5 Reasons Customers Are Turning Against Groupon

Shame on me. I was fooled -- not once, not twice -- but three times by Groupon (GRPN). Although I consider myself, by and large, a fairly savvy consumer, it turns out I had a steep learning curve when it came to realizing the extent to which I was being taken by the daily deal behemoth. As it also turns out, I’m not alone in my buyer’s remorse. Not by a long shot. Grumbles about Groupon are reverberating throughout the Web. There’s even a dedicated Groupon griping Facebook page. In the UK, the Advertising Standards Authority got involved and the Office of Fair Trading (or OFT) launched a formal investigation that recently found Groupon in “widespread” breach of consumer protection regulations. The company’s Middle East arm has been so “flooded with complaints,” it’s changed leadership twice in less than six months. Though the charges leveled against Groupon are numerous and varied, they usually fall into five basic categories. 1. False Advertising Groupon has certainly achieved a level of trust among consumers, and for good reason. The site claims to have “hundreds of experts” in its employ who “painstakingly research” the businesses with which it partners. So when a deal for Zaggora Weight-Loss HotPants is featured, customers are more likely to believe Groupon’s claim that the “slimming technology...helps drop up to two dress sizes in two weeks” and not liken the product to some kind of “As Seen on TV” scam. Likewise, Groupon members wouldn’t expect that the photo used in the Noell Strahan Photography Studio & Salon deal for “Boudoir Photo Shoots” to be stolen from another photographer. And because of Groupon’s alleged laborious vetting process, subscribers would tend to assume the photographer’s website credits: “Voted #1 on THEKNOT.com & the BBB as the #1 CHOICE for WEDDINGS.” Never mind that the Better Business Bureau doesn’t rank wedding photographers or that Noell Strahan Photography Studio & Salon isn’t even listed as an accredited business. Misleading or outright dishonest marketing claims -- especially among health and beauty products -- has become so rampant that Groupon, in accordance with OFT regulations, must now support each one with “adequate substantiation.” 2. Overselling Deals A recurring theme among disgruntled Groupon customers is that the (often small) businesses can’t keep up with high order demands. Since Groupon takes its cut upfront, it becomes the customer’s problem when the vendor can’t deliver in a timely manner -- or at all. This issue lies at the heart of the Middle East Groupon crisis as customers have been forced to wait for over two months for their products. Groupon subscribers in the UK and Europe who purchased a Clouds Memory Foam mattress have it far worse. “Another Groupon scam!,” writes a customer on the Groupon Complaints Facebook Page. “I paid for a Clouds Memory Foam mattress 6 months ago and still have not received it! Groupon will not refund my money, Clouds won't answer my emails or phone calls.” Stateside, things aren't much better. A Brooklyn wine shop called Donna Da Vine simply refused to honor its $25 vouchers worth $75 of wine. “We have been there THREE times trying to redeem the groupon,” claimed a spurned customer on Yelp. Each time she tried, she and her husband were turned away. Finally, the wine shop ended up terminating the offer altogether. Protracted waiting periods can also apply to receiving Groupon services. In addition to the numerous examples I read online, I can personally attest to facing a five-month delay for a chiropractic adjustment from the Giving Nature Center in Manhattan. The facility had a totally separate appointment calendar for its social booking clients (any customer who purchased a coupon through either Groupon, AmazonLocal, or LivingSocial), and we were put on a wait list normally seen only by kidney transplant candidates. You read that right. Amazon (AMZN) has grabbed a piece of the daily deals business. In fact, within the space of about a year, it’s become the fourth-largest daily deal provider in the country. Even Google (GOOG) is getting in on the action with its Google Offers service that sends subscribers in certain areas daily email offers and has a free Android Market app. As per the OFT action, before selling vouchers, Groupon must now carry out “an accurate, honest and realistic assessment of a merchant's ability to provide goods or services in the quantity or time frame suggested.” 3. Inflated Savings Claims Nothing makes daily deal snatchers succomb to that itchy clicking finger like deep discounts. The bigger the percentage they think they’re saving, the more attractive the offer. The operative word here is “think.” We’re assured that Groupon’s tireless work force is “weed[ing] out the bad apples" and certifying that its partners’ quoted values square with what is normally charged. Such is, unfortunately, not the case. Instead, that task was taken on by online services booker Thumbtack. Five out of five times, Thumbtack found the regular price of the local service was exaggerated in the Groupon deal. The worst offender in this particular sample was JB Cleaning Services, which claimed its $49 offer for two hours of home cleaning was a 67% discount off its normal rate of $150. But according to a price quoted over the phone to Thumbtack, the service actually costs only $80. More than 510 people bought that deal. The OFT called Groupon out on this one, too, and now the site’s listed reference prices and savings must be “accurate, honest and transparent.” 4. Substandard Customer Service From unreturned phone calls and emails to diversionary tactics to delayed refunds or no refunds at all -- Groupon customer service is a bottomless pit of frustration for subscribers. A visit to Groupon’s page on Customer Service Scoreboard shows complaint post after complaint post reading: “totally unsatisfactory,“ “absolutely hopeless,” “I’m totally disgusted,” “someone has to do something about this,” etc. Out of 56 total comments about Groupon on the site, 44 were negative. The company has an overall customer service rating of 53.83 out of a possible 200 points. This score puts Groupon customer service and support in the “disappointing” category which, to be fair, is still a notch above “terrible.” 5. The Broken Groupon Promise In the lower right corner of every city’s homepage is the Groupon Promise: “If the experience using your Groupon ever lets you down, we’ll make it right or return your purchase. Simple as that.” In reality, this promise is about as flimsy as the pinky swear pictured in its logo. Lulling customers into a sense of security with a patently false guarantee is probably the company’s most egregious violation. Subscribers feel safe ordering from otherwise unknown merchants because, as Groupon assures, “We're so confident in our featured businesses that we back them with the Groupon Promise.” Groupon did not issue refunds to the many dissatisfied customers whose testimonials I read online. And when I tried to get my money back for a service that failed to deliver as advertised, I was refused as well. Despite my efforts to explain to customer service rep Jennifer D. why the deal was deceptive, she shot back each time blaming me. “You changed your mind,” she said. “I'm sorry to hear that you're no longer interested...” She suggested I gift the unused Groupon to a friend. “Most companies think it’s crazy to have such an open return policy,” touts the promise. “They create red tape that makes it difficult for their customers to get good service.” What’s actually crazy is a company devising an obstacle-free open return policy in one reality and then conducting business in a wholly separate one. Read more:

