Complaint Review: World Wide Vending

In October of 1999 I responded to an ad for "Best Cash Biz 30+ locations" which turned out to be a vending machine opportunity. The Company, World Wide Vending would sell me the machines and provide the locations for the machines through a company called Phase One Marketing, guaranteeing 49 vends a day! The hours needed to make a decent income appealed to me but as I was skeptical, I checked into them thoroughly...or so I thought! The BBB had no complaints, the AVA (Affiliated Vendors Association) had nothing but great things to say about them, and I even checked with two of their customers who were very satisfied and planning on growing and expanding through World Wide.

After ordering and recieving the machines, the problem was getting the kind of locations promised that would result in 49 vends a day. The first locator sent to me by Phase One Marketing told me that they had no such list of locations and they just pound on doors of businesses that look promising and ask if they want a vending machine installed! After two days they gave me a list of 5 locations that they said would be great, asked for their money, then left town before I could tour them to verify anything.

Well, they were completely useless. 1 location had 3 employees! After complaining to the company that hired the locator, Phase One Marketing, I could tell it was going all downhill from there. I even found out that the person doing the locatins was on probation for fraud!! They agreed after much time and effort on my part that I had been ripped off by the locator,and they would send another locator, even coveriong part of the fee to do so, but after several months of not returning my phone calls and letters, never did.

Complaints to World Wide Vending got me promises of another locator which they would pay for, but after more than 3 months or promises that they would be here in a few days, that locator has never shown up to do the job. Requests for my money back have gone unanswered and I can't get call backs from anyone with authority. I complained to the BBB and,the Dept. of Trade and Consumer Protection but neither has been able to get a response from the locating company, Phase One Marketing.

They owe me $525 and World Wide Vending has $4500 from me that covered half the cost of the machines, the rest of the money was paid to the manufacturing company upon receipt of the machines, which for the last 6 months have occupied a large portion of my garage! I want the company to live up to it's promises of 30+ locations or my money back!!!!

I now know from your web site not to trust the Better Business Bureau, but can the Bad Business Bureau help me out?!!