Choc off
 

Chris Read wrote:
"John Rowland" wrote:

I don't get the gag in the subject line.... why isn't the thread
called "Chocs away"?

Because if I could come up with witty, relevant thread titles, I'd be
working for a tabloid newspaper and not posting to newsgroups.

If you look in the other thread on this topic, in u.t.l, originally titled
"Underground chocolate machines" , you'll see that I have already changed it
as John suggests ;-)

- Alan (in Brussels)

Choc off
 

Helen Deborah Vecht wrote:
James Farrar typed



On Sat, 11 Feb 2006 21:09:42 +0000 (UTC), "Chris Read"
wrote:


Has anyone else noticed, *all* of the chocolate vending machines on Tube
platforms, certainly in zone 1, have been taken out of use. Anyone
know why?
My best guess is that the company which services/restocks them has ceased
trading.


The one at Northfields Eastbound platforms is still working. The phone
number on it is 0800.


0800 CADBURY (2232879) to be precise.

The chocolate machines have been turned off as one machine was not only
dispensing them, but cooking them at the same time, so LU decided to
reduce the risk of a fire and turn them off.

Choc off
 

RPM wrote:


Most are owned by Cadbury Schweppes. They tried to persuade me to
have Coke & chocolate machines on my stations when I was a Station
Manager. I turned them down because I thought the booking office
staff had enough to deal with without fending off endless complaints
from people who lost money in the machines. Call me a cynic if you
want.

I'm surprised that discretion to have vending machines installed or
operated at stations would be devolved down to Station Manager level. I
would have expected it to be taken higher up the chain - these days
with the ROC that manages the station, or with the station's catering
providers, previously on a Regional level or by Traveller's Fare.

Back in the 1980s, all of the chocolate vending machines on railway
stations seemed to be branded Nestle. Come to think of it, I have never
seen Nestle milk chocolate, plain chocolate or Feast bars on sale over
the counter. If I recall correctly, the milk chocolate was wrapped with
waxed paper rather than foil.

Richard Hunt

Choc off
 

Anyone remember Superfine? Sounds like another product commonly sold
via vending machines, but was in fact a slab of very dark, plain
chocolate (Nestlé IIRC). Mmmmmm...


Steve Adams

Choc off
 

Richard Hunt wrote:
RPM wrote:


Most are owned by Cadbury Schweppes. They tried to persuade me to
have Coke & chocolate machines on my stations when I was a Station
Manager. I turned them down because I thought the booking office
staff had enough to deal with without fending off endless complaints
from people who lost money in the machines. Call me a cynic if you
want.

I'm surprised that discretion to have vending machines installed or
operated at stations would be devolved down to Station Manager level. I
would have expected it to be taken higher up the chain - these days
with the ROC that manages the station, or with the station's catering
providers, previously on a Regional level or by Traveller's Fare.

Back in the 1980s, all of the chocolate vending machines on railway
stations seemed to be branded Nestle. Come to think of it, I have never
seen Nestle milk chocolate, plain chocolate or Feast bars on sale over
the counter. If I recall correctly, the milk chocolate was wrapped with
waxed paper rather than foil.


Underground were Cadburys and British Rail were Nestle in those days.
You could certainly get Nestle Dairy Crunch (or whatever it was called;
the rice crispy thing) over the counter.

That was when Nestle was down Bath way somewhere, before they took over
Rowntrees in York, and then closed that down.

Choc off
 

Chris Read wrote:
Going back 20 years (remembering
childhood trips with grandparents who liked to spoil me), the machines were
programmed to 'eat the money but not dispense the product' for one in three
attempts

Ah that explains it!

The last two times I tried to get a chocolate (having not used a
machine in years), I lost my money. I only complained once but they
gave me a £1 voucher for a 50p loss (as compensation).

The third time I tried to get a chocolate, the machine didn't accept my
coin. When it rejected it, I found a pound in the change tray! So, I
collected my prize, my original 50p and walked away.

Maybe they're now programmed to be like fruit machines.. some people
lose money, others win it! Now if they could only make them pay out
fruit...

