Groupon Warning.

[Londonlad1985]

I endorsed a pub a few weeks ago and recommended the Groupon in a thread. However just had a bit of a surprise phone call saying my booking and Groupon will not be accepted. 

I had booked the table for this Friday and mentioned the Groupon on the booking when I called for this about 3 weeks ago. My booking was accepted. I booked for 2 parties with 2 Groupon (separate boats and parties and groupons booked by different people...we will be cruising together).

I was telephoned this afternoon to say the Groupon is not valid on bank holiday weekends and I'd have to move my booking. This is not in the small print. The only restrictions mentioned are Christmas and New Year.

So this is a word to the wise if you have the Groupon and it looks like they will be busy and not need your custom then they might Welch on the deal. 

This is a poor show from the pub and my very favourable trip advisor review from My last visit has been read 6000 times. The next review may not be as gushing.

[dnks34]

Whats a Groupon? 

[grendel]

I think its a London thing..... 

[Londonlad1985]

It's a discount scheme that relies on many people making a booking which enables the vendor to offer a discount when purchased in advance. We'd bought 8 2course meals at half price. 

[LondonRascal]

Groupon is an American worldwide e-commerce marketplace connecting subscribers with local merchants by offering activities, travel, goods and services in 15 countries.

It used to be incredibly popular and 'massive' but that has tailed off a lot. How the model works is you have something like a hotel and the hotel might charge £100.00 per night for a double room, but you could get the same room for £40.00 with your Groupon discount. In order to get the Groupon Discount you (the customer) sign up to Groupon. This is free, but you agree basically to let them use your email address, phone number and so on so you (your data) is the commodity to them. They then bombard you with offers daily that you simply cannot miss out on!

In my hotel example, the hotel agrees to a massive reduction in price hoping that the sheer number of discounted bookings that Groupon will bring them will overall work out better (and they will make future full value bookings from some of these discount customers). They also have to pay a little to Groupon - like an introduction fee.

Now, in the case of the pub, they appear to have gone into the scheme (I am sure through a sales call from Groupon on an email) and thus hope to increase foot fall and spend. As Andy has now found, when the likelihood of increased custom is seen (Bank Holiday weekend) then why accept the discounted Groupon bookings when you can make just as many at the full price?  It might seem a good idea from the point of a business to change the goal posts - they make some more profit - but the flip side is you have disappointed customers,  such as Andy.

Now some might say that it is bad to say negative things about businesses, how they 'need all the support we can give' and the like, but when a business clearly makes a move that lets down customers and those customers go elsewhere as a result and post such comments, there is but one person to blame - the business.

I think they should take the hit that some people who have got the Groupon deal will pay less, keep them happy and they will not only return time and again but continue to sing their praises of the business.  You just can't risk negative reviews these days as once there there, they stay there. Now we know some reviews are fake, and we know too how fickle some people can be, but overall they do help act as a guide to many and so they have their worth.

 

 

Edited May 23, 2018 by grendel
business name removed

[johnb]

We are signed up to Groupon and Littlebird and get many offers that we have found useful and saved lots of money over the years. I think you can sign up geographically, (My wife usually does "admin"). We have got cheap tickets for the Circus in Yarmouth for instance as well as entry tickets for other attractions. These are often greatly discounted. When thinking of booking, we always check Littlebird and Groupon to see if there are any current offers. I think there have been two times when it hasn't worked out, one when we paid for small scratches to be removed from our car, but the process was really suitable. The trader confirmed this with Groupon and our money was refunded, another time the item was out of stock and again, the monet was refunded. On entry tickets we have saved a good proportion of the entry price using the above. The problem described sounds as though it is the restaurent at fault rather than groupon unless they were told to point out the offer was not for Bank Hols, and did not. Usually it is quite clear. 

[Chelsea14Ian]

May be me but when ever U have thought  about using a Groupon it's not really served me much money.So I don't bouther. 

[dnks34]

I cant help thinking that the business in question has done the decent thing by telephoning to let you know rather than just suprising you with it on the day. 

I wouldnt expect any business to be getting excited about accepting discount bookings and having to turn away full price trade, put yourself in their shoes! 

Out of interest roughly how much would it have saved you? 

[johnb]

Quick check on latest Littlebird, current savings 20%-60% on various offers. No-I don't have a vested interest apart from taking grand children out. 

[Londonlad1985]

15 minutes ago, dnks34 said:

I cant help thinking that the business in question has done the decent thing by telephoning to let you know rather than just suprising you with it on the day. 

I wouldnt expect any business to be getting excited about accepting discount bookings and having to turn away full price trade, put yourself in their shoes! 

Out of interest roughly how much would it have saved you? 

I totally see your point and the pub's I just wish they'd advertised it as such. I wouldn't have booked it. I only visit the area a few times a year.  

