just curious… Why does Zillow list this property as “Bank Owned Foreclosure, 3BD 2BTH, 1714 sq/ftListing Agent: Kazork Asset Management””

• Zillow can be a great tool if you know how to interpret it. Notice the previous owners of the house foreclosed on it in 2007. Gabriel Jacobs purchased it directly from the bank in 2008. It is also listed as a 3 bedroom pool home in FL. It sounds like a nice place to me. Sorry Blo Dad, you must have really PO’d your competitors to have to deal with all these comments they have made! Lol. We have your BAC!

• Thank you Mike. You are correct in the details of the home purchase. Cape Coral, FL had among the highest amount of foreclosures after the real-estate bubble burst a few years back. The vast majority of homes for sale in Cape Coral, FL in 2008 were from foreclosures.

  As for your comment about competitors, well they can’t always be your friends, though we make a strong effort to be friendly with everyone. Life is to short to have enemies, and the market is too big for one company to saturate. We like to think that all breathalyzer companies are working towards the same mission as Blo Dad & Sons: “Helping to make communities safer places from drunk drivers around the globe, one city at a time.” Any of those that share our mission are our friends, whether they like it or not! Lol.

  As always, thank you for the support guys and sharing your stories about what Blo Dad & Sons is really about, and how we continue to lead the industry in both the highest quality products and unparalleled customer support.

  Kris Jacobs
  Blo Dad & Sons
  Director Of Operations

• Pingback: BLO DAD & Sons Vending Responds to Alleged Complaints : Unhappy Franchisee

• We have posted Mr. Jacobs rebuttal to the Blo Dad complaints as a separate post. Feel free to read and comment here:

  BLO DAD & Sons Vending Responds to Alleged Complaints
  http://www.unhappyfranchisee.com/blo-dad-complaint-respons/

• Since there already is a whole lot of assuming going on here, I am going to unveil the elephant in the room aka “guest” “robert” and as Alcobuddy. Way to keep it classy Alcobuddy. Instead of spending their time and man hours making their products better, they are bashing their competitor. I think that tells you enough about Alcobuddy.

  I have worked with both companies, and working with Gabe and Kris at Blo Dad and Sons is like being on vacation in Tahiti compared to their Competitor in NYC.

  I don’t care if they do business out of a card board box, as long as they treat their customers with respect and sell a functioning product which they do.

• You will not find a better breathalyzer company than Blo Dad & Sons. We have 6 machines from them and Gabe has provided exceptional service since the day we purchased our first machine. He has returned our calls within a few hours every time and has gone above and beyond to help us grow our business. Blo Dad sets the bar extremely high for customer service and I would recommend them to anyone wanting to go into the breathalyzer vending business. We will continue to order our machines from them and are so happy that we chose Blo Dad and Sons over all of the other companies out there.

• I am stunned by what I just read- Haters = [H]aving [A]nger [T]owards [E]veryone [R]eaching [S]uccess

  Here is what you need to know about Blo Dad & Sons

  Amazing customer service- Gabe seems extremely busy ALL OF THE TIME (as any good businessman should), yet he either answers the first time I call or he returns my call in a timely manner. He is always friendly and very nice to talk to. He explains how to do things so that it’s easily understood and executed. And if you don’t understand, no worries- he is VERY patient. He even gave me advice about how to make my PC run faster, which I have shamefully not done yet… Shhhh don’t tell him!
  All products have issues, I don’t care who makes them or where they come from… it’s correcting the issues that matters, and Blo Dad & Sons gets an A+ in my book. If something is wrong, they WILL fix it! Ignore the negative comments and take it from a customer who needed a lot of guidance and got it!

  …oh

  As far as plastic breaking and whatnot- there is NO plastic on or in this machine (I’ve been all up in that thing! lol) besides- if the Boozelator can hold up in a crazily crowded Bourbon Street bar- I feel it will work ANYWHERE!

• Anyone who will not post their name to hide their identity should be looked at as FRAUDULENT. People who are afraid to put their name on what they say should be looked at as what they are a NOBODY!

• a.k.a. Very Happy Customer

  No reason to get all worked up…

• At least I can respect your post now!

• If anyone needs a breathalyzer it is New Orleans! You should have plenty of customers to sell to there!

• What are the biggest obstacles to putting these units in restraunts/bars? ie: objections etc. Do the bar owners get a discount on their insurance rates if they have one of these units in?

  Thanks,

• I am simply attempting to balance both sides here and am curious to know more about what Mike C speaks about ” that being the benefits to the business owners” If any. Those could be considered incentives for having the machines there. On the other hand, I wonder if there would be negative consequences to the business owners in lost revenue of alcohol or even a potential legal responsibility beyond only current serving laws. Could imaging a staff watching someone blow a high # then serving them 3 more drinks before handing them the key’s.

