Planet Antares Don't Buy Antares - Junk Vending Machines Last only six years. ripoff Culver City California
I have 24 Antares machines. Most of them are less than seven years old. They are beginning to fail like cheap light bulbs.
The problem is that the refrigerator units were designed to be freezers. Since moisture is not a problem with freezers (it stays frozen) they can get buy with painted evaporators. However, when these units are converted for refrigerator use, the evaporators are constantly drawing moisture. This causes them to rust out in six to seven years.
I have tried to get Antares to sell me units to repair my machines. I have had no luck. Also, I have contacted Edina Technical Products, the actual manufacturer. I have had no luck with them either. It looks like they should be able to sell me replacement freezer units for $200.00 or less. These freezers (not converted) sell for less than $200.00 at Lowe's. They just won't do it. It looks like I am going to have to file a law suit big enough to take them out of business.
In the mean time, I am warning people. Don't buy Antares, Orion, Edina, or any vending machine that has a painted evaporator converted from a freezer unit.
David
Scott Depot, West Virginia
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
David
Scott Depot,West Virginia,
How to fix your Antares machines:
#4Author of original report
Thu, April 10, 2014
Hi,
After filing the report originally, I received replacement evaporators from Frigidaire. These units may or may not be available now. You would have to contact the company to run them down. However, I have managed to repair some machines without replacing the evaporator unit. All that I did was to install a recharge valve at a location on the line at the compressor where the machine was originally charged. These valves can be ordered off of Ebay. Then, I just recharged the machine with refrigerant, the same as for automobiles, 134a, which I bought at Walmart. Use the kind that has a stop leak added to it. This cheap fix has kept many of my machines running for some time now. If you are not comfortable doing this yourself, there are many technicians who can do it for you. It still should be pretty cheap.
Gilah
Marlton,New Jersey,
Owner of Planet Antares Machine
#4REBUTTAL Owner of company
Wed, April 09, 2014
Hi I am an Owner of several Planet Antares machines and now after five years I have been experiencing that the beverage section of my combo machine is not working. If you could provide me with phone numbers of the companies to contact it would be much appreciated. The Planet Antares phone number that I have does not work.
Thank you and I appreciate any help.
David
Scott Depot,West Virginia,
U.S.A.
Planet Antares, Culver City, CA 90230 - Manufacturer Repairing Machines
#4Author of original report
Thu, September 13, 2007
I was contacted by the manufacturer, Edina Technical Products, pertaining to this problem. They agreed to fix five of the machines (I had purchased five new from Antares) and send parts for any additional machines that I had purchased used but failed prematurely. They felt that Electrolux (the manufacturer of the cooling unit) may have gotten some defective evaporators from one of their suppliers. Anyway, Antares, Edina Tech, and Electrolux are working to correct any problems that they may have with my machines and any future machines. Hopefully, I am an isolated situation. But I am sure that if anyone else has similar problems, these companies will stand behind their products. Just contact them and be patient.