Some rules that coupon buyers should follow to avoid the downfalls that both the consumer and the business can experience. EXPERIENCE GROUPON HERE
- Wait a few hours between reading the deal and purchasing the deal. Chances are, you get the deals delivered to your inbox first thing every morning. Probably three-quarters of the email that arrives between when I go to bed and wake up are from deal sites. Usually, you have an entire day to purchase the deal. Unless there are limited quantities of a deal that’s for something you already intended on purchasing, relax. Give yourself time to decide if you want it.
- Read all the fine print. Every last inch of it.
- Take note of expiration dates. Some deals don’t expire. Some have a short shelf life. If you don’t know if you can use the deal before the expiration date arrives, don’t buy it.
- Call the establishment offering the deal if you have additional questions. When I bought the paintball coupon, I had questions about age restrictions and the ability to bring our own paintballs. Calling gave me the confidence to know that the deal would work for our situation.
- If the deal is for a restaurant or event that you’ll be going to with someone else, check with that person first. I’ve got a deal coupon to a restaurant that is going unused right now because my husband is uninterested in going there.
- Honor the restrictions that were placed on the deal before you bought it. If you didn’t read the fine print, that’s your fault.
- When using a restaurant deal coupon, always tip on the amount the meal would have been before the coupon was applied. Your server shouldn’t get the shaft just because you got a deal. In fact, I often tip a little extra when using a coupon because I got such a good deal, but that’s not necessary.
- Call ahead if you have questions about using the coupon with other discounts. For example, if you see on Facebook that the restaurant where you have a coupon is offering a one-night-only price fixed menu, you’ll want to check if they’ll accept the coupon that night.
- Be patient. A small business or eating establishment simply might not have expected the onslaught of business that the deal coupon has brought in.
- Use your coupon before it expires. Don’t let your money go to waste.