I just found out today that Coinco is going to discontinue the 24 volt “Pulse” Vantage validator. This is the model validator that is used in the coin boxes, some bill changers and ACW’s. Coinco will continue to service and repair the 24 volt validators long as parts are available. Coinco will continue to manufacture the 110 volt “Pulse” Vantage validator and the 34 volt “MDB” vantage validator that is used in some MDB bill changers and most soda and vending, snack machines.
Coinco 24 volt Vantage validator
- Thread starter Randy
- Start date
Ric
Cantree Member
Why are they doing that?
mjwalsh
6 bay SS w/laundromat
Randy ... In this case ... I am hoping somehow you were on the receiving end of some misinformation or that they will change their mind on that discontinuation!!!
Based on the scary "as long as parts are available" ... for the more water resistant car wash version .... I would say ... that it is another compelling reason to be in favor of discontinuation of paper one dollar bills so that a $1 coin & possibly even a future $2 coin will have a legitimate chance. If customers have just $5 available & up when it comes to bills ... I see that as a positive for our "not insignificant" part of the USA economy. This is partially based on ... for over 3 years ... of making $5 bills "extra available" from our debit & credit card accepting (future Apple Pay?) ATM. RAATCB, myself & many others are in a similar boat when it come to having chosen a large number of the 24vac car wash version of the Vantages. We are hoping that we were not misled in the long term by the CoinCo St. Louis sales crew & their car wash distributor.
mike walsh http://kingkoin.com/USA_Deficit_Reduction.html
Ric
Cantree Member
I spoke with Coinco today. They are not discontinuing the 24v units. They are however only making them to order. In other words, if you want one you must get it directly from Coinco. Parts and service will still be available for the long term. I've been sensing a trend with Coinco over the past several years in which they are wanting to be the sole source for their product and service. If that's true it can only lead to higher prices. BTW they closed the Seattle service center, my call was forwarded to LA.
I got my information right from the West Coast service manager, so I think he would know what’s going on. He said they’ll use up the parts they have in stock and then that will be it. He said the reason they were discontinuing the 24 volt line was low sales, they don’t sell enough unit to justify manufacturing them.
I recently had a problem with two brand new 24v vantage validators where they were exhibiting a very poor acceptance rate on newer bills. Old wrinkled ones were just fine. I caught up with Mark Giroux, national sales manager, at the ICA show last march, and he was very nice, and offered to replace them with brand new ones no questions asked it. After I gave him the model numbers he mentioned that the units I had needed to be built first before they could replace them for me. So evidently they have been build to order for a little while now.
To their credit they did take care of it, replaced both of them with brand new ones, and I sent the old ones back to them. The new ones work fantastic.
I think it’s more like they are struggling and trying to cut costs, like a lot of other companies.
Ric
Cantree Member
Got that info from Kenny at the Los Angelas service center. He said they have to keep producing parts for at least 8 years after the units are introduced. He said that since they are still supporting the Mag units after 15 years, he saw no reason they would cut of support on the Vantage units. Yes, it sounds as though they are cutting costs, plus forcing the consumer to deal solely with them.
Dcalhoun
Member
Within the last few weeks I went through this with Coinco. Speaking with several people there, including Mark Giroux, who told me the market was too small for them to continue producing 24 v models. And yes, they would make one for me and he gave me a price that was $100 more than I could buy one from Etowah Valley who still has inventory. He promised they would service them for at least 7-8 years but probably closer to 15. I lost confidence with Coinco over this experience and Told Mr. Giroux I would become a customer of Mars. I had a unit in our dog wash (it was a MC series) that was about 5 years old that they no longer service - don't have parts anymore. So, buyer beware.
mjwalsh
6 bay SS w/laundromat
For some of us who invested in the Vantage's Paper Tokens as a way of marketing & encouraging customers to put in a higher value more convenient way to pay than a pile of quarters & for other reasons .... we are hoping that Coinco changes its mind on how they propose to disproportionately charge more for the Vantage Car Wash Version & only available with special order. For us the paper tokens in some situations made more sense than the paper one dollar bills. Of course some of us also know that in other situations the goldie dollar coin - quality coin acceptor combination is the best fit.
Based on over 3 years of positive experience with the Coinco Vantage ... it seems like with the Vantage 24vac they finally got a product that could perform at the level of a MEI 24vac. It sounds like possibly another situation of an overpaid "out of touch" CEO proceeding again in a way that is not as good as it could be!
How are we going to have healthy tension on the Credit Card people & Apple Pay if we don't stand up against too many negatives against use of cash for even relatively small transactions.
mike walsh http://kingkoin.com/USA_Deficit_Reduction.html
Mel(NC)
Member
I have 4 of the vantage validators and have found them to be very unreliable. I am tired of sending them off for repairs. I am planning to change over to MEI. Can anyone recommend the right Mars validator for a meter box?
If you want to just accept $1's - $5's a AE2412U3 will work. If want to accept $1's - $20's a AE2612U3 will work.
MEP001
Well-known member
You'll be happy with the Mars - I've only had to replace two in the bays since we opened, one because of vandalism. That means four of them have been in service for 11 years. I just wipe them clean inside about once a month with a damp cloth.
The Mars also allows you to do your own bill update without sending it in to be upgraded. All you have to do is order a special harness and flash drive to do the update yourself. I do not know if the coinco vantage has the same capability or not.
Mars is almost constantly tweaking the software in there validators. Every time a Mars validator comes in for service or repair we upgrade the software. I have 3 programmers, the last time there was a bill change I sent 2 of them out to car wash customers and they made the rounds, I didn’t see them again for almost 6 months. I think they had more road miles on them than a long haul trucker.
