Right on, Groupon!
I tend to shy away from fads, particularly internet fads, so when I kept hearing all of the fuss about Groupon, it turned me off. Then one day Rosa bought a Groupon deal that offered $20 worth of food for $10 at a local Chinese restaurant we had wanted to try. Okay, I thought, what’s the worst that could happen? We lose $10. As it turned out, the registration with Groupon was easy and straightforward. We paid for the deal and printed out our Groupon. So far, so good. In fact, it was so easy that we purchased two more Groupons before we had even redeemed the first one.
The Groupon difference
A daily offer from a participating Groupon local merchant arrives via email every day. The offer is in the form of a discount: For example, Pay $10 and get $20 worth of services or products. The Groupon gimmick is that a certain number of people have to take the deal before it is valid. The threshold number varies. If the threshold isn’t met, you are not charged for the Groupon. Our main interest has been in Groupons for eating establishments and these deals attract the specified number of takers within a few hours.
Groupon restrictions and guarantee
The Groupons we have bought are good for several months after the date of purchase. The expiration date is clearly noted on the Groupon. Groupons are not valid for cash back (unless required by law). They must be used in one visit, don’t cover tax or gratuity, and can’t be combined with other offers. Some merchants add other restrictions to their Groupon offers. Groupon guarantees 100% satisfaction or your money back.
Our Groupon redemption experiences
The Chinese restaurant accepted our Groupon but told us that it didn’t apply to their daily $ 9.99 lunch special which was prominently advertised at the entrance to the establishment. Rosa and I immediately felt like second-class customers. We ordered off of the regular lunch menu and spent our $20.00. Even though the dining room was not busy (it was 2:30 in the afternoon), the service was slow. The food was mediocre at best. Poor service and average food—we won’t be back. We’ll let our friends know of our disappointment, as well.
Our second experience using the Groupon was at a franchise Italian restaurant, owned by a local franchisee. Our Groupon was accepted without reservation or qualification. We received fast and friendly service. The food was excellent and exceeded our expectations. When our bill arrived, we were pleasantly surprised to discover that while the bill totaled $21.73 before tax and tip, our $20.00 Groupon had covered the entire bill. We only owed the tax and tip. It didn’t amount to a lot of extra money saved, but the gesture impressed us, especially in these tight economic times. We will definitely return to this restaurant, Groupon or no Groupon, and sing its praises to everyone we encounter.
Obviously, the merchant has a lot to do with the Groupon redemption experience.
Normally, we split an entree when we eat at a restaurant. Since Groupons have to be used in one visit, we purchased an entree for each of us. We only ate half of each entree and took the rest home. We could have split one of the entrees purchased and taken the other one home. Either way, one Groupon feeds both of us for two meals.
Like a discount coupon book only much better
We like Groupon because it gives us a chance to try new restaurants at a discount, and it extends our entertainment budget. We’re more likely to give a new place a try if we don’t have to risk as much money. It’s why we used to purchase those merchant discount coupon books in the past. We’d pay $20 or $30 to get a book of discount coupons. However, many of the coupons in the book were of no interest to us. Groupon is better: It doesn’t charge the end-user, and we get to pick the coupons we want to use.
Earn money from Groupon
Groupon offers a couple of ways to make money for yourself: 1. You earn $10 for every person you refer that purchases a Groupon for the first time. 2. You can become an affiliate and receive up to 15% of the value of the orders that are generated by the Groupon widget on your website or blog.
K.C. Knouse is the author of True Prosperity: Your Guide to a Cash-Based Lifestyle, Double-Dome Publications, 224 pages.
[...] to places we enjoy which we have visited before. To make these trips special, we have purchased Groupon offers for discounted luxury accommodations. On two of our trips, we will stay in luxury suites [...]
[...] adjusted by cutting back or cutting out certain expenses. We’re doing what we can to stretch our dollars and make ends [...]
[...] read an article the other day that listed some alternatives to Groupon for local daily deals. For discounts at restaurants, Restaurant.com was suggested. Rosa and I [...]