Fees for "timing devices"

[fluffy]

I just had a visit from the wonderful state department of weights and measures. It seems that in the interest of responding to customer complaints (yeah, I believe that one), they have decided that all laundromats have to have be licensed for each dryer. The fee is $24 per machine per year - for me that's $700.

I just about knocked the inspector down and have sent messages to the supervisors, but I'm sure that's pointless. Anyone else have this situation?

Makes the "free dry" concept more interesting.

[DaveLevenson]

In NJ, the state requires annual Weights & Measures certification of each dryer's timer, and your WDF scale.

[pete f]

I just had a visit from the wonderful state department of weights and measures. It seems that in the interest of responding to customer complaints (yeah, I believe that one), they have decided that all laundromats have to have be licensed for each dryer. The fee is $24 per machine per year - for me that's $700.

I just about knocked the inspector down and have sent messages to the supervisors, but I'm sure that's pointless. Anyone else have this situation?

Makes the "free dry" concept more interesting.


take them down hard. Call the local congress person, state senate, etc.
Go down screaming. $700 for what? so your timers are checked? If it come to it I would try to waste $700 of state money on making sure every dryer is tested twice and what ever BS you can use to waste there time.

[Anonymous]

As Dave mentioned NJ has the same rules for dryers and scales. Much like they have for gasoline pumps and scales in markets. The rules are good as the ensure that people are not screwing the customer. At least in NJ the charge is more reasonable - it is $10 per dryer with a cap of $200 per store (for dryers).

What burns me up ( ha ha ha) is that they expect you to pay for them to run the dryers. This year I told my attendant don't call me when they come and tell the inspector that you are not authorized to give him a card to do the inspection and that he will have to put his own money in the card machine. He was really angry with her, but ended up doing just that. I figure at an unattended store he has to put his own quarters in the machine so why should I not collect some revenue while he is burning my gas in the dryers.

[fluffy]

Interesting. I don't have a problem with the scale license and have been doing that for years. That is $12. What happens when you change dryer times - do they have to come out and reverify? If so, I think I will change every week and make them verify with their own quarters :).

Or perhaps I will put up a sign that says "these dryers are for non commercial use, please see attendant for operation"...nobody reads my other signs anyhow. I already have signs up which say to contact attendant if it takes more than 30 minutes to dry. When I was running my mouth at the inspector, she said some laundries had dryers set up so that 75 cents dried a load and they were not liable for the license fees in that case. I don't believe I can do that with my Dexter stacks (but I will research) and I know I can't do it with my old SQ singles.

[Anonymous]

They do not have to run the dryer. They put the quarter in press the button to activate the computer and the open the door. The timer still counts down and your dryer doesnt run. They have always refused me when I asked them to use their own money.

[JBTcajun]

What a ridiculous farce. Anything to add another fee. What is the effect of certifying the time and not the heat. What are the penalties if you refuse? Often they write the rules and put no teeth to back them. It is worth a check. Recently Louisiana passed something requiring the water temperature in coin op laundries be 120 or greater. What I saw had no what ifs if it was not. It was a political statement made by a legislature to say look I am concerned with the poor peoples well fare.

[Anonymous]

They have always refused me when I asked them to use their own money.

They have refused me as the owner when I was there. But the attendant was free to say I cannot give you money, if you don't like it leave a note for my boss. They have a schedule to complete and just did like they would have to do in a mat where there was no one there.

[Anonymous]

In my unattended mats they leave a note for me saying I 10 days to respond. I must call and make a appointment to meet them. One time I failed to pay and they issued a bench warrant for me thru the city my mat is located in.

[RAM]

In my unattended mats they leave a note for me saying I 10 days to respond. I must call and make a appointment to meet them. One time I failed to pay and they issued a bench warrant for me thru the city my mat is located in.

In my unattended mat they leave me $550 fine for not being there when they came to check my dryers and never gave any advance notice of them coming,after paying $550 fine they came and check all my 32 dryer with 20min(my money) each and waited to finish whole cycle and put those nasty sticker on middle of each dryer GLASS

[laundryboy]

Not that it still isn't a pain, but they don't HAVE to use the heat setting. They are checking the time!!!