Ethical Coinstar strategy?

[coindood]

Here's what I did today.

The CS machine is in the vestibule of an Albertson's, you know the type, with magazine racks for free local newspapers, apartment guides, a bulletin board...and a small trash can. Knowing that CS rejects often end up in the garbage, I simply took the accumulated trash and replaced the bag with an empty. Ended up not finding anything but I know the possibilities are there. Found a 1929 Merc that way once.

Did I do anything unethical from the store's perspective?

[MatthewsTech]

I'm sure the guy who's job it is to empty the garbage loves you. I think your fine

I often take coke caps/flaps out of garbage near the bottle returns to get free coke points.

Stores pay by the pound to throw stuff out so i dont see why they would mind as long as your not making a mess.

[Morsecode]

Awesome strategy. When first starting out a few years ago I tried something similar at the bank. They busted me right away on it, and I deserved the 'talking to'...looked a lot like fishing for customer account numbers. So that was one time they were right and I was wrong.

Speaking of ethical things, try this on -

A lady is funneling her change into the machine with one hand, while balancing her 1 year-old daughter on the countertop with the other. It was slooow going. Major delay in morsecode's Saturday run, ok?

My finely tuned ears hear a silver coin plink into the reject bin down below as the lady is wrapping it up. All is quiet as she presses the 'End' button (here comes the probably-questionable-but-I-sleep-just-fine part)...Timed perfectly to drown out Penny saying "Be sure to check the reject box for valuables blah, blah, blah...", I gush - "Such a cute baby! Look at those dimples! How old is she?"

It works as planned. The lady thanks me for the compliment, slings the brat onto her hip and marches off to the teller line. Cha-ching...one more Mercury goes into the stash.

[coindood]

You're a monster Morsecode.

[DaMangRon]

That story actually made me laugh Morsecode! But I must admit when I spot a reject bin full of goodies as the person in front of me is finishing up I will shake my coins a bit, perhaps switch which hand is holding the bag. I make just enough noise to distract the person right when Penny is telling him to check for rejects.

[brian0918]

I gush - "Such a cute baby! Look at those dimples! How old is she?"

What the mom doesn't know is you were talking about the Merc, admiring its reeded edge, and wondering what year it was. The only "reject" in your mind was the baby.

[Recyclersteve]

I gush - "Such a cute baby! Look at those dimples! How old is she?"

What the mom doesn't know is you were talking about the Merc, admiring its reeded edge, and wondering what year it was. The only "reject" in your mind was the baby.

What if you slipped and said "such a cute girl. Are those fully split bands? Is she certified?" And then a security guard approaches to haul you away and you say "No, that's not what I meant."

And soon you are incarcerated because of a Mercury dime...

[johnbrickner]

You're a monster Morsecode.

Monster? No. Opportunistic? All the way. I find my self inspired.