|
Half Price Deal Sites, Should You
or Shouldn't You?
These
days there are so many different sites that offer 50% off
deals. Some of the deals are an even larger
percentage. But are these deals really worth
it?
In
today's economy we are less likely to try a new restaurant, or
even go out to dinner at all. These deal sites offer big
discounts on food and fun activities. Now you even find
deals on medical treatments, resorts, family photos and pretty
much any service that you can buy.
The
trick to getting REAL deals through these sites is to do your
homework first.
Read all of the directions and
restrictions.
Some
sites, like Restaurant.com
offer you great deals, such as a $25 gift certificate for
$3. Sounds fantastic, but if you don't read the small
print you may be surprised once you get there. Their
certificates always require a minimum purchase that is usually
$35 to $50 before the discount, 18% gratuity is required,
certain items may be unavailable, and certain days and times can
be blocked out. Those are all typical restrictions
for this site. While you are still saving money, it isn't
as much as it seems.
Research ratings for a new
restaurant or service that you haven't tried yet.
If you
are trying a new restaurant and it's just terrible, no amount of
savings is worth it. I have a personal smell test for a
restaurant. If I can smell Pine Sol I am out of
there. I figure that they would only use such a strong
smelling cleaner if they were trying to cover up another
smell. But you can't do the Pine Sol test on line so
you have to rely on the help of some internet junkies help you
out. Sites like www.Yelp.com
have high traffic and you should be able to find at least a few
reviews. Just keep in mind that some places do fake
reviews. If it's 5 stars and the review sounds more like
an ad then something a customer would say, it's suspect. I
usually toss out the best and worst review and actually look at
the rest.
I've actually
gone to a sub shop based on a bad review, but it was hilarious
and so it piqued my interest.
Are you going to use it?
$7
Billion of gift cards and certificates go unused every
year. That's a lot of money being thrown away! Don't
buy a certificate on a whim, especially if you are doing it to
try and save money. I see deals for places I actually go
or tickets I want to buy all of the time. Have a plan for
when you are going to use it and put it in a safe place so you
won't lose it but you will remember you have it. Holiday events
and concerts seem to be getting more popular on these
sites. The tickets usually go on sale closer to the
event.
DOUBLE
check the expiration date as well. You don't save any
money if it isn't usable anymore. But never throw out an
actual gift card, because those never expire in Oregon, and they
can't reduce the amount after any amount of time.
What to do about bad service?
You do
have some recourse. Many of the sites, like www.PortlandPerks.com,
offer money back if you didn't get what you paid for. They
don't want their reputation being ruined and so they will go
after the business for their money, if they have to give back
yours.
Some sites to check out
- www.Restaurant.com
More restrictions and fine print than most.
- www.PortlandPerks.com
Some great deals. Get on their mailing list and they
will send you almost daily emails about new deals.
- www.LivingSocial.com
They often have deals on higher end restaurants, spa
treatments and resorts. Some good lower priced ones as
well.
- www.Groupon.com
Enough people have to buy the deal, and they sometimes go
fast.
- Lots of the TV and Radio
stations have their own deals as well, but most sites end up
with similar deals, especially on events.
|
