Savvy shoppers looking to snatch up bargains on a dinner at a new restaurant, a manicure or a massage can spend a lot of time browsing daily deal sites.
Although the sites provide opportunities to try new business offerings at a discounted price, shoppers should read the deal’s fine print and understand the terms of service agreements to avoid any hassles when they goo to redeem the deal vouchers.
These tips from USA.gov can help you better understand the daily deal sites so you can shop safely, enjoy saving a few bucks and experiencing new local small business offerings.
- Check the expiration and black-out dates. Most daily deals have expiration dates so make sure you use the voucher before it expires. Also check for blackout dates. Some of the most popular vacation deals can only be used during certain times.
- Do your research. Spend a few minutes reading reviews of the product or service you are thinking about buying. If the company has a lot of bad reviews, you may want to skip the deal, regardless of how great it appears to be.
- Understand how you can use the deal. Some deals you can use more than once until the entire amount of the deal is gone. Other coupons must be used at once. In general, you can’t combine a daily deal with another coupon or promotion. Read the conditions of the deal before you buy it. Many of the daily deal sites have a FAQ section or area where they handle questions about specific deals.
- Verify which locations accept your voucher. Some deals for chains are valid only at certain stores. Check to make sure the location you plan to go to is one of the participating stores, or you might have to go out of your way to use the voucher.
- Know when your credit card will be charged. Some sites don’t charge you until after a certain number of deals have been purchased, others charge your credit card immediately or at the close of the business day. After you purchase a deal, check your credit card statement to make sure you are charged correctly.
- Check the site’s refund policy. Some sites provide refunds if customers are disappointed in a deal. Others will refund your money if a merchant goes out of business before the deal’s expiration date. Some don’t provide refunds at all. Make sure you know and are comfortable with a site’s refund policy before making a purchase.
- Know who to call if there is a problem. In most cases, the daily deal sites can’t help you solve problems with the company you bought the deal from. You will need to work with the company directly. If you have an issue, stay calm and state exactly what happened and how you would like to situation to be resolved.
by Mary Hopkin
Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
