To be disappointed by Groupon Offers?

[MadameOvary]

It all seems to be Faux-leather beds and "Swarovski elements" crap and twigs and pebbly shit. Even the "Egyptian Cotton" sheets are only 200 Thread Count. It's beyond the pale.

I don't want 80% off an online accounting course. I want 80% off Farrow and Ball Paints and reclaimed oak flooring. But you never see that oh no.

Every day I await the email. Every time my heart sinks. I wanted Diptyque candles. What do I get offered? Fucking Glade "Sense and Spray"

I waited in vain for the merest hint of a Jo Malone offer. What do I get? Rhianna bloody Rhebelle.

Today was the last straw. I've been looking for a yurt for ages and my heart leapt at the sight of one. And then I realised the offer was for LED solar sodding fairy lights. Cruel, just cruel.

AIBU?

I tried out a few places, a local pub for a meal and a salon for a massage, that I would have genuinely returned to and paid full price for. Unfortunately, they looked down their nose at me for being a "groupon customer" and gave appalling service.

That's why people don't return.

I only buy groupons etc if I know the place. I got a hot stone massage and gel nails for £18 in my local salon. Normally £25 just for the gel nails.

I've had some great Groupon stuff (duvet, perfume workshop, meals out) and some crap ones (fake Oral B toothbrushes that fell apart after two days).

But I agree it's getting worse.

We've had some great nights away on Groupon, I think about 6 different places so far. We had a fabulous deal at Wortley Hall where dh and I had our room, a 3-course meal (some of the best steak I've ever eaten), a glass of wine with the meal, a bottle of fizz in our room (cheap fizz but fun ) and full cooked breakfast the next day, the whole lot for £59. That was for both of us, and the place was lovely too. We've had several like that.

Oh yeah and we got our mattress, a Silent Night memory foam one, from Groupon too, it's absolutely fabulous and was £180 cheaper than on the Silent Night website.

We got our brilliant summer/winter mattress from there but the two sensor outdoor lights we've just purchased are of poor quality and one doesn't work!

I'm not surprised it's gone to shit. No one wants to give things away in these times.

I think vouchers can be a really good marketing tool. However, companies need to target new and existing customers effectively and with specific promotions - eg rather than heavily discount a facial for only new customers, a beautician could instead do a promotion such as have a full price facial and get a head, neck and shoulder massage for £10 off. And make this available to all customers, not just new ones. It needs to be something to showcase your skills and business and encourages new and existing customers to come back. One-off, low value customer promotions are usually loss-leaders and do not promote customer retention. It also pisses off your existing customers as they are excluded from the deal, so you end up losing them too!

I think Groupon has had its day actually.