Cell Phone vending machines?

[thartley]

I have never heard of such a thing before.... I like how the guy says "The wireless carriers love it because it encourages you to use the cell phones..."

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/95zCwZWS82c&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/95zCwZWS82c&rel=1</a>

[PK]

"4 Easy Steps"?!?!  That's NOT smart!!! With a regular vending machine you can get a snack in TWO EASY STEPS!!!!

Once again this is a case of too many people asking the question "Can we do it?" Instead of asking "Should we do it?"  Purchasing a candy bar use to take 10 seconds (unless it gets stuck and you have to shake the machine). But with the NEW & IMPROVED cell phone way you'll spend 30 seconds buying the same candy bar... and there's no guarantee it still won't get stuck. Hey, there's a thought. Why not use technology to make an anti-stick vending machine where the potato chips never get stuck.

The problem here is that they will sell it to vendors looking for better ways to monitor inventory (saving them money) so they'll buy it and then force consumers to adapt to a more difficult/complicated system for getting a Snickers bar. A better option would be to make vending machines accept both coins and cell phone purchases (in case you don't have change on you).  That would be cool. But I'm not sure the makers of this idiot box are interested in doing what's good for the consumer because their whole sales pitch is the "inventory monitoring" feature which can't work if the machine has both options. Unless of course they just make it so the vending machine has sensors and calls home base every hour with a status report of each snack tray.

Either way, technology is once again being used to turn us into bigger consumers. Sad.

[Nick]

PK, that was EXACTLY what I was thinking. My thought process was as such, "Oh, that's cool. Wait...with a regular machine I could have it soooo much faster." And what if there is no cell service or you lose the call or your battery is dead. Or, heaven forbid, you don't own a cell phone. Half of Canadians have cellulars, but I would be willing to bet that 85% have a wallet with enough change to buy that candy bar.

[thartley]

You have to ask, who does this benefit, ultimately?  The wireless companies love it.... Well yeah!  You are using your minutes and their service.  I wonder if there is a "convenience tax" on this type of thing as well.....

It may be saving the actual vendor companies money by going to a "paperless" payment system for their goods as well.  Plus, I would imagine they are able to account for their revenues much faster...and from an accounting standpoint, this could substantially impact their financial statements.  Streamline and efficiency.

But in the end, they market this as something that ultimately will benefit the consumer. 

makes me wonder, if I lose my cell phone, do I now need to notify my bank? haha!!!!

[Mus.]

We've had these for ages. It's not that complicated though. You just call the number, choose the product and then it comes out. It's pretty handy if you don't have cash but really want a cold Pepsi or something.