In message , at 12:36:07 on Wed, 8 Sep
2004, Paul Terry remarked:
a vendor is free to accept or refuse coinage as he or she wishes. In
the lack of any other guidelines I have known several who use "legal
tender" as their own chosen standard, simply to save argument (and the
annoyance of carrying several kilos of change to the bank).

If specified in advance (several bus companies will not give change, for
example, but I don't think I've ever seen one that specified how much
change was unacceptable).

However, as I wrote, the capacity of the coin holding mechanism is more
likely to be the explanation.

In this case, yes.
--
Roland Perry

"Roland Perry" wrote in message
.uk...
In message , at 12:36:07 on Wed, 8 Sep
2004, Paul Terry remarked:
a vendor is free to accept or refuse coinage as he or she wishes. In
the lack of any other guidelines I have known several who use "legal
tender" as their own chosen standard, simply to save argument (and the
annoyance of carrying several kilos of change to the bank).

If specified in advance (several bus companies will not give change, for
example, but I don't think I've ever seen one that specified how much
change was unacceptable).

On more than one occasion I've seen people pay on a 'coins in the box'
bus totally in copper. I don't know if they do it as some sort of
protest or if they're a sandwich short of a picnic?

tim

tim wrote:
"Roland Perry" wrote in message
.uk...

In message , at 12:36:07 on Wed, 8 Sep
2004, Paul Terry remarked:

a vendor is free to accept or refuse coinage as he or she wishes. In
the lack of any other guidelines I have known several who use "legal
tender" as their own chosen standard, simply to save argument (and the
annoyance of carrying several kilos of change to the bank).

If specified in advance (several bus companies will not give change, for
example, but I don't think I've ever seen one that specified how much
change was unacceptable).


On more than one occasion I've seen people pay on a 'coins in the box'
bus totally in copper. I don't know if they do it as some sort of
protest or if they're a sandwich short of a picnic?

A lot of people stick all their small change in a jar - the fact that
nobody physically counts the change in these fare boxes seems a good
thing to do, i.e. you get rid of the change without causing anyone the
hassle of counting it.

Graham J wrote:
Legal tender is a means of payment that should not be refused by a creditor
to settle a debt. If you are buying a ticket, or paying for an item in a
shop there is normally no debt involved. On the other hand if, for example,
you are eating in a restaurant where you are billed at the end of your meal
then a debt is involved and legal tender should be accepted in settlement.

This explains why so few vending machines these days accept coppers to
pay for an item that you don't yet have. The vendor (in this case, a
machine operating on behalf of the vendor) does not have to serve
anyone. Many machines do not even show how much of any item they have in
stock, if any, before money is inserted. If they do dispense anything
before accepting payment, the machine designer is probably one screw
short of a box; and they would have to honour the legal tender rules,
and accept small change.

On the bright side, for those of you wishing to rid yourself of small
change, those Cadbury machines on the underground do accept 1p and 2p
coins, even if the confectionary they dispense costs considerably more
than if you were to buy the same nutritious and energy packed item at a
convenience store just outside the station. The Cadbury machines do not
seem to use an escrow device, and have been known to return change
different than the coins you insert.

--
Simon Hewison

In message , Simon Hewison
writes:

Graham J wrote:
Legal tender is a means of payment that should not be refused by a creditor
to settle a debt. If you are buying a ticket, or paying for an item in a
shop there is normally no debt involved. On the other hand if, for example,
you are eating in a restaurant where you are billed at the end of your meal
then a debt is involved and legal tender should be accepted in settlement.

This explains why so few vending machines these days accept coppers to
pay for an item that you don't yet have. The vendor (in this case, a
machine operating on behalf of the vendor) does not have to serve
anyone. Many machines do not even show how much of any item they have
in stock, if any, before money is inserted. If they do dispense
anything before accepting payment, the machine designer is probably one
screw short of a box; and they would have to honour the legal tender
rules, and accept small change.

On the bright side, for those of you wishing to rid yourself of small
change, those Cadbury machines on the underground do accept 1p and 2p
coins, even if the confectionary they dispense costs considerably more
than if you were to buy the same nutritious and energy packed item at a
convenience store just outside the station. The Cadbury machines do not
seem to use an escrow device, and have been known to return change
different than the coins you insert.


Also worth noting, some Sainsbury supermarkets (and I'm sure other
places) have machines that will take any amount of small change, to be
either credited to an account, or paid back in larger denomination
coins/notes.

--
Jim Crowther "It's MY computer" (tm SMG)

Always learning.

"Jim Crowther" wrote in
message

Also worth noting, some Sainsbury supermarkets (and I'm sure other
places) have machines that will take any amount of small change, to
be either credited to an account, or paid back in larger denomination
coins/notes.

And charge you 7½% for the privilege of using them.


Bargain! NOT!!!!

"Bob Wood" typed


"Jim Crowther" wrote in
message

Also worth noting, some Sainsbury supermarkets (and I'm sure other
places) have machines that will take any amount of small change, to
be either credited to an account, or paid back in larger denomination
coins/notes.

And charge you 7½% for the privilege of using them.

Bargain! NOT!!!!

Quite! I'm always amazed anyone is lazy and stupid enough to use these!
At least the chocolate machines don't take a huge cut and those nice
people at Cadbury's will refund you generously if the machine swallows
your dosh.

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

In message , Helen Deborah
Vecht writes
"Bob Wood" typed


"Jim Crowther" wrote in
message

Also worth noting, some Sainsbury supermarkets (and I'm sure other
places) have machines that will take any amount of small change, to
be either credited to an account, or paid back in larger denomination
coins/notes.

And charge you 7½% for the privilege of using them.

Bargain! NOT!!!!

Quite! I'm always amazed anyone is lazy and stupid enough to use these!
At least the chocolate machines don't take a huge cut and those nice
people at Cadbury's will refund you generously if the machine swallows
your dosh.

The machines charge you 50p for a chocolate bar you can buy for 45p
anywhere else...
--
Kat

In message , at 00:51:54 on
Tue, 14 Sep 2004, Jim Crowther
remarked:
Also worth noting, some Sainsbury supermarkets (and I'm sure other
places) have machines that will take any amount of small change, to be
either credited to an account, or paid back in larger denomination
coins/notes.

Having deducted a commission, I believe.
--
Roland Perry

Jim Crowther wrote to uk.transport.london on Tue, 14 Sep 2004:

Also worth noting, some Sainsbury supermarkets (and I'm sure other
places) have machines that will take any amount of small change, to be
either credited to an account, or paid back in larger denomination
coins/notes.

Best bet is to be married to the Church treasurer who never minds
changing shedloads of pennies on a Sunday night!
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 11 September 2004