Coles Trolley Token Costs $2 as a Donation

I was at my local Coles last night and didn't have a coin to unlock a trolley. Usually one of the attendants has a tool to unlock the trolley, however they told me to go to the Service Desk counter and obtain a token. When I got there, the attendant said it costs $2 and is a 'donation' but didn't specify where the money was going.

Anyone know if this is correct, or if it is just a donation to Coles? Even when I said, I don't want the token, I would just like a trolley so I can do my big grocery shop, they said I have to buy a token and refused to unlock it. I'm wondering if this is just what to expect as the norm now from Coles?

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Comments

  • +28

    Can't you use just use coins as tokens?

    • +11

      Go to Bunnings and buy some washers as a substitute

      • -6

        just jam a screwdriver in & jiggle until it breaks

        • +3

          Also handy on the front door if you lose your keys.

        • +2

          Is this logic applied to your brain?

        • +1

          Why so much effort to break the screw driver. A hammer would it much easily.

        • +1

          In Brunswick and Footascray maybe..

      • +3

        Or 3D print a trolley token release key.

        Or buy some on eBay.

        • +2

          No no no, you 3D print a trolley!

        • I got a trolley token sometimes ago. It doesn't seem to work on all the trolleys for some reasons.

          • @spedohero: Okay. The ones I bought on eBay seem to work on all trolleys.

    • +2

      Or if you have access to a 3D printer, print a few of these.

      • This is what I have - 3 for $5 on eBay

  • +26

    The problem is people dump the trolleys rather than returning them. Coles then needs to get someone to go out and collect them. I’ve seen trolleys a long distance from stores. What would make sense is if they outsourced this collection to a charity.

      • +45

        great. give more marketshare to the largest corporation on earth. that will work well in the long run….

        • -8

          Just seems bizarre to me that we are all still driving to supermarkets to pick our stuff off the shelf like we did in the 20th century. Skip the shelf and go straight from distribution centres to our home.

          • +14

            @AustriaBargain: What's even more bizzare is that someone born in the 20th century sounds more like they were born yesterday.

          • +22

            @AustriaBargain: Just seems bizarre to me that we are all still driving to supermarkets to pick our stuff off the shelf

            There is no way i am going to get someone to pick my fruit, veg and meat. Other stuff yes.
            As i am already there for meat, veg, fruit i may as well get the other things i need.

          • @AustriaBargain: What do you suggest (that's not bizarre)?

            • +7

              @bobbified:

              (that's not bizarre)

              Someone's familiar with AustriaBargain's "solutions" to problems on here.

            • @ohmumma: That's good to know, I hadn't heard of these plans. People want relatively cheap groceries delivered quickly to their homes. A lot of us already would buy our milk and veggies from Amazon if we could. Colesworth are in the best position to do this for Australians and I think if they won't, someone else will figure it out first. Having Uberdash drivers go into stores and pick things off shelves cannot be a longterm solution for this.

      • Even with Uber Eats, why doesn't Uber start making centralized kitchens, and ship the food out directly? Makes more sense than having riders go around to various restaurants, collecting multiple orders, etc.
        Uber could optimize all the cooking in big kitchens every ~5km and optimize on costs.

        • +1

          They already exist as ghost kitchens, they're just not owned by Uber, not that more vertically-integrated consolidation is a good thing.

    • +4

      The problem is people dump the trolleys

      Snap,Send, Solve sent this email out:

      Welcome to week 3 of our Big Spring Clean.
      This week’s incident type is Abandoned Trolleys.
      From Sunday October 15th to Saturday October 21st, Snap abandoned shopping trolleys for your chance to win $250 for you, PLUS $250 for a charity close to your heart.

    • +4

      With how much money they make each year, they can afford to collect the trolleys from a distance.

      • +16

        The money to recover the trolleys has to come from somewhere. I would prefer it comes from the people who dump the trolleys.

        • -6

          It can come from there bottom line. They made 1.1bn in turnover. Trust me, I would rather have it come from them.

          • +1

            @iNeed2Pee: So what happened to the user pays concept? If you incur the cost then why not pay for it? For a start it stops people littering the streets with trolleys or leaving them in parking spots.

