Nespresso Doom-Death Barcode Reader Error ☕
A step-by-step guide to fix the Nespresso Vertuo Next reading error & Nestlé corporate psychology tricks
Let me start off by saying that I am no mechanical engineer—nor am I a coffee specialist—but I’d like to think that I have lived experience in taking shit apart because I’m too poor to replace it.
At 27 years old, I’ve fostered 2 Nespresso Vertuo Next machines, each cursed with the same recurring issue that comes back to haunt me every ~4 months or so. Always with the same time-consuming fix. The first time I encountered this issue, I was equally disappointed by the lack of information out on how to fix it yourself and by how flawed the product design was. That said, I’ll spare you the “Nespresso Vertuo Next are flawed designed/programmed obsolescence” rant… but a quick search on Reddit will lead you to kindred spirits 🤝
Whether you’re a grad student with too much time on your hands, out-of-warranty, broke (or like me: c) all of the above), this is your Hail Mary attempt before you can throw in the towel and finally yeet thy machine down the staircase.
Because if my Nespresso machine is going to end up in a landfill, it’s going to have to go through me first.
Without Further Ado: How to Resurrect Your Nespresso Machine From the Dead 🙃
#MayTheForceBeWithYou
First, a PSA: Buy yourself a hex screwdriver bit set. Yes, it’s technically possible with a regular flathead screwdriver, time, and sheer spite—I’ve done it—but given the frequency of Nespresso breakdowns, this is a solid return on your investment. My machine demands full surgical intervention every few months, so I’m definitely getting my money’s worth.
The Procedure:
1. Unscrew base panel 🔩
2. Unclip (3) side panels
(This requires some force but also finesse so take your time with this step) 🪛
3. Disassemble machine head 🔝
3a. Remove (2) screws holding top panel in place
3b. Remove top panel
3c. Remove (2) springs
3d. Unclip side clips (they might pop off on their own, bless)
3e. Remove centre metal piece (the stainless steel cylindrical rod)
4. Unwire base electrical connections ⚡
(I never used to take pictures because I feed off risk-taking and generally raw-dog life, but there’s no reason YOU should suffer… so I documented this one for emergency purposes 😉)
5. Clean the barcode reader 🧼
This is the tiny lens that—when obscured by coffee residue or existential dread—prevents the machine from reading your pod’s barcode (Nespresso’s Achilles’ heel).
6. Reassemble and pray to the coffee gods 🤞
(Bonus points if you don’t have leftover screws)
For Your Entertainment: Here’s How Nespresso Leverages Psychology to Drive Consumerism 🧠
Nestlé didn’t just market a pod machine, they engineered a billion-dollar industry using psychology principles.
🔒 Lock-In Strategy: Buy the machine once, then you’re locked—no, trapped—into purchasing pods forever. Because when you’re machine breaks (and it will), what will you do with all these leftover pods that you’ve already purchased? That’s sunk cost bias at work, baby. The dilemma of wanting to walkaway from Nespresso (by means of no longer buying pods) but staying because that would otherwise render your purchased product (the machine) useless. Unfortunately, this business model is spreading like wildfire (see subscription-based products like Oura rings, Peloton, or printing machines and cartridges) and was perfectly depicted in the dystopian series Black Mirror “Common People” episode.
🔁 Habit Loops: Cue → Routine → Reward. By infiltrating daily pods into your morning ritual, your brain eventually starts craving the habit harder than the dopamine boost itself.
⚓ Price Anchoring: Pods feel “cheap” compared to a $7 Starbucks latte (even though they’re obscenely expensive per kilo).
💎 Luxury Illusion: Sleek machines, jewel-like pods, limited editions—they’re selling elitism, not coffee. This feeds the same FOMO that makes you buy pumpkin-spice lattes every fall.
🎖️ The VIP Club: Exclusive rewards and memberships trigger a sense of belonging—and loss aversion if you drop out. You’re not buying coffee; you’re buying identity.
🌟 Celebrity Effect: Pair the brand with sophistication and famous faces, and people transfer those feelings to the coffee. Because nothing says “relatable morning beverage” like George Clooney sipping espresso on a yacht, am I right?
- Celebrity ambassadors include: The Weeknd (Canadian singer), Julia Garner (Ozark, Inventing Anna), Simone Ashley (Bridgerton), David Beckam (soccer player), Charlotte Cardin (Montreal-based singer and honorary mention because hometown pride 🫶)
Nespresso mastered one truth (with the added-benefit of having patent monopoly from 2015–2029):
If you control the ritual, you control the spending.
An Open Letter to Nespresso 💌
If you’re reading this, Nespresso, it’s not too late to make amends 🫶
You have my contact information. Do right by your Canadian customers 🍁 Also, plz stop sending out newsletters blaming “supply chains issues in Africa” for rising costs
FYI: Nespresso belongs to Nestlé, a mega-corporation that raked in a whopping $91.4B in annual revenue in 2024 and a −1.8% decrease in sales.
