Newspaper machine twice for the jackpot. First day for $7.00 and the
@friend2friends (1636)
United States
March 22, 2008 1:35pm CST
second day for $4.00 . Let me explain. I purchase a morning newspaper when I go out for coffee in the mornings. The machine took my money. I stood there pushing the coin release and nothing was happening. Then I notice the coin slot was jammed and could barely see s quarter.
I was dertermined to either get my paper or my money back. I almost said to heck with it and catch the paper person the next day If I was there at that time of the morning.
So, I tried one more time on the coin release, except this time I kept pressing for about 50 times, then it sounded like a jackpot at a casino.
All the change other people lost that tried to purchase a newspaper that was jammed in the coin slot started dropping to coin return.
$4.00 dropped down. I pressed the button again another few times, then another $3.00 fell out.
The next paper machine over to a different city I just purchased that paper.
The choices I had was to leave the money in the slot machine and let the next person walk up and pocket the money or keep it myself.
It wasn't like the money was beating the route carrier since the people who put the money in the machine never received their paper.
That morning, the newspaper person was standing at the machine as I was getting out of my car. So, she new the machine was out of order. She could of put a piece of tape on the machine slot or taped a message on the machine letting people know the machine was out of order.
Ok, I figured sometime that day or the next day the machine would be back in order. I go back for coffee the next morning as I usually do. Walk over to get a paper and I noticed it was the same paper from the previous day or day before.
For the heck of it I push the coin release a few times and here comes $4.00 down the coin return.
I feel bad about the money, but what would you had done or what do you think I should do with the $11.00 . Send it to the newspaper, or just pay it forward and make a donation to a charity.
It's the buyers of the paper that lost the money.
1 person likes this
7 responses
@icyorchid (2564)
• United States
23 Mar 08
I wouldn't send it to the paper company. I'd keep it or donate it.
Good Luck 
2 people like this
@icyorchid (2564)
• United States
23 Mar 08
Thanks for signing under me
I don't completely get it either, I am also new. lol
Learning as I go too
I don't completely get it either, I am also new. lol
Learning as I go too 1 person likes this
@friend2friends (1636)
• United States
24 Mar 08
Your welcome. I seen it was sister site to one of the programs in my marketing pond. Are you a member of the marketing pond ?
@friend2friends (1636)
• United States
23 Mar 08
Hey icyorchid. Thanks for the comment. Oh, btw earlier today I registered on the star site. Don't quite understand about the stars but I will figure it out.
1 person likes this
@daeckardt (6237)
• United States
23 Mar 08
I have had that happen before. I just kept the money because I had lost some of it myself trying to get the paper. I didn't know what to do with it so I kept it. At the time, I wasn't working (why else would I buy a paper?). I had just moved to a new city and needed to find a new apartment and a job so I didn't have a lot of extra money. It may not have been the right thing to do, but it was a matter of survival.
2 people like this
@friend2friends (1636)
• United States
23 Mar 08
Not a matter of the right thing to do. It was the only logically thing to do. Coins in a changer is up for grabs, unfortunately it was the customer of paper company that missed the sale of the paper and the next person comes along would take the change.
I believe we all at one time or another have lost change in trying to buy a newspaper.
Hope everything worked out for you during that time in your life.
Thanks for comment.
2 people like this
@friend2friends (1636)
• United States
24 Mar 08
I know what you mean. Glad things finally worked out for you.
@daeckardt (6237)
• United States
23 Mar 08
I did eventually find a place to live and a job. I stayed in that city for two years before moving to live with family again and finishing college. I hate having things like that happen though because it causes so much aggravation!!!
2 people like this
@friend2friends (1636)
• United States
24 Mar 08
It was like a hundred times. It took my money, then I hit the mini jackpot. When then change fell out I just happen to have an empty pocket with no change.
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
23 Mar 08
you are supposed to report it or it is considered fraud,
2 people like this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
24 Mar 08
I just saw this on tv,
to take money knowingly from a machine of any sort that is not working is fraud, the money is not yours whether or not somebody else reported it,
I am just telling you, you don't have to listen that is your choice,
the police have gone after people who took money from casino machines that were malfunctioning the saw it all on tape and they went after the ones that came back for more.
they said it was an offense to knowing take money from a malfunctioning machine of any kind,.
1 person likes this
@friend2friends (1636)
• United States
23 Mar 08
It's the route carriers responsability to report any machines out of order. Plus to indicate to the consumers the machine is out of order. Maybe it's the route carrier that needs to be reported on.
1 person likes this
@hallmarkjl (500)
• United States
22 Mar 08
I wouldnt sent it do the paper, it is the newspapers ladys fault that the machine has not been fixed. She could have easily taken out something to write "out of order" or something. Maybe she was doing what you were doing. Hitting the button and collecting some money. For all you knew she could of been collecting money all day from that machine. lol I doubt that is the case though. Honestly, I would either keep the money or would buy a stranger a paper every so often.
2 people like this
@friend2friends (1636)
• United States
22 Mar 08
You know I had the same thought maybe she rigged the machine to lock up so she could do some skimming. About three months ago I had short converstion with her how the USA today paper worked and how she got started.
Every morning she has to drive about 2 hours up and 2 hours back to pick up the starting point of the route for the area and then make all the stops to the stands.
I could see this being an outlet to pick up an extra money at the expense of the consumers. Majority of the people will just move on and forget about losing 75 cents and not take the time to complain to the company.
1 person likes this
@jenni7202 (1598)
• United States
22 Mar 08
Heck, I would either donate it to charity or keep it for myself. The lady could have put an out of order sign on the machine, but she didn't, simply because she was doing the same thing you were doing! She was getting free money out of it, and didn't care about the machine being broken. If she doesn't care, I wouldn't care either, just get your newspaper somewhere else, and reap the rewards.
@friend2friends (1636)
• United States
24 Mar 08
I will probably donate it one way or the other for charity or buy a few cups of coffee for others at the resturant.
I'm thinking the same thing she may of fixed it to jam up. But then I'm not sure if the paper carrier collects the cash from the machine or they have a supervisor making rounds to collect the cash.
The carrier could of placed a notice of out of order.
Thanks for the comments.
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
23 Mar 08
I would not have felt the least bit guilty about keeping the money. This was several people who lost .50, not one person that lost $11. Most probably didn't think twice about it, they just went somewhere else to buy their paper. Some may have called the paper company to get a refund, but none of them were out of some astronomical amount of money. Besides, the paper company has to know that the machine is out of order, they haven't put a new one in there in a couple of days as you stated. Its the newspaper's fault for not taking care of the faulty machine.
I would count this as a small blessing and move on.
1 person likes this
@friend2friends (1636)
• United States
23 Mar 08
I don't feel guilty has I've lost money in machines from time to time. I had coffee today at the resturant and the same newspaper is still in the machine. No change today or nor yesterday. All the regulars have wised up for sure.
Maybe Monday the route person will fix the machine. I always like reading the USA Today paper. Thanks for the comment:-)
