The introduction of the swipe-card payment option to vending machines across campus has run up against a host of technical problems, users are reporting.

In one extreme case last week, a food-vending machine in Canaday Hall was robbed of its entire contents, supposedly because the machine did not deduct payments from the user's Crimson Cash.

The thief apparently used a Harvard ID, swiping it continually and emptying the machine of its snacks.

Every stick of gum, bag of chips and candy bar vanished, frustrating residents who were forced to endure a weekend without sundries.

"It's very frustrating when you're hungry and go to get a snack and it's not there," said John R. Gallelli '00, a Canaday resident.

A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity and claimed to know the thief, explained how the act was accomplished.

"The problem with the swipe card system appears to be this: swiping the card through results in a credit of $1 regardless of the amount of Crimson Cash on the card," the student said. "This can be verified by using a card that has no Crimson Cash or Board Plus on it."

One Canaday resident decided to take action to protest the theft.

The resident posted a hand-written note on the empty vending machine that read in part: "You are the worst kind of slimy, spoiled, worthless trash. I'm hungry."

The message was signed, "Canaday Resident X."

Over the last month, food and drink machines as well as laundry washers and dryers, were outfitted with the new card-swipe service. The feature is supposed to allow users to pay for soda, candy and laundry services by simply swiping their University ID.

Officials at Harvard Dining Services (HDS), which maintains the campus machines, could not be reached yesterday for comment. However, an employee at HDS, who asked not to be named, said the office has not received any complaints about the new swipe-card service.

Campus on-line news groups tell a different story.

One student posted a complaint to the Currier House newsgroup last week, describing his frustrated efforts at buying a Fruitopia beverage.

"If you swipe your ID on the Fruitopia machine...and the selection you pick is empty (but the empty light is not on), the machine will make weird sounds like it's searching for the next available bottle and then not drop anything," the student wrote. "Which is fine, but it also deducts a dollar from your account."

David M. Kidger, a resident tutor in Currier, said he has had similar problems.

"I have given up on using the vending machines with Crimson Cash," he wrote in a posting to the Currier news group. "I've lost too much money."

Ditto for Ingrid L. Dombrower '98, who wrote that "the Crimson Cash machine has dryers A5 and A6 mixed up in the Tuchman laundry room," in one of Currier's four residential divisions.

The HDS employee said the cardswipe system was installed for the convenience of students, and has been in operation in the Quad longer than in the River and Yard dorms