When a Bag is Stuck in the Vending Machine? Dispense Item

The history of modern vending machines goes back to the 1880s when Percival Everitt designed the first one.

Today, there are millions of vending machines worldwide, and you can use them to buy candy, beverages, chips, and even hot meals and soup if you’re in Japan.

But accidents happen, so what should you do if your items get stuck in the vending machine?

When a Bag is Stuck in Vending Machine, you can move the door where your bag is usually dispensed and release it. This will release the trapped air in the machine and allow the stuck bag to move. You should also avoid items that don’t look properly loaded, as these are more likely to get stuck.

Keep on reading to learn more about getting stuck items dispensed from a vending machine so you never lose money again.

Why Do Items Get Stuck in the Vending Machine?

Getting a snack you’ve paid for stuck in the vending machine is highly inconvenient. And things can be tougher if you’ve just spent the last cash you have.

But this doesn’t mean that your money is lost forever. However, before trying to get your item from the vending machine, you need to understand why this happens. Items can get stuck in a vending machine for two reasons.

Old Vending Machine

The vending machine has items arranged in rows on coils. These coils are controlled by electric motors that get activated once the machine accepts your money.

Modern vending machines have infrared beams that tell whether the item has dropped into the tray where you can pick it up. When the beam isn’t broken, the machine knows that you didn’t receive your item, and it will try to activate the electric motor one more time.

Some machines also have pickers that pick up the item you’ve dialed and drop it into the tray.

However, if there’s something wrong with one component of this mechanism, your item might get stuck. This usually happens when the machine is old or has some faulty parts.

Wrong Placement

In order for the mechanism to operate properly, the items should be placed correctly. Unfortunately, some of the workers who fill vending machines are lazy and won’t make sure that the item is placed correctly, so it moves once the electric motor pushes the coil.

Both corners of the bag of crackers or chips should be placed out and in front of the coil, so when it moves, the bag drops into the tray. If one of the corners is behind the coil, the item will probably get stuck.

What Should I Do When a Bag is Stuck in the Vending Machine?

Getting a bag stuck in the vending machine can be extremely frustrating, especially if you were looking forward to enjoying your snack.

But there are a few things that you can try to get the stuck item and save your money.

Push the Flap

If the electric motor didn’t push the coil, you could try again. Then, you have to press the flap where your item drops into the tray.

This will help move the air inside the vending machine and might help get your bag unstuck. However, you might have to do this several times.

Pick the Right Machine

If you have to choose between an old machine and a new one, always pick the new one. It’s less likely to malfunction, and there are beams that can detect that your item was stuck.

A modern machine will keep on trying to dispense your item by releasing the coil until you get the item you’ve paid for. As a result, you’re less likely to lose your money.

Choose the Right Bag

Take a look at the items in the vending machine before you dial your favorite snack. If you see that a particular item isn’t properly loaded, then you should consider another one.

An item that’s not properly placed with both bottom corners in front of the coil will probably get stuck, and there’s a big chance that you might not be able to get it.

Buy Something Else

You could prompt the vending machine to dislodge a stuck item if it was placed in the wrong way by making another purchase. All you have to do is buy something on top of it or something from the same row.

The other item that you’ve bought will push the stuck item through the flap and down into the tray.

Ask for Help

If you’ve tried everything and you’re unable to get your stuck bag from the vending machine, you should check the help number on the machine’s body. By calling this number, you might receive help with your stuck item.

Some vending machine operators have a refund bank at the location where you can collect the cash you paid. By calling the help number, you’ll also learn how to get a refund if you’ve used a card to pay for the purchase.

You might even have someone from the company come open the machine and release your stuck item. The worker will also see what’s wrong with the machine, so other people won’t have to struggle to get their stuff.

Does Shaking the Vending Machine Help Release a Stuck Bag?

You’ve probably seen this before. Two people are holding a vending machine from both sides and shaking it like there’s no tomorrow to release a stuck bag.

Unfortunately, No shaking the vending machine won’t help dislodge a stuck bag. Instead, it might damage the coils of the machine. Pushing, punching, kicking, or shouting at the vending machine won’t help either.

As a matter of fact, if you break a vending machine, you’ll get into legal issues. Moreover, if the vending machine falls on top of you, you’ll get seriously injured.

Summary

A bag can get stuck in the vending machine if the machine is old or the item is not properly placed. But you can press the flap to release the air, and this might help dislodge the stuck item.

You can avoid this situation by picking a modern machine or ensuring that the item isn’t improperly loaded in the first place.

However, kicking and shaking the machine won’t work and might even get you into trouble.

When a Bag is Stuck in the Vending Machine? Dispense Item