            • -1

              @try2bhelpful: How can Costco afford to collect trolleys all over the car park?

              I dont mind paying for it, at the same time, not many of us carry coins anymore. Especially considering they have moved to a digital side of things.

              • @iNeed2Pee: If you go to the Costco in Docklands they have coin requirements for their trolleys. For most of the Costco stores the people take the trolley to their cars in the Costco car park and leave them there. Supermarket trolleys can be found all over the place. If they were restricted to the Supermarket car parks it probably wouldn’t be an issue. The trolley locks come from the councils getting tired of the trolleys everywhere and threatening to fine the supermarkets.

                • @try2bhelpful: Oh I did not know that. Thanks for that info, that would make sense.

                  • @iNeed2Pee: Woolworths has an app where you can tell them if you find an abandoned trolley and they come collect it. You go into the draw for a prize.

                    My place fronts onto a laneway in Fitzroy. We often have dumped trolleys near us. Frankly they are a pain in the proverbial. They clutter up the footpath and if they are there for any length of time people dump rubbish into them.

              • @iNeed2Pee: Costco also have a membership fee…..

          • @iNeed2Pee: I would hope their turnover was significantly larger than that.

      • +5

        This is an invalid argument, to be honest. Where do you draw the line? Is it also okay for people to litter in front of their local Coles because hey, "they can afford to clean it up"?

        It's in everyone's interests to have users return trolleys to the correct location. There are a lot of incredibly selfish and stupid people. I've seen trolleys dumped in parking spots, meaning other shoppers have to clean up after these selfish people, I've also seen trolleys just been left to roll straight into people's parked cars.

        • +14

          It's like the people who justify making a mess or not throwing out their rubbish at a fast food outlet because "it's someone's job to clean it up."

          Do you want to be a lazy, selfish piece of shit? Or do you legitimately think you're giving people gainful employment by picking up your refuse?

          I feel the same about people who leave frozen meat/food in fridges (and vice versa) at Coles. It has to be thrown out if it's in the wrong section, even if it's still perfectly edible. Unlike my last complaint, there's no excuse for it. You're an entitled, lazy person using up more resources than you need because you can't be bothered walking 30 metres to put something back where you got it

          Can we just collectively try to be decent people? My last shift had a crackhead barge in after being told the store was closed several times. He walked out briskly soon after, stuffing his bag with whatever he came to steal. Took money out of the Telethon donation jar and threw it at me before threatening to be waiting for us outside, calling us all (profanity)

          • @SpainKing: I’ve got a friend who works at Coles. She has to deal with these scum all the time. Her store refuses to put security in which is absolutely not OK. Apparently someone took a dump in the freezer on one of her shifts. I find myself speechless with how bad some people are. Frankly they should test the workers for PTSD for some of the things the staff have to deal with.

            I was standing at the self service section one day and one of the customers attacked a member is staff right near me. The assailant walked out stealing his groceries on the way. Security took photos to show the cops. It left me pretty shocked. Fortunately the staff member didn’t seem to be hurt.

            • @try2bhelpful: Before someone says there's no way anyone would shit in a shop freezer, shitting in public isn't a rare thing, it should be, but isn't when it comes to retail. Have a look at this wonderful adventure in retail.

              • +2

                @Loopholio: Not just retail. The poo jogger who turned out to be a Corporate Executive. Imagine the board room meeting he must’ve attended after that came to light.

                Some people have absolutely no sense of decency and propriety. My personal view is I try to be polite and grateful to the people who serve me. Most of them aren’t well paid and they have to deal with so many entitled and deranged people. I look around my neighbourhood and just hope we have large dogs.

      • +1

        With the money they make they could create trolleys that return to the supermarket by themselves.

        • Or you could wheel it back yourself.

    • +21

      The problem is people dump the trolleys rather than returning them.

      Yep, and it's a disgrace, and immediately telling of the type of people that do that. The famous 4chan 'Shopping Cart Theory' is correct:

      The shopping cart is the ultimate litmus test for whether a person is capable of self-governing.