• I purchased a significant number of machines from BloDad last year. I chose BloDad because of the interaction and high level of professionlism I received from Gabe at BloDad. Once I recieved my machines I had many questions during installations and maintenance. Gabe was always available to assist me, even after hours. Service before the sale, during the sale and after the sale is was/is exceptional. I am extremely happy with the machines as well. I am not mechanically, technically or electrically inclined but after installing several machines and dealing with minor issues I feel very comfortable with my machines now. I worked hard and continue to work hard but to my credit I have about 50 machines installed at this time. I love the business and I plan to grow my business and through the relationship and trust I have built with Gabe and BloDad I will continue to do business with them.

• I’m very interested in this device, could someone contact me more about this, preferably the company, also maybe somebody who owns one or more?

  Thank You

  Also I live in Las Vegas – never have seen one of these machines!

• I’m very interested in this device, could someone contact me more about this, preferably the company, also maybe somebody who owns one or more?

  Thank You

  Also I live in Las Vegas – never have seen one of these machines!

• Worst idea ever for a bar. Your patrons will not by cocktails. I can not believe any bar owner would allow to have this machine. Hot tip get into the ATM biz.

• I have had what I would consider to be a unique experience with Blodadandsons. I haven’t purchased or used their machines YET, but did approach them with my own product idea. So I don’t have much to offer you with information about their products but I can tell you about how my experience has been in dealing with them as a manufacturer and developer. In the past 8 months there has never been an email or phone call that went unanswered, and I work overseas with a 9 hour time difference. Even in the initial contact with the company while I tip toed around with my lack of experience in presenting a new product and my concerns for being taken advantage of legally, Gabriel specifically was very professional, patient with me, listened to my ideas, and has most importantly remained true to his word. We are now nearing production with an exciting new product and I’m yet to muster a single complaint. I don’t know about the claims in regard to each product they have developed in the past. Whether someone found a random item that was poorly maintained or if the products as a whole leave something to be desired. But I can say the professionalism I’ve experienced has undoubtedly spoiled me as I step into a new industry and my first business. I’m extremely grateful and feel very lucky to have chosen what I feel was the absolute best route to take my product. I hope it’s very profitable for both of us. Thank you.

• I have to say that given my personal experience w/ Blo Dad and Sons, and specifically Gabriel, has been EXCELLENT. Gabriel has gone the extra mile several times on a couple different issues on which I needed help. I must also point out that Blo Dad was not receiving a big pay day from me (i.e. my purchases were a small ones). Gabriel treated me like I was buying 20 machines. I have nothing but good things to say! Thanks again Gabriel.

• Just wondering…is there a money back guarantee if I am not satisfied with the purchase of your product?

• I currently have seven of these machines and six of them have not even been opened yet or even used! If anyone who is interested in buying them please feel free to contact me via email at [redacted]. We purchased them a few years back but never really got started on getting them placed. I think these are the original series of them. Let me know! Thanks!

• Hey ! David, do you have any machines left for sale?

• Can anyone tell me what the monthly revenue is approximately?

• I currently have 1 new machine that I am not using nor has ever been installed yet. It’s brand new 5001. If anyone is interested please respond and we can work out the details. Willing to give a significant discount for what I paid.

• I would like to share my experience with Gabe and BloDad for what it may be worth. Several years ago I purchased one machine with the intent to test market its acceptance in the New England market, most specifically in Maine and New Hampshire for starters. I created a legal LLC operation, spent ample money on marketing tools and made extensive mailings and phone calls to the many prospective bars, clubs and restaurants in the area. I even had a discussion with the Commander of the NH State Polce and several other police departments about its desirability as a helpful tool for them in reducing DUO’s on their roads. After a couple of years of diligent effort to place the machines I found that bar employees were quite receptive and enthused about having a machine in their establishment as a tool in aiding them in controlling excessive consumption and even brawls. However, owners were totally and completely NON-RECEPTIVE and in some cases border- line hostile in rejecting my offer to install a machine at no cost to them in a study to test its value to their business.
  I bother you with all of the business background to inform you that this was the sole reason for the business never developing and ultimately failing. The machine’s performance was every bit as advertised, easy to program and work with and even a lot of fun (I tested its accuracy and effectiveness frequently! ? ?). The support which Gabe provided was always very responsive and timely, it was ethical and everything worked as their literature and advertising stated and I never, once-ever had a disappointing relationship with the company. I loved the business model and prospects and was truly disappointed that I was unable to make it work. But it was never the fault of BloDad&Sons in any way. I still have my initial machine and wouldn’t even think of asking for my money back as it was exclusively my failure, not theirs. And, of course, I would never have dreamt of buying TEN MACHINES before testing the market so that complaint is either just plain dishonest or disgustingly stupid. Good luck to anyone who gives this business a try. Gabe will assist you as best that he can I am certain.