I am still disputing the charges of $300.00 made by ADVANCE PLACEMENT SERVICE.
I ordered the vending machine placement service, paid $300.00 as a good faith deposit, and signed a contract (see attachment) because I bought into this company's promises on their website (www.vending placement.com.).
Here are direct quotes from their webpage:
-APS begins all vending placements by interviewing you... Your vending machine placement will not be complete until you say it is. We require you to approve each location prior to accepting it.
-We find you the best vending locations available and you pay for the ones you approve.
-Our vending locators will find and secure for you the best available vending locations in your area. This is an important part of your vending placement.
My initial contact with this company was on 4/16/09. I signed the contract also on 4/16/09. I received the first location on 4/20/09, second location on 4/21/09 through email. They did not interview me which is a promise on their website. We rejected both locations because the owner at one location already owns his own drink machine. He was also asking for 20% to 25% commission fee out of gross sales and his shop was located on a run down street. We didn't feel safe doing business there. The other location had one employee on duty. Apparently their other employees didn't come in to work unless their overseas Japanese customers come to set up offices with their company. The one employee who met us told us that it was a slow time right now due to the economy; and our prices needed to be very low because they got a snack and drink vendor right down stairs. We felt we couldn't cover our operating expenses at this location.
On 4/24/09, I contacted APS company, and voiced my concern that the locations were poor quality and were not professional jobs. I also wrote that we had paid premium price for premium locations.
On 4/28/09, I contacted APS again and asked if they had more leads for me. They responded with a new locator from 300 miles away to meet us in person to do the job. Later, the locator called us and said we needed to guarantee him $300 for the locations as well as pay for his gas and other expenses when he drove up in town. We also found out that he did not have locations ready and he would have to find locations after he met us. Since none of these were in the contract, we contacted APS and asked for a local agent in San Jose who could do the job. APS refused and said they didn't have local agents.
On 5/19/09, I contacted APS and again I asked for leads from them. APS gave us another locator who never called us.By this time, I had to pay additional $160.00 to move my machines out of storage. I was counting on APS for a quick and quality work as they promised on their website to avoid expenses like this. I made a formal complaint to the company and on 5/19/09, they sent me a new lead and on 5/26/09, called me for the first time to give me the fourth lead.
Little did I know that these two leads were fake. We went to both locations. One location owner told us he was remodeling his showroom and was not ready to have a vending machine placed in his business. The second location owner decided to miss his appointment with us. He never showed up. Later on, he emailed us to say he wasn't interested in our vending service.
Three months later, I still had all of my machines sitting out and none were placed through APS. Through out my experience with APS, they did minimal to help me secure locations. Their website made all the promises in the world and I bought into that.in reality, they never bothered living up to their words. They never interviewed me; They blamed me for hard to please; But their website said it very clearly I needed to approve the locations they presented. It also said APS would find best locations in the area. San Jose is a large city, you know. I felt the locations they gave me were not suitable for my machines. No where did it say on their website nor in the contract that each lead was worth $150.00, which was what APS decide to say to me after I asked them for a refund of my good faith deposit on 6/29/09 and 7/7/09.
Here is a direct quote from their email to me:
Joyce you paid a deposit for 2 combos machines. Lisa has given you 4 locations that said they wanted a machines.in actuality you owe us $300 for the balance due. Lisa should not have given you the locations
without you paying the balnace. I have your emails of you confirming receiving the locations. We do request you put the machines in the location and if they do not do well you can use your warranty to relocate. I do
not understand why out of 4 locations you could not place both machines.
We will not give you a refund and I will forward this to the home office to see if they want to pursue you for the balance you owe which was never paid. Barry
During this 3 months period, they violated the contract twice. The first time, they responded to my complaint by dumping us to an independent contractor who made demands completely outside the contract. Also, months and months was going by, APS never contacted me. I had to initiate contact with them repeatedly. I felt they cared very little for my business. The second time they violated the contract was in the above email when I asked for a refund. No where in the contract does it say I was paying lead by lead at $150.00 a piece. But that is what APS made it out to be.
I found APS ridiculous in their money grabbing ways. I found them severely lacking in service. I found their professional work poor and shoddy. I also found many people complaining about APS and their dishonest business practices; Apparently they have been using false promises to rip off many people (See www.usacomplaints.com for other people's stories.)
Even though, my contract with APS states that in the event of refund they will charge 30% fee. I feel this company has been blatantly disregarding their contract with me so many times that I feel entitled to all of my good faith deposit back.in addition, APS never mailed me a copy of contract that has their name signed at the bottom. I only have the copy of contract with my name signed at the bottom and mailed to them for record. So, I don't even think this contract even stands in the court.
Sincerely
Lee family
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