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Are Vending Machines Too Expensive?

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Do you buy snacks from Vending Machines?

I took my child to a swimming lesson this morning and after the lesson they wanted a Kinder Bueno but it was £1.50! 😲 They stopped off at the Spar on the way home instead and got 2 for £1.60.

SamGoodship
12 months ago
What do you think of this?+20 points
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MelissaLee1

I seldom ever use Vending machines..only ever in a hunger crisis.The food is often out of date or you lose your money.Love it when they double up though.

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SamGoodship
LD Team

MelissaLee1 Can't say I've ever seen/heard about the food being out of date!

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soul101

Yeah these days it's much cheaper to go to a shop before hand or bring a snack with though I guess they get away with it for it being a convenience and impulse buy, what kid won't run up to a vending machine

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SamGoodship
LD Team

soul101 At 8am on a Sunday Morning, there isn't much else open and not near the swimming place itself. And of course kids are ravenous after swimming lol

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Lux97

SamGoodship the amount of times the vending machine breaks down is unbelievable, worst part i pay contactless so there is no way of getting my money back unless the swimming desk calls the owner to open it up for us, a real pain

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seasider71

We have a vending machine in my work canteen and even though the prices are subsidised I rarely use it. In general they are an expensive option but if they are tempting and convenient people will use them.

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JLouM

Only if no other option. Better to buy big fun size bags from supermarket beforehand and take with you if you go often.

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BonzoBanana

Last time I used a vending machine was perhaps 15 years ago. It was a work vending machine and I worked a nightshift so was great to have it at times. It was actually reasonably priced I thought. Perhaps 30% over the cost in the shops which I thought was reasonable. Japan looks amazing for vending machines they are everywhere and because they are a honest people they rarely get damaged or stolen from. I see people that just go for a cycle ride there and they almost stop anywhere and within 50-100 metres there is a vending machine, hot coffee, chilled drinks etc. Amazing.

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Lynibis

BonzoBanana you sometimes wonder why other countries can manage to live decently but ours is full of poverty and crime. Watched a documentary on Japan and their care for the elderly is amazing.

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BonzoBanana

Lynibis Japan is a very rare example of low crime country. There aren't many in the world like that. Even China is full of crime but the government suppresses it so they look good internationally. We used to be a low crime country comparable to Japan today but that was probably back in the 40s and 50s. Japan is one of the most active countries for performing the death sentence on violent criminals and their punishments for general crime are quite severe. Criminal behaviour is seen as utterly stupid and against your own interests. They also have restrictions on having a military so they don't spend much on their military for the size of their economy which is hugely beneficial to the general welfare of people as more can be spent on core services. Also there are a very old society with a greater percentage of elderly people which helps reduce the crime rate.

You can walk about at night with almost no fear of being attacked in most places. There just doesn't seem to be the opportunist criminals you get in most European countries and the US.

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Lynibis

BonzoBanana wow, that is great. We could never aspire to those ideals as the pc and woke brigade would never allow it.

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BonzoBanana

Lynibis Japan is also not very multi-cultural to say the least so I guess maybe that helps. I love being in a multi-cultural society but like Japan we are incredibly overpopulated nowadays which causes lots of issues. That is the real issue with immigrants is the resources are being spread too thin. It's getting ridiculous now. The UK should probably have a population of around 30 million or maybe 40 million if we were mainly vegetarian. People seem to keep forgetting global warming is going to destroy a huge amount of food production in the world so we need to have food security. Really we shouldn't be importing food at all. So many are starving in Africa where a lot of food comes from.

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ch7leach

I have always known them to be a fair bit more expensive than going to a shop, it's there for the convenience factor. The extra cost I imagine pays for the wages of someone to refill it, the rental cost of the machine and I assume a cost to keep it where it is, most of the machines I have seen are operated by a sperate person/company to they place it's situated

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Consumer

I never buy snacks from vending machines as the prices are usually extortionate - I buy in advance from a supermarket instead.

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ACR

Yes, but I'd also suggest individual small chocolate bars and crisps are too expensive in supermarkets. Consequently, the price markup in vending machines just seems even more ridiculous.

Charging over a £1 for a small packet of crisps is not good value for money. When you also consider shrinkflation it's even more of a ripoff. I only buy small individual items when they are part of a promotion, such as a meal deal.

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Jerseydrew

Can't remember the last time I used one. It's been years.

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janphoenix51

I never use Vending Machines,always take my own drinks & snacks from home that way it doesn't cost too much

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stevea808

Vending machines are way over priced. Then again what isn't over priced these days.

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Lux97

Hahaha vending machines, my enemy kids go crazy over all the sugar they see in-front of them, its a pain going swimming without having to stop at a vending machine everything is pricey from a chocolate bar staring at £1.50 its a real joke but at the end of the day its a business and respect to the people

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SaveMeSunday

Yeh I think so but then it’s the same in shops so every where expensive

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HEDGEHOGS

I bet they are expensive these days, can't remember when I last used one, probably as a child at the swimming pool.

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jms19

Vending machines usually are overpriced but I guess their argument would be that you are paying for the convenience. I never buy from vending machines myself

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Emerge11

They are 75p In Sainsburys for a single one. Vending machines are a complete rip off. I forget the last time I used one to be quite honest.

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eyeballkerry

I have never used a vending machine in my life due to the fact of the price. I don’t why they are so expansive, they are just more for convenience I suppose.

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