      To return the shopping cart is an easy, convenient task and one which we all recognize as the correct, appropriate thing to do. To return the shopping cart is objectively right. There are no situations other than dire emergencies in which a person is not able to return their cart. Simultaneously, it is not illegal to abandon your shopping cart. Therefore the shopping cart presents itself as the apex example of whether a person will do what is right without being forced to do it. No one will punish you for not returning the shopping cart, no one will fine you or kill you for not returning the shopping cart, you gain nothing by returning the shopping cart. You must return the shopping cart out of the goodness of your own heart. You must return the shopping cart because it is the right thing to do. Because it is correct.

      A person who is unable to do this is no better than an animal, an absolute savage who can only be made to do what is right by threatening them with a law and the force that stands behind it.

      The Shopping Cart is what determines whether a person is a good or bad member of society.

      • +7

        This would also apply to people who leave their rental e-bikes/escooters parked in a responsible way or just dumped in the middle of the footpath.

      • +4

        You can always tell if someone is a low class self absorbed AH from: they drop litter on the ground rather than taking it home if there isn't a bin, the don't return trolleys to the bay or they're wheeling a trolley out the carpark, they don't clean up their rubbish and return trays in the food court.

        I always wonder what kind of parents people who fail these basic tests of human decency grew up with. Do they feel no shame?

        • +4

          The parents are exactly the same.

      • +1

        Simultaneously, it is not illegal to abandon your shopping cart.

        This is illegal of course, you can't just take a trolley and dump it where ever you feel like.

    • Ah, is this why they've recently switched to plastic trolleys? So it's cheaper and they don't need to bother retrieving them when people dump them? :(

  • I mean it was going to happen eventually.

    • +4

      nah….staff have a key that they use. theyve given it to me to use before or theyve used it to give me a trolley. this is just shitcoles being shitcoles

      • Or is it a security feature that people are trying to bypass by abusing the system?
        It won'd be long until they just go no trolley for you.

        • +2

          I think you're wrong unless the shopping is outsourced to another individual/robot. Shopping carts increase the amount people spend which is why just about every store have them

          • +2

            @SpainKing: If Coles gets to choose between a $100 trolley ending up in a laneway in another suburb and being fined for it vs forcing people to shell out a refundable $2 for a trolley i know which one they'll take.

            if you can't afford to put a deposit in for a trolley it's hardly going to change your shopping habits.
            Customer: "If you're not going to give me a trolley without a deposit i'll go elsewhere"
            Coles: "Like Woolworths that have the exact same system?"

            It's the same as taking reusable bags shopping, if you're using a shopping cart just remember to bring a $2 coin, simplez.
            Not that my local coles/woolies has this.

            • @Drakesy: Oh sorry, I thought you meant they would just remove trolleys for customers altogether (just to add, shopping trolleys cost around $300)

              if you can't afford to put a deposit in for a trolley it's hardly going to change your shopping habits.

              I do still disagree with this. If you're forced to carry a basket around you'll probably end up with a smaller/lighter shopping load because you have to carry it around the whole store using your arms, rather than getting frequent breaks like when using a trolley. It's like how you portion/eat more when you use a larger bowl/plate, the void entices you to add more

              Here's some evidence to support my statements

              • @SpainKing: My local Woolworths often runs out of small trolleys so I use a hand basket, a few times now they have been out of those too. When this happens I buy a lot less and save time so.. win for me. I think my local Woolworths is so hopeless they are helping.

        • That's never going to happen

      • That's quite ironic really.

        Are you telling me they don't cater for the special people like you?

  • +4

    It was likely a donation to the staff member!

  • -6

    these scumbags arent even pretending to care about their customers anymore…they wont even provide a trolley without a cost attached to it???

    • +9

      If customers returned the trolley to the stores then the locks wouldn’t be needed. My understanding is councils will charge the companies if the trolleys are left lying around in the streets.

    • +10

      Because some customers are areholes, and don't return the trolley. Blame them for your minor inconvenience.

      • The question is, who's a**ehole?

