This vending machine has one or two of the less popular food items, (as tracked over the weeks), glued surreptitiously in place but seemingly just ready for freefall.

The customer makes their selection of the lesser product, believing they'll get 2 for the price of 1, and only receive the one queued to fall. (This happened to me; it is possible).

No one is gypped, just no freebee.
-- RayfordSteele, Feb 18 2009

Could it be construed as false advertising?
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Feb 18 2009


It should occasionally release the decoy item with odds depending on how long its been there.
-- Spacecoyote, Feb 18 2009


You'd need pretty good insurance, as this will expose vending machines to a fair amount of physical abuse. The prospect of freebies (even if it's a pack of gum) makes people lose all common sense.
-- placid_turmoil, Feb 18 2009


This is crossing the gulf between those penny falls/penny cascade things you used to see in old amusement arcades and traditional vending machines.

You could drop a packet of crisps/mars bar/mints onto the oscillating shelf, along with all the other goodies, and see if the additional item pushes anything over the edge into the collection hopper.
-- zen_tom, Feb 18 2009


Whatever happened to the public: evil category anyway?
-- RayfordSteele, Feb 19 2009


It got stuck to another item! Excellent idea. Big BIG bun +
-- xenzag, Feb 19 2009



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