It would have saved us £70 (8 meals at 50% discount) 

[Londonlad1985]

In the interests of transparency following the phone call, the pub has been back in touch and advised that I can use the Groupon but not book a table. However we've now made other plans. I'll persue Groupon for the refund.

Edited May 23, 2018 by Londonlad1985
Added info.

[dnks34]

I agree they shouldnt get into this situation in the first place by being clearer from the outset but I am amazed at the savings you would have made. 

 

[Guest]

I think your complaint should be directed towards the organisers/administrators of Groupon. if one of their nominated participants has not followed the rules then Groupon is responsible as their name is on the voucher..

[ScrumpyCheddar]

Wowcher are the same....  there terms and conditions are a joke giving you stupid  when and where times to go..... there’s always a catch....  think your getting a bargin when your not....  I suppose you get what you pay for....

[quo vadis]

Buyer beware

[marshman]

The real prize is of course your data and even more so now because of GDPR.

A lot of people go to great lengths to limit the distribution of their data, but then give it away to all and sundry for the sake of "cheap" offers!

Its all a matter of choice - I know what I would choose!!

[Londonlad1985]

I don't mind people having my data. If I'm forced to have adverts in my life they may as well be useful and targeted at me. 

[Paul]

Groupon works in two ways, Goods and Services. With goods then without exception every time I have googled the item being offered I have found it cheaper elsewhere, usually via Amazon or similar online retailers. 

With regard to services then you can sometimes make savings, there was a good offer from a boatyard a couple of years ago for fixed price short breaks that was very popular and kept most of said boatyards vessels out on the river when otherwise they would have been tied up in dock. Whether the yard in question made much money from those bookings is for them to know, but they certainly attracted a whole raft of new customers some of who will hopefully have returned. 

With regard to data you can instruct Groupon or any other such company that you do not want your data used or passed to third parties. They are legally obliged to comply. They cannot make their deals dependent on being able to pass your data on or use it in ways that you don't agree with. Likewise you don't have to sign up to see their deals, however you will have to supply relevant information to take up any of the offers. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Paul said:

Groupon works in two ways, Goods and Services. With goods then without exception every time I have googled the item being offered I have found it cheaper elsewhere, usually via Amazon or similar online retailers. 

With regard to services then you can sometimes make savings, there was a good offer from a boatyard a couple of years ago for fixed price short breaks that was very popular and kept most of said boatyards vessels out on the river when otherwise they would have been tied up in dock. Whether the yard in question made much money from those bookings is for them to know, but they certainly attracted a whole raft of new customers some of who will hopefully have returned. 

With regard to data you can instruct Groupon or any other such company that you do not want your data used or passed to third parties. They are legally obliged to comply. They cannot make their deals dependent on being able to pass your data on or use it in ways that you don't agree with. Likewise you don't have to sign up to see their deals, however you will have to supply relevant information to take up any of the offers. 

Might be interesting from a legal point of view; my recollection of contract law is that there would have to be an offer and and acceptance of a deal that included the benefits of the Groupon offer, and clearly people arriving at a restaurant believe that the contact has already been made with those terms.

My thoughts are that the voucher is only binding when there has been direct contact between the customer and vendor on that particular deal and both have agreed to the terms.

[johnb]

I don't know about most of the above, but I would probably not be as keen to use vouchers for meals, as the caterer could adjust the meal downwards when they know you are paying less money. We did have one good meal through Groupon, I believe. On the other hand, when our children bought us a gift of theatre and meal in London, the first time we were given the tiniest meal (a small bowl of rice to share and a small amount on a plate), on the other occasion the theatre couldn't supply seats etc etc and then we were persuaded to change the play and it was rubbish, so left half time. Couldn't complain because they were gifts.

[Paul]

I think the biggest issue here is that the booking was taken three weeks ago with the knowledge that a Groupon voucher is being used, then just a couple of days beforehand the establishment revokes the booking. There is no other word for that than shoddy. It would terminate my patronage of said establishment ad infinitum. 

[Guest]

17 minutes ago, Paul said:

I think the biggest issue here is that the booking was taken three weeks ago with the knowledge that a Groupon voucher is being used, then just a couple of days beforehand the establishment revokes the booking. There is no other word for that than shoddy. It would terminate my patronage of said establishment ad infinitum. 

Agree 100%

[Londonlad1985]

1 hour ago, Philosophical said:

My thoughts are that the voucher is only binding when there has been direct contact between the customer and vendor on that particular deal and both have agreed to the terms.

I don't know how it stands legally Groupon advise they will contact the Pub to confirm my story.

[ranworthbreeze]

My take on this subject as in all things with life you never get anything for nowt!

With all vouchers and coupon offers it would be better just to reduce the price slightly rather than all the prating about.

Regards

Alan

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, ranworthbreeze said:

My take on this subject as in all things with life you never get anything for nowt!

With all vouchers and coupon offers it would be better just to reduce the price slightly rather than all the prating about.

Regards

Alan

No such thing as a free lunch eh?