        From a Colesworth shareholders' POV, anyone who:
        - steals
        - is concerned that we store, share, and cross-reference their biometrics to establish of they are a known thief
        - is concerned that we store, share, and cross-reference their DNA to establish if they are likely to pilfer goods
        - won't join our choice of third party rewards program and have their buying behaviour assessed and analysed
        - does not return a trolley
        - returns goods
        - returns goods part-used
        - seeks out a bargain
        - won't pay more for the convenience of shopping on Sunday, Sat afternoon, beyond 9-5pm, at lunchtime…
        - doesn't accept our idea of a good price, or pay above the going rate when we expect it
        - won't use a robo-checkout
        - won't wait in a queue more than 3 people long, or wait for others to do their banking, use multiple coupons, engage in small-talk in a vein attempt to make the cashier's experience less miserable
        - doesn't buy last minute luxuries at the checkout queue
        - doesn't buy at least 30% by weight of sugar
        - doesn't buy at least 50% by weight of carbs
        - doesn't buy at least 20% by weight of sodium
        - avoids overpriced packaged, produced foods full of preservatives

        • This isn’t just a Coles shareholder thing. Councils got sick of the trolley’s littering the streets and started threatening to fine the stores.

          I really hope you feel better after getting that list off your chest.

          • @try2bhelpful: I feel it is more a store design thing.

            Much cheaper to not to have to dig or build car parks to allow customers to use their cars. Instead, just use nearby the streets to park and load up. ColesWorths often also allow trolleys to move outside the shop where they should arguably not go.

            The shareholders will thank you, and the neighbours will put up with it. The ExCo members simply never have to meet them.

            Anyhow, I hope you feel better shoppingbeing evaluated, analysed, and productised, at ColesWorths.

    • Newsflash - shopping trolleys cost, and there is no economic theory, financial algorithm or magic trolley fairy that transforms them into a cost free service.

      Supermarkets used to provide them for free, however when they weigh up the increase in sales they probably found they don't match the cost of paying council fines, or losing $300 everytime one is lost because some entitled prat imagines that the supermarkets just have to accept the loss and move on - when actually they are deciding that the suckers and suck-ups with some antediluvian concept of public good, responsibility and self-awareness will help share the cost of returning the device you were provided for your convenience.

  • +3

    I just have a trolley key i purchased in my wallet. Cost me a couple of bucks and nk longer have to ask or keep coins on me

    • +12

      Why not just keep a dollar coin in your wallet? It's the size of a token and can double as a dollar coin in an emergency.

      • +1

        Its a thin metal key. Just slides in there. No spot for coins

        • The plastic ones work well also.

          • @TEER3X: Woolies game me a free plastic one when I asked for change once… Still use that.

          • @TEER3X: link ?

      • +1

        What if you need a trolley after said emergency

        • +1

          If you're int he middle of an emergency then shopping carts are the least of your concerns.

        • Now i'm intrigued, what would dictate a shopping emergency?

          • @Drakesy: Being on the run from the fashion police.

    • how does trolley key/tool work?

      • put it into the slot where the coin goes, then it pops the chain out, and then you can remove the key, my key apparently works for the sliding locks also, but I haven't tested it yet,

  • +3

    I usually just go to the service counter to exchange coins to use in trolley.
    You can prob do a cash out of 1 dollar if you dont have any cash on you.

    • +3

      I find it amazing. It's a Trolley that accepts a coin ($2 or $1) which you get back, and only one Ozbargainer states the obvious. 👍

      As you said, instead of buying a token, just ask for change and use that instead. Or do a cash out as you say, if you dont have any cash.

      Bonus is that you can get the coin back at the end. (Or donate it to some one who collects trolleys like you probably would with a token as well)

      But no, I guess people are so busy looking at ways to game a deal, they sometimes forget the obvious. 😀

  • +5

    It honestly depends on the Coles staff member who serves you.

    • A number of years ago, when I asked a service supervisor to break down a $5 note into coins so I could use a trolley, they gave me a trolley token free of charge.

    • At a different store recently, whilst I was waiting at the service desk, when someone else asked to have a trolley unlocked, a staff member went over to the trolley bay with a trolley key from the service desk and unlocked one. (I do not know whether all stores would have a trolley key at the service desk.)

    • At a different store again recently, whilst I was waiting at the service desk, when someone else asked for a trolley token, they were asked to make a $2 donation to Redkite.