E-Cigarettes Vapouriz review

Hi All

Just wanted to leave my feedback on  Vapouriz E-Cigarette as this is one of the worst E- cigarettes I have purchased till date. 

It taste sweet and liquid tobacco always come out in the mouth, doesn’t give too much hit to the throat so you will not be satisfy. I bought the product but i am not happy with it please do not buy.

Just wanted to add, Battery did not lasted a month. Rip-off. (14/02/2013)

Below is the specification of the product from Groupon.

With its thin, sleek black design, this electrically charged alternative to the traditional cigarette aims to lessen the intake of harmful substances such as tar and nicotine. Available in tobacco or menthol, the kit includes 18 refill cartomizers, the equivalent of between 600 and 720 regular cigarettes. Each kit also comes packed with a rechargeable battery, atomiser, and a USB charger, as well as a handy manual for those with an eye for details.

Choose from the following options for a Gemini e-cigarette with 18 refill cartomizers, distributed by Vapouriz :

• £19.99 for tobacco flavour (66% off)

• £19.99 for menthol flavour (66% off)

The Specifics

• E-cigarette: sleek, black design with green luminous tip
• 18 refill cartomizers in classic tobacco or menthol flavour
• Rechargeable battery and three cartomizers
• USB charger and user manual
• Starter box with instructions 

More About Vapouriz

A pioneer in the world of e-cigarettes, Vapouriz is committed to stylish design with a wide range of alternatives to smoking. The company provides conventional electronic cigarettes, as well as a host of accessories including e-liquid, clearomizers, and travel charging kits.

How to Make Money With Groupon

There are a number of ways to make money with Groupon and I will go through them all in this article. However, before I list each one of them, it is important to mention that no method trumps the Groupon Income System. The following are the ways to make money with Groupon:

Groupon bucks

This is the easiest and simplest way to make money with Groupon. All you need to do is to sign in or sign up at their website. Next, navigate to the bottom of the page and look for a link to "Referral Ads". Clicking on this link takes you to a page where your personal referral link. The referral link is normally in the format "groupon.com/r/uu18692343" where the last portion is unique to you. You can place this referral link in your email signature, blog comments, forums and social networking profiles and posts such as on Facebook and Twitter. Every time someone clicks on this link and buys a coupon, $10 is credited to your account. You can use these credits to purchase any deal you want. In addition to referral links, you also have the option if using images embedded with your referral link. You will need to have basic HTML knowledge to be able to place the image code on your website or blog.

Affiliate Program

To join the affiliate program, navigate to the bottom of their website and look for a link to "Affiliate Program". The affiliate program is run exclusively by Commission Junction. You be redirected to a Commission Junction signup page where you can sign up for a new account. You then apply to the affiliate program from within Commission Junction. The application is processed and if accepted you receive an email advising you of the same. One thing you need to note is that they do not accept affiliates whose websites have minimal traffic. You must have a website with some decent traffic to be accepted into the program.

Groupon Income System (GIS)

The third and most profitable way to make money is through the Groupon Income System. This is a totally new business model that leverages social couponing sites to pull in a ton of money. It is scalable to other sites such as Living Social, Tippr, Gilt city, Eversave, Buywithme, Tipper and so on. This new business model has little financial risk and offers a very high return on investment. To learn more about GIS visit   rel=nofollow [http://grouponincomesystem.com/]GrouponIncomeSystem.com.

