Vending Machine in Taxi Stand Near Bugis Reportedly Kept on Malfunctioning, “Eating Up” Coins

Malfunctioning Vending Machine at Ban San Street Taxi Stand Causes Frustration Among Users

In Singapore, amidst high-profile scam cases like Whatsapp scams that have drained life savings and love scams, citizens are increasingly vigilant in distinguishing between scams and legitimate operations.

This vigilance recently extended to a vending machine located at Ban San Street, Jalan Besar.

Ban San Street, an older district in Singapore, is home to a vending machine that appears to be either quite antiquated… or perhaps somewhat deceitful.

A local resident, Siti, posted a TikTok video on 3 Nov warning people about using this particular machine.

The video quickly gained traction, amassing 78,100 views.

@2taxiScammers Vending Machine at Ban San Street♬ Breaking News, TV Shows, Report, Broadcast, Live, Serious, Business, World(1323125) – SAKUMAMATATA

Located near a taxi stand at Queen Street Bus Terminal, this vending machine has had frequent malfunctions that have raised suspicions.

Users often find that after inserting coins to purchase snacks, the items get stuck inside the machine.

Adding to the frustration, the machine does not always refund the inserted coins.

Jestie, a 45-year-old female taxi driver, spoke to Shin Min Daily News about the machine’s location being the only taxi stand in the area.

Taxi drivers frequently use it to grab quick snacks, but many find their purchases trapped between the racks and the glass.

The company responsible for the machine, told Shin Min Daily News that the issues with snacks getting stuck are due to improper stocking by staff or problems with the machine’s revolving mechanism.

The company plans to replace the machine within a week and emphasised their long-standing reputation in the vending machine industry, assuring that they do not engage in scamming over small amounts of money.

Several netizens have corroborated this, reporting successful refunds after contacting the company.

Image: Tiktok (@2taxi)

Despite the company’s assurances and planned actions to replace the machine, it seems the problem has persisted for years, leaving many customers without refunds.

Image: Tiktok (@2taxi)
Image: Tiktok (@2taxi)

In the mean time, you can watch this video to find out how scary an actual scam might be: