Vending Machine On-Campus Operations
Yourong Frank Wang made this Official Information request to University of Auckland
This request has an unknown status. We're waiting for Yourong Frank Wang to read recent responses and update the status.
From: Yourong Frank Wang
Dear University of Auckland,
I would like to make an OIA request about the license given to EFTPOS VENDING for their on-campus operations because I have deduced that their reliability is sub-par and clearly not improving.
Since March of this year, I have kept a personal count of how frequently I use the bottled drinks vending machines on campus and how often they failed. The number so far is 11 failures out of 24 uses.
Common ways of failure include a machine's parts jamming, the purchased drink falling out of its shelf, and increasingly commonly, the machine doing nothing after deducting money from my credit card, and immediately returning to home screen to "welcome" its next victim.
On such grounds, I think it is reasonable for me to officially query this company's sincerity, integrity, and competence, and invite you to reevaluate whether it deserves such a privileged position, where it profits off a client base that largely consists of unsuspecting and vulnerable students.
Yours faithfully,
Frank Wang
From: Yourong Frank Wang
To clarify, I am requesting the following documents/responses.
* A contract of the vending company's operation on campus and/or a report on how much revenue is generated per annum from on-campus vending machines.
** An explicit note on the acceptable success rate of vending machines, ideally from the equipment provider.
* Whether the university is aware of the low vending success rates and whether preventative steps are taken to improve them.
From: Rebecca Ewert
University of Auckland
Dear Mr Wang,
I refer to your request of 4 August 2021. Unfortunately, owing to an
administrative oversight, we failed to respond to your request within the
statutory time limit. I apologise for this error. We will provide you with
a substantive response to your request as soon as reasonably practicable.
You have the right to make a complaint to an Ombudsman if you are
dissatisfied with the University’s response.
Yours sincerely,
Rebecca Ewert
General Counsel
University of Auckland
From: Yourong Frank Wang
<[1][FOI #16288 email]>
Sent: Wednesday, 4 August 2021 6:14 pm
To: legal <[2][email address]>
Subject: Re: Official Information request - Vending Machine On-Campus
Operations
To clarify, I am requesting the following documents/responses.
* A contract of the vending company's operation on campus and/or a report
on how much revenue is generated per annum from on-campus vending
machines.
** An explicit note on the acceptable success rate of vending machines,
ideally from the equipment provider.
* Whether the university is aware of the low vending success rates and
whether preventative steps are taken to improve them.
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[3][FOI #16288 email]
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the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
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ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
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2. mailto:[email address]
3. mailto:[FOI #16288 email]
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From: Rebecca Ewert
University of Auckland
Dear Mr Wang,
I refer to your request of 4 August 2021. The University’s response
follows.
“* A contract of the vending company's operation on campus and/or a report
on how much revenue is generated per annum from on-campus vending
machines.”
The information requested is withheld under section 9(2)(ba)(ii) of the
Official Information Act, to protect information subject to an obligation
of confidence.
“* An explicit note on the acceptable success rate of vending machines,
ideally from the equipment provider.”
The Official Information Act 1982 allows eligible persons to request
official information held by an agency, and does not require agencies to
create or obtain information in response to a request. Although not
required by the Official Information Act, we have liaised with Eftpos
Vending to seek further information concerning acceptable success rates of
vending machines. Within the vending industry, there are number of
different vending machine types, most notably whether the machines operate
and accept cash (coins and notes) as a payment method or not. The vending
machines across the University of Auckland are all cashless (payment may
be made by credit card or eftpos only). The New Zealand market is
relatively small compared to other countries, but for vending machines
that are comparable to the type used across the University, and in the
context of the much larger Australian market, Eftpos Vending advise that
an “acceptable” success rate should be at least 99.5%. Or conversely, that
the “fail rate” should be no higher than 0.5% (ie no more than 1 fail in
every 200 transactions). Notwithstanding the data above from the
Australian market, Eftpos Vending have further advised us that their own
targeted success rate for the vending machines they supply in New Zealand
is 99.8%. Or conversely that the “fail rate” should be no higher than 0.2%
(ie no more than 1 fail in every 500 transactions).
“* Whether the university is aware of the low vending success rates and
whether preventative steps are taken to improve them.”
The actual fail rate observed in the last month was 1 fail in every 1200
transactions, which is exceptionally low. The University and Eftpos
Vending took prompt and positive actions to address your concerns about
vending machine performance. As at today’s date we are unaware of any
ongoing operational issue that remains unsolved.
You have the right to make a complaint to an Ombudsman if you are
dissatisfied with this response.
Yours sincerely,
Rebecca Ewert
General Counsel
University of Auckland
From: Yourong Frank Wang
<[1][FOI #16288 email]>
Sent: Wednesday, 4 August 2021 6:14 PM
To: legal <[2][email address]>
Subject: Re: Official Information request - Vending Machine On-Campus
Operations
To clarify, I am requesting the following documents/responses.
* A contract of the vending company's operation on campus and/or a report
on how much revenue is generated per annum from on-campus vending
machines.
** An explicit note on the acceptable success rate of vending machines,
ideally from the equipment provider.
* Whether the university is aware of the low vending success rates and
whether preventative steps are taken to improve them.
From: Yourong Frank Wang
<[3][FOI #16288 email]>
Sent: Wednesday, 4 August 2021 6:00 PM
To: legal <[4][email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Vending Machine On-Campus
Operations
Dear University of Auckland,
I would like to make an OIA request about the license given to EFTPOS
VENDING for their on-campus operations because I have deduced that their
reliability is sub-par and clearly not improving.
Since March of this year, I have kept a personal count of how frequently I
use the bottled drinks vending machines on campus and how often they
failed. The number so far is 11 failures out of 24 uses.
Common ways of failure include a machine's parts jamming, the purchased
drink falling out of its shelf, and increasingly commonly, the machine
doing nothing after deducting money from my credit card, and immediately
returning to home screen to "welcome" its next victim.
On such grounds, I think it is reasonable for me to officially query this
company's sincerity, integrity, and competence, and invite you to
reevaluate whether it deserves such a privileged position, where it
profits off a client base that largely consists of unsuspecting and
vulnerable students.
Yours faithfully,
Frank Wang
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page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
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