Jason Cooper is a respected businessman and Internet Marketing Guru. His latest project is The Groupon Income System. For more information visit [http://grouponincomesystem.com]GrouponIncomeSystem.com.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Make-Money-With-Groupon&id=6007388] How to Make Money With Groupon

Toshiba Portégé 13.3" Z930-138 Ultrabook With i3 Processor, 4GB Memory, 128GB Storage and Windows 8 (£579) Plus Carry Case (£584) (Up to 11% Off)

At a light weight 1.12 kg the Portégé Z930 pulls no punches, driven by an Intel Core i3 processor and 4GB of DDR3 RAM. The 13.3” screen boasts a Toshiba HD non-reflective high brightness display with 16:9 aspect ratio, while an 8-hour battery life combines with Windows 8 operating software and the powerful Intel HD Graphics 4000. Blending durability, function, and style, the 16” top loader case shields valuable technology in a padded laptop compartment, combining it with a metal zipper, adjustable shoulder strap, and a front pocket for assorted techno paraphernalia.

Choose from the following options for Toshiba Portégé Z930 laptop, distributed by CCL Computers:

• £579 for a Toshiba Portégé Z930-138 laptop (11% Off)

• £584 for a Toshiba Portégé Z930-138 laptop with Toshiba Essential Toploader Laptop Case (11% Off)

Toshiba Portégé Z930

• Weighs 1.12kg 
• 13.3” HD non-reflective high brightness display with 16:9 aspect ratio
• Intel Core i3 processor
• 4GB DDR3 RAM • Windows 8 operating software 
• Intel HD Graphics 4000
• 128GB storage 
• 8-hour battery life

AS per my info also you can buy this cheaper if you search on google. Also few word for the product

 Incredibly sleek and light, packed with functionality. Top performance with 5-10 browser windows plus office applications.

Battery life excellent at 4-5 hours of active use, but certainly not the 8 hours promised. Windows 8 is lovely and fluffy for tablet/smartphone users, but pointless for actual PC use.

Sony Vaio Duo 11 review

Hi it's  not on group-on but I have one. 

A raft of hybrid laptop/tablets are about to hit the market, taking advantage of Windows 8's touch-optimised interface, but none have the unique slide-away keyboard of the Sony Vaio Duo 11.

With a Full HD 11.6-inch screen on board this ultrabook-cum-tablet and powerful specs under the hood, it could be an ideal solution for touch-based work on the go. 

My review model sits at the top of the range, with an Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB solid state drive for £1,500. If you don't need that amount of power then the base model packs a Core i3 chip, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD, starting at £1,000. 

E-Cigarette Starter Kit With 17 Cartomizer Refills for £19.95 from VIP

With no ifs, no butts, and none of the tobacco or tar found in cigarettes, this battery-powered e-cigarette comes with 17 nicotine cartomizer refills in menthol or tobacco flavour. The pack comes complete with a USB charger, car charger adaptor, and cigarette box, and is legal to use indoors. With their slender white bodies and LED light-up ends, the e-cigarettes also double as lighthouses for sailing mice.

Choose from the following options for an e-cigarette starter kit with 17 cartomizer refills, distributed by VIP.

• £19.95 for a menthol pack (59% off) 
• £19.95 for a tobacco flavour pack (59% off)

The Specifics

• Rechargeable battery 
• 17 cartomizer refills
• USB charger 
• In-car charger
• Starter box with instructions
• 17 cartomizer filters, roughly equivalent to 680 cigarettes 
• Tobacco or menthol flavour 
• Maximum strength (24mg)
• Legal to use indoors and in public

All I have to say it's a very good product, I am using E-Cigarette  for a while and I believe it is one of the best E-cigarette I used. 
One problem is you smoke more than a normal cigarettes at the moment I cant see any harm to my body.  

Automatic Opening Sensor Bin: 30-Litre (£39.99) or 50-Litre (£49.99) (Up to 71% Off)

Automatic Opening Sensor Bin: 30-Litre (£39.99) or 50-Litre (£49.99) (Up to 71% Off)

Disposing of convention, these innovative dustbins bring waste removal into the 21st century, with an infrared sensor and automatic opening lid. Available with 30-litre or 50-litre capacities and in a choice of black, chrome, or white, the bins boast a sleek stainless steel can design.



Choose from the following options for an automatic opening can dustbin, distributed by James Russell: 

Highlights

• Automatic opening lid
• Infrared sensor
• Stylish steel can design
• In black, white, or chrome

The Deal

• Automatic opening dustbin
• 30-litre or 50-litre capacities
• Plastic bucket included

Please Just Do not buy this bin this is one of the worst bin i ever bought and i bet it wont last long and need to use the battery for the sensor.

I just bought 30 litre bin.