LV firm replaces distributor in product dispute

Monday, July 24, 2000 | 11 a.m.

JCM American Corp. of Las Vegas announced it will replace its equipment distributor in Colorado and New Mexico following a dispute over a product marketed by the distributor.

JCM said its distribution agreement with Western Money Systems will terminate July 30. The company has replaced the Western Money Systems with PDS Financial Corp. of Las Vegas, which will have the non-exclusive right to distribute JCM products in Colorado and New Mexico.

JCM said it decided to terminate the contract following Western's introduction of an "add-on" product to one of JCM's bill acceptor products.

"JCM became concerned that consumers may believe that the Western Money Systems product to be a JCM product," the company said in a statement. "JCM had not been involved in the design and testing, and thus JCM did not know if the performance of the unauthorized modification of (the bill acceptor) would meet JCM's criteria of security and acceptance."

JCM is one of the nation's largest producers of bill acceptors for the gaming and vending machine industries.