Jonathan

Choc off
 

Joel Rowbottom wrote:
Does that *09# trick still work? I *think* it was that anyway, used to
come back with "EVERYTHING OK!" on the machines...

DON'T TYPE THAT! If you do, the machine will take control of your
mobile via Bluetooth and start calling premium rate numbers at 1.50UKP
a minute!

This was told to me by a friend that was scammed in just this way, and
it's been confirmed by Cadbury's. Please pass this on to everyone you
know....... :D

Jonathan

Choc off
 

MIG wrote:


Richard Hunt wrote:
RPM wrote:


Most are owned by Cadbury Schweppes. They tried to persuade me to
have Coke & chocolate machines on my stations when I was a Station
Manager. I turned them down because I thought the booking office
staff had enough to deal with without fending off endless
complaints from people who lost money in the machines. Call me a
cynic if you want.

I'm surprised that discretion to have vending machines installed or
operated at stations would be devolved down to Station Manager
level. I would have expected it to be taken higher up the chain -
these days with the ROC that manages the station, or with the
station's catering providers, previously on a Regional level or by
Traveller's Fare.

Back in the 1980s, all of the chocolate vending machines on railway
stations seemed to be branded Nestle. Come to think of it, I have
never seen Nestle milk chocolate, plain chocolate or Feast bars on
sale over the counter. If I recall correctly, the milk chocolate
was wrapped with waxed paper rather than foil.


Underground were Cadburys and British Rail were Nestle in those days.
You could certainly get Nestle Dairy Crunch (or whatever it was
called; the rice crispy thing) over the counter.

Yes, but I wonder why there wasa a split like that, and why/when did it
change?

That was when Nestle was down Bath way somewhere, before they took
over Rowntrees in York, and then closed that down.

Nestle's UK head office used to be in Croydon.
Rowntree's works were rail-connected, and I think remained so until the
mid-late 1980s.
The trackbed is still intact I think.

I don't think that the other big York chocolate firm, Terry's, ever was
rail connected.

Richard Hunt

Choc off
 

jonmorris wrote:

DON'T TYPE THAT! If you do, the machine will take control of your
mobile via Bluetooth and start calling premium rate numbers at 1.50UKP
a minute!

This was told to me by a friend that was scammed in just this way, and
it's been confirmed by Cadbury's. Please pass this on to everyone you
know....... :D

I win! Don't have Bluetooth on my mobile...

--
\\\\\ Stevie D
\\\\\\\__. Bringing OLFs to the common hedgehog since 2001
___\\\\\\\'/__________________________________________________ _____

Choc off
 

Richard Hunt wrote:
MIG wrote:


Richard Hunt wrote:
RPM wrote:


Most are owned by Cadbury Schweppes. They tried to persuade me to
have Coke & chocolate machines on my stations when I was a Station
Manager. I turned them down because I thought the booking office
staff had enough to deal with without fending off endless
complaints from people who lost money in the machines. Call me a
cynic if you want.

I'm surprised that discretion to have vending machines installed or
operated at stations would be devolved down to Station Manager
level. I would have expected it to be taken higher up the chain -
these days with the ROC that manages the station, or with the
station's catering providers, previously on a Regional level or by
Traveller's Fare.

Back in the 1980s, all of the chocolate vending machines on railway
stations seemed to be branded Nestle. Come to think of it, I have
never seen Nestle milk chocolate, plain chocolate or Feast bars on
sale over the counter. If I recall correctly, the milk chocolate
was wrapped with waxed paper rather than foil.


Underground were Cadburys and British Rail were Nestle in those days.
You could certainly get Nestle Dairy Crunch (or whatever it was
called; the rice crispy thing) over the counter.

Yes, but I wonder why there wasa a split like that, and why/when did it
change?

That was when Nestle was down Bath way somewhere, before they took
over Rowntrees in York, and then closed that down.

Nestle's UK head office used to be in Croydon.


True, but there was (maybe still is) a factory down West.



Rowntree's works were rail-connected, and I think remained so until the
mid-late 1980s.
The trackbed is still intact I think.

I don't think that the other big York chocolate firm, Terry's, ever was
rail connected.

Richard Hunt