    • -6

      a $2 donation to Redkite

      Are they a communist organisation?

  • our new coles has no trolley keys anymore - but you cannot take the trolley outside of the building as the wheels lock (not even to the outdoor carpark - you can go down the escalators to the underground carpark).

    I think with the prevalence of 3d printed and chinese created trolley keys people were still dumping them.

    • If it is reliable that is the way to go. It is a bit sad if it doesn’t extend to the outdoor car park.

  • +1

    It's a "donation" so they don't have to charge GST or treat it like a stock item, with shelf tickets and the like, or issue a receipt. Supermarkets would give tokens away if this didn't defeat the point.

    Supermarkets hate coin trolley return systems because they cost far more to administer than to just replace a few trolleys every now and then. They're forced to do it, however, as councils will fine them for dumping if their trolleys regularly end up all over the suburb.

    In most cases, the money collected from these kinds of things ends up going to small gifts of store stock and vouchers to local community groups, such as for prizes in local school raffle.

    • You can't genuinely believe the coin lock attachment costs more than the trolley's themselves?

      Heres an example of a real store.
      They have the coin lock containment system installed on their relatively small fleet. Customers complained about needing coins or tokens so they all got unlocked.
      This store looses about 7 to 10 trolleys a week when they're unlocked.
      That small fleet didn't last long, and all of a sudden this store has next to no trolleys.

      Then customers are complaining there's no trolleys and collectors are being abused because there's nothing for them to bring back.

      Back to the cost. At over three hundred stolen trolleys a year for this one store… do you think the coin locks are made of solid gold and painted grey? Or do you think a trolley is only worth $20?

      • +1

        I said nothing of the sort and you're being deliberately obtuse. The reference was, self-evidentially, to the entire system including staffing, administration, maintenance and repair, dealing with complaints, etc.

        Most supermarkets do not lose anything like the number of trolleys that your single anecdote implies. Indeed, most supermarkets do not use trolley lock systems at all. Trolley lock systems are mainly limited to higher density areas where people have a habit of walking home with their shopping, a habit that is not particularly common in Australia's low-density, car-dependent cities and towns.

        Still, if you're looking for random strangers on the internet to have a rant at then I'm happy to have been of service.

        • +1

          So what exactly does this mean?

          Supermarkets hate coin trolley return systems because they cost far more to administer than to just replace a few trolleys every now and then.

          It's actually less labour intensive for staff if customers aren't leaving trolleys absolutely everywhere because they're too entitled to return them to the bays. Trolleys without coin locks need just as much if not more maintenance as they go for more adventures. People complain about trolleys regardless of the containment systems.
          So… how exactly do the locks cost more?

          • -1

            @SuspendedSale: The key to interpreting the phrase you have quoted is the words 'systems' and 'administer'. It's okay, I understand that English is most likely not your first language.

            It's also okay that you disagree, but if you want to misrepresent my point and then argue with your own straw man you're on your own.

            • -1

              @AngoraFish: Please do enlighten me then! Whatever I am missing must be painfully obvious to someone as elite as yourself, however I cannot grasp it.

              You cannot take out several very significant elements of the entire system (trolley cost and collection time cost) and still think you're looking at the whole system.
              As for administration, differences sites need different types of trolleys for safety, so specifying what type is at a site and having varying parts for maintenance is inevitable.

              I have absolutely no problems understanding the English language, however your abstract beliefs to justify refusing to return your trolley are beyone my understanding.
              Resorting to insulting me is rather telling though.

  • +3

    Ours take $1 coins as well as $2 coins and you get them back… No donation required.

    • +4

      Some people are offended by the idea of having to carry a coin.

      • +7

        Hire someone to carry it for you.

      • I prefer to carry around bolt cutters in case I want to go to woolies

      • could probably buy a coin ringholder

    • -7

      So simple, so effective!

      Have to laugh at plastic/phone tapping zombies who find it too difficult to carry a few notes/coins.

      • +5

        We just don't like to be lying when we tell beggars we don't have any cash on us.

        • Beggars take Square & PayPal these days

          • @jv: Must be the rich ones in Sydney, in Melbourne they can only afford a Starbucks cup.

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