Broke Students Take Advantage of Campus Vending Machine Glitch

Students are catching on to an apparent vending machine loophole, getting free sweet treats from a machine that dispenses beverages—specifically, Vanilla Coke Zero Sugar—seemingly free of charge.

Multiple informants told Salient that when paying with Apple Pay, a machine in the Rankine Brown Library displays a message stating ‘Your account will be billed’, but the billing in question never eventuates. 

Upon further investigation, numerous university machines have been subject to inconsistent payment, with many students reporting free Vanilla Coke Zero Sugars being dispensed.

Salient took to social media to find out how common these vending machine malfunctions really are. Most respondents said that they too have experienced inconsistent vending. Although most had not discovered the joy of the faulty library machine, ten students said they had received two items for the price of one, and nine students claimed to have been “scammed”, with the vendy taking their hard earned money without dispensing any kai at all.

Mallard*, a third-year student, loves consuming a Vanilla Coke Zero Sugar and has been savouring that sweet cola flavour after returning from an overseas exchange where the beverage is unavailable. 

Mallard scored two free Vanilla Cokes from the faulty machine last week. “I didn't notice that I wasn't charged until I looked at my bank account and there was nothing. I looked at my Apple Pay… nothing. It just didn't come up,” she said. 

When asked if she felt guilty or feared criminal repercussions, Mallard said, “It's on them, it's a corporation” and urged other students to take advantage of the glitch. “If they cant get their system organised, then just abuse it.”

Although saving a few bucks was nice, it won't make a huge difference financially to Mallard’s living situation. “It definitely tastes nice because it was free, but I would've gotten it anyway.” She said the extra $2 would help her buy “a shaver or something”.

Another student, Jaquelin*, purchased a Vanilla Coke Zero Sugar from a Pipitea vending machine as she “needed a little pick-me-up, ya know?” and was not charged. She claims, “I didn't think anything of it [...] but I checked my bank account multiple times since and no money came out.”

Jaquelin said the free beverage lifted her financial spirits amid the devastating cost of living crisis: “I was so happy about it because basically I’m poor.” 

*names have been changed