Daily Deals – The Fine Print

Daily deal sites can be great fun, giving you and your family access to events, entertainment, and products you otherwise might not try. Among my favorite Daily Deal purchases was a Groupon for the Diamond W Chuckwagon Dinner at Cowtown. What a great experience! Since we paid half price, we could even bring the kids and a dear friend with us, and everyone enjoyed the show and supper so much that we’re still talking about it. That was a good deal.

On the other hand, I’ve also been disappointed a time or two. That’s when it’s very helpful to have the customer service phone number (preferably) or other contact information of the deal provider. Many of them will try to make it right for you, either by refunding your purchase, giving you credit toward another deal, or working with the merchant to get it right.

The times I’ve absolutely loved the deals I’ve gotten far outweigh the times I’ve had problems, but just to ensure that your experiences are as fun and positive, I’ve put together a guide to some of the things you should consider before purchasing a deal. (Note: these are just some of the things I could think of now; I might add to the list from time to time.)

Daily Deals Fine Print – What to look for so you know you’re getting a good deal:

1. Does the deal provider have clear contact information? Check out the website offering the certificates or vouchers. Do they list a phone number and a physical address? If all they have is an email address, will they respond in a timely manner? (Send them an email and see.) Is there a current privacy policy at the site? Can you easily see positive and/or negative feedback in the comments or on Facebook, Twitter, etc.? How does the company respond to complaints?
2. What is the deal site’s return policy or guarantee? Some deal vendors will explicity state that they have an “all sales are final” and/or “no returns.” You are taking the risk that if you aren’t happy with what you got, you have no recourse. Bargain shoppers aren’t unfamiliar with this restriction — many brick-and-mortar stores have the same policy on clearance items. However, it should slow you down. Just consider carefully whether or not you want to make the purchase–it may or may not be worth the risk.
3. If they do have a clear satisfaction guarantee, will they refund your money or give you “store credit” –i.e. credit at the deal site that goes toward a future purchase? I understand the need for the store credit policy but again, this will be something you need to consider. If the site has a lot of deals for oil changes and auto parts, and you’re looking for diapers and baby clothes, for instance, then credit to that site isn’t going to be worth as much to you. On the other hand, if every deal they promote is something you’d like to buy, credit to your account is like money in the bank.
4. Will you get referral credit? Speaking of credit, many group-buying websites will give you credit for referring friends. That credit is like free money — as long as the website in question continues to offer deals you want to purchase.
5. How many of the certificates or vouchers can you buy? Are there limits on how many you can give as gifts?
6. How many can you use? Usually you can use only one certificate or voucher per transaction, which makes sense. In rare cases, though, a merchant might opt to let you use two, which sweetens the deal.
7. When does it expire?  Before you buy, you want to make sure you will have time to redeem it. Some vouchers past their expiration date aren’t totally worthless. They may be worth what you paid for them. (Check with the deal site or the merchant.)
8. Can you access the voucher online and print it right away, or will it be mailed to you?
9. Do you have to spend a minimum amount? This particular requirement can be a thorn in my side. What it means is that your total purchase must be above a certain amount before you can apply your voucher to it. Unless I am absolutely positive I will spend more than the required amount, I let these deals pass by. I hate having to spend an extra ten bucks on something I don’t really want just so that I can use a voucher.
10. Can you use the certificate or voucher on sale items? Is it good in-store only, or will it work at the merchant’s website? Is it good at all locations? Can the voucher amount be applied toward shipping?
11. If it’s a restaurant deal, can it be applied to the purchase of alcohol?
12. Is the merchant reputable? This one can be difficult to judge, since one of the reasons merchants sign up for Daily Deal offerings is to get the word out about their businesses, and to get customers in the door. In fact, one way to think of it is that you’re trying this business at a discount. If you have an unsatisfactory experience when you’re using your deal voucher, you certainly aren’t going to come back paying full price.