Short answer: a vending machine locator service finds places for vending operators to put their machines. The operator pays the locator, usually a one-time fee per placement, and the locator steps away once the agreement is signed. An operator owns, stocks and services the machine. An advocate, which is what VendFynd is, also gets paid by the operator at placement but stays the host's contact for as long as the machine is there. For the business hosting the machine, the difference shows up after install: who you call when something goes wrong.
This guide is for owners and managers in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia who've been called by a locator, are comparing vending companies, or want to know who's who before they sign anything. It's written from the host's side, though operators searching for a locator service will find the same facts useful. If you run machines and want placed sites, see how VendFynd works for operators.
Who does what
| Operator | Locator | Advocate (VendFynd) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owns the machine | Yes | No | No |
| Stocks, services, repairs | Yes | No | No; follows it through with the operator |
| Finds the site | Sometimes, itself | Yes, that's the job | Yes |
| Who pays them | Sales from the machine | The operator, per placement | The operator, when a machine is placed |
| Host pays anything | Power for the outlet | Nothing | Nothing beyond the outlet's power |
| Involved after install | Yes | Usually not | Yes: one contact, reply within 1 business day |
| If service slips | It's the operator | Not their job | Swaps the operator or removes the machine at no cost |
The locator column comes from the published terms of the one locator among the four Metro Vancouver companies in our published-terms comparison. Its FAQ describes itself as "ultimately a small telemarketing agency" that is paid "a one-time finder's fee from the operator directly", and says that once the operator and location sign, "we have no further involvement." The advocate column is our own host terms: "the operator pays us when a machine is placed," and "if it isn't fixed promptly, we swap the operator or remove the machine at no cost."
Who pays a locator
The operator. A locator is a lead source for operators: it calls businesses, gets a yes, and passes the site on. In the business model the locator above publishes, the host pays nothing and the fee is a single payment from the operator. That's normal and fine. What it means in practice is that a locator is paid to get a yes, and isn't paid to care how the machine runs six months later. Nothing about that is hidden; it's simply the job.
If anyone asks the host to pay for a placement, a "setup" or a "location fee", stop. Placement should be $0 to you: the operator covers the machine, install, stocking, service and removal, and you provide the spot and an outlet (about $15–20 a month in power for a refrigerated machine).
Why locators have a reputation
Most of the bad history around locators isn't about hosts at all. It's about people sold vending machines as a business, who were promised that someone would find them profitable spots.
- In September 1997, the US Federal Trade Commission's Operation "Yankee Trader" targeted candy-machine sellers who "claimed they provided 'locator' services to help investors find profitable sites", and, according to the complaint, "the promised locator services were not provided."
- In September 1998, the FTC and 10 states announced Operation "Vend Up Broke": 40 enforcement actions against vending business opportunities. In one, telemarketers sold machines "by misrepresenting the availability of profitable locations."
- The US Business Opportunity Rule (16 CFR Part 437) now treats "requiring, recommending, or suggesting one or more locators" as part of what makes a sale a business opportunity, and the FTC tells sellers to give buyers a one-page disclosure document at least seven days before they sign or pay, and to "be truthful in explaining the likelihood of finding locations."
Those are US rules and US cases, and they protect machine buyers. For a Lower Mainland host, the lesson is narrower: when a locator calls, the machine may belong to a brand-new operator who has just bought it. New operators can be excellent. Just ask who they are, and how to reach them directly, before you agree.
Questions to ask a locator
- Who is the operator, and what's their direct phone number?
- Does the operator hold the city's licence for the machine? (Surrey, Richmond and Burnaby each license machines individually; see our licence fee guide.)
- How long is the agreement, how much notice to remove the machine, and does removal cost anything?
- Who do my staff or customers call for a refund or a jam?
- Is there a commission? If so, in writing, on what basis?
- After install, does anyone besides the operator check that service is happening?
Our vending agreement checklist turns these into a printable comparison, and our guide to how vending machine contracts work covers what to do if a placement goes wrong.
Which one do you need?
If you're happy to manage the relationship yourself, going straight to a good operator works. A locator gets you to an operator faster, then leaves. If you'd rather have one contact who stays on your side after install, that's the advocate model: month to month, 30 days' notice, no-cost removal, your people choose the menu, and commission is usually included, agreed in writing before install. See if your site qualifies.
About this data
- Locator terms: Vending Partners Canada's public FAQ, read on 2026-09-26 for our comparison and re-read on 2026-10-12. Quotes are short extracts. It's one locator; others may be paid differently, so ask.
- US history: FTC press releases of 1997-09-11 and 1998-09-03, the FTC's 2011 business guidance on the revised Business Opportunity Rule, and the rule text at 16 CFR 437.1 (govinfo.gov). These are US federal sources; BC has no equivalent rule we cite here.
- Our model: VendFynd's published host terms, updated 2026-09-29.
Sources
- Vending Partners Canada, FAQ: https://vendingpartners.ca/faq, accessed 2026-10-12
- FTC, Operation "Yankee Trader" (1997): https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/1997/09/operation-yankee-trader-targets-bogus-vending-machine-business-opportunities
- FTC, Operation "Vend Up Broke" (1998): https://ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/1998/09/ftc-announces-operation-vend-broke-states-and-feds-stop-business
- 16 CFR 437.1, definitions (govinfo.gov): https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2025-title16-vol1/xml/CFR-2025-title16-vol1-sec437-1.xml
- FTC, "Selling a work-at-home or other business opportunity? Revised rule may apply to you": https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/selling-work-home-or-other-business-opportunity-revised-rule-may-apply-you-1
- VendFynd, Host terms: https://vendfynd.com/host-terms