With the proliferation and increasing popularity of group-buying sites on the internet, why not ride the bandwagon and see what the big deal is? No pun intended. I’ll help you start off and hopefully, your first voucher purchase won’t be your last.
1. Deal Grocer – What I really like about this site is the clean, uncluttered interface. Their exclusive deals are also relatively good and are updated every week. You can easily take the information on their deals at face value and if you choose not to, they have good customer service, replying promptly to your queries in their discussion board for each deal. Deal Grocer is pretty straightforward and as a result, I quickly developed a preference for this site. They also have a points system working up to higher membership levels. I can’t say what perks await those in the higher levels though as I’m still in the lower stratum.
2. Ensogo – They just got a recent facelift and a couple of improvements which, quite frankly, they needed. They’ve got lots to offer, but you’ll have to weed out the better deals yourself because some are just plain unappealing. Most of their restaurant offers used to require reservations days before, but they seem to have gone in a different direction now. Merchants may honor walk-in customers, subject to available seats. Ensogo has a cash rebate system for every purchase which is a sure plus considering that others only credit cash into your account for referrals. This is something I wish other sites would do. It sure would increase customer loyalty. They also have individual deal discussions which is generally helpful.
3. Groupon – Skeptical coupon newbies might feel safer buying their first coupons with a site bearing a familiar name. It’s not a guarantee, but it’ll be less stressful clicking that PAY button. They’re now frequently offering vacation packages with destinations outside the Philippines (but within Asia) and these don’t look so bad. New deals are updated daily and are available only for a few days which means you can’t dilly-dally while you mull over the colossal question on whether to buy or not. Validity is always set for 3 months. Groupon also offers regular deals in places outside Metro Manila such as Cebu and, recently, Davao. I’ve experienced no hitches here so far.
4. CashCashPinoy – I usually use this site for restaurant deals because they have a lot of decent ones, most of which don’t require reservations. I’m impulsive, so this is great for me. They have a reasonably diverse collection and you can count on them to have fresh deals everyday which stay for quite a while. On the flip side, some deals are lacking on the information (outdated contact numbers, no delivery details) and their customer service aren’t much help, either. If you have questions about a deal, it’s better to hold off buying and ask the merchant directly to clarify the terms. I’ve encountered a problem with a purchase here and since then I’ve stayed away from deals with ambiguous terms. Despite their shortcomings, I find myself coming back for more because of their various deals, most of which are just what I’m looking for.
5. Deal Dozen – They’ve been known to offer big ticket items (that people actually buy, woah). So it follows that some deals are going to be pricey, but if that’s no obstacle, nobody’s stopping you. Semi-forcing you to post their deal on your Facebook wall, though, is seriously off-putting and non-Facebook users will be at a disadvantage. (But who doesn’t have Facebook these days?) You could just opt out of it but you buy the deal at a slightly higher price. Aggressive marketing tactics aside, they have great exclusive deals from time to time. They also maintain a blog about their previous deals and like Deal Grocer, have membership levels.
6. Kuponan – If you already have an eBay account, then there’s no reason to give this a miss. Although their offers aren’t as numerous as the others, you’ll occasionally come across deals beyond the usual massage and restaurants and such. Kuponan cuts down the price you have to pay first for a voucher in half and you pay the rest to the merchant, so in case you accidentally forget to use your voucher, you only lose half of your money rather than all of it.
7. Salamat – This site is of a different variety altogether. Unlike other sites that require prepayment, you actually don’t have to pay anything for a voucher. You pay everything directly to the merchant when you avail of the deal, so there’s never a chance of losing money because of a forfeited voucher. Every deal is free. But what’s the catch? I have no idea. I’m seriously wondering how this site makes money, but why complain? Just make sure you ARE getting a deal by checking the supposed regular prices quoted in the site with the actual prices the products or services are being offered at.
You might want to check these out, too, to see if you find anything you like.
MetroDeal – I skip all the ‘wellness’ deals and browse their travel packages, instead, which are usually offered with a 1 year voucher validity. I’ve never actually bought any of their packaged vacations. I’m pretty apprehensive about shelling out a not so minimal amount of cash, with the looming probability of not being able to use the voucher I paid for.
Pakyaw – I’ve seen occasional good deals, but they don’t have a PayPal option, so I’ve never found the time to buy from them.
LocalRoam - They were down for a while to work on some improvements on their site, but they’re back in the game and better.
For payment options, I would suggest using PayPal to avoid having to give your credit card information to all these websites. That is, if you don’t mind the additional charge of .8% of the amount for every transaction. Personally, I prefer convenience. Besides, this has worked so far.
A word of caution: Coupon-buying can be addicting. If you’re not careful, before you know it, you’ll be eating out for every meal, getting a spa every day and staying in resort after resort. That actually doesn’t sound bad, but let’s be realistic. That’s only great if it doesn’t burn a huge hole in your pocket. Otherwise, limit your purchases to those you actually already wanted before you saw the deal. As much as I hate to admit it, there IS a reason why merchants are willing to offer their products or services at a discounted price and it’s probably not because their business is booming. So think twice. Or thrice. (Or as much as you can.)
So, with that out of the way, happy couponing! Don’t forget to subscribe to your chosen site’s mailing lists or Twitter accounts so you never miss a deal.
P.S. Some links are invites. Couldn’t help it.
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