Groupon....Great deals or scam?

Twiggy007

savingkellyjo wrote: »

I've been wanting to try the laser hair removal deals for a while now, but I'm really unsure about the places they advertise. Does anyone have any info about this? I look online at the places and in other forums, but it seems no one has had a positive experience with any clinic ever!
Any thoughts?
Thanks!

Hi there,

I've used MyGroupon a few times now - £120 laser hair removal (six sessions), £120 IPL treatment (six sessions), £45 for microdermabrasion (six sessions) and £85 laser teeth whitening. lol, surprised i'm not radioactive with all that laser!

Anyway, the laser hair removal is at a salon just off Oxford St. I've had 2 sessions.. its awesome for the price i'd say.. after the first session, I really wasn't expecting much of a miracle but hey, wadyaknow, there was a good number of hairs that just fell out! The salon itself is good.. for a place in West London it isn't too swanky, but they are actually really busy. Its hard getting appointments for convenient days like Saturdays.. and its hard to get a hold of them on the phone because they are always engaged! I am having microdermabrasion at the same place too...

With regards to the microdermabrasion, I have to admit it is quite disappointing.. its is really basic - them using the microdermabrasion machine on you, and because its so busy and popular, you don't actually get a chance to relax as you would in other facials. I've paid £45 for a single microdermabrasion treatment before and that had involved facial massage, the exfoliation and the relaxing mask at the end.. but here, where I'm paying £45 for six sessions, I only get the exfoliation! I guess I can't complain considering what I've paid for it? My skin has felt a lot better even without the extras though.. so not too upset about it.

I haven't had the other two treatments yet.. both have been difficult to book because they've been popular deals.. but i expect they will be worth every penny considering the savings I'll potentially make.

savingkellyjo

Thanks for your input Twiggy007!

I'll probably try one of those deals next year then. Xmas and sales are approaching too soon for my bank account to recover.

I've recently had a good experience with a voucher from Wahanda: it was for a waxing in two different areas for 18£ on the same day, or I could have one on two different days. I had a full leg last week and I'm having the other one in December. It all came out at 9£ a full leg waxing, so quite a bargain!

Wahanda is now offering a 5£ voucher just for signing in, so nothing to lose! It's on mybeautyheaven.com/wahanda

(they have quite a thorough list of beauty places with many reviews, so it might also be worth checking it out, when we're unsure about a place)

DrGonzo444

This is just the thread I was looking for, always a bit dubious about things until I hear other peoples opinion. One thig I was wondering about is that it says on the site the group saving will only work if enough people agree to buy the voucher for each deal, and that if they don't no one will be charged. I might be being a bit dense but I can't see anywhere on the site a figure for how many of each voucher need to be bought to activate the deal, is this published somewhere and I am just missing it?

salesaddict

Hi
I am really not happy with the Groupon deal I recently purchased for afternoon tea at a hotel in London. They did not send the booking link as promised on the 031110. I had to chase their customer services for the link. They sent this on the 5 11 10 and every date I choose states fully booked. I have sent an email asking for a refund. Does anyone have any experience of when deals go wrong I wonder? Am I likely to get my money back?

kade9

I will think twice about using Groupon again. I've finally just resolved an issue that was originaly caused by me, but has been torture to get them to sort out.

They ignored my emails and I spent a week phoning with no luck. The line would just cut out. I discovered all the horro stories in the forums and belived the phone would never be answered.

Then I tried again earlier today and got someone. He tried to fobb me off at first, but I persisted and got my voucher sorted out.

I'd say to anyone who has a problem with them that if you persist you can get a resolution.

I'd say to anyone thinking of using them that it does seem you can get some real bargains through them, but just be aware of how they operate.

money_honey

I've only used Groupon once so far with no problems. I got a voucher for a half price either canvas or acrylic print from a photo from Poster XXL, and there was no hassle, the print looked amazing when it came (although it took a long time for delivery as the company are based in Germany I believe). It was such a bargain, I think it only cost me around £20 instead of £50+. I haven't tried any of the other deals yet though but they do seem to have good offers.

Jugg_2

First post - be gentle! I've used Groupon several times in the last month after a friend recommended the site and I have become rather hooked! However I have been delighted with my experiences. I've had:
- a canvas print from HelloCanvas for £28. I was stunned by the product when it arrived.
- an albelli photobook. Again, delighted with the quality of the product.
- a facial and massage for £23 instead of £55. It was great although I think I would have been disappointed if I had paid £55 full price for it (£40 maybe!)
- a microdermabrasion with face mask and Indian head massage for £23 instead of £80 (it seemed a bit rushed and I think I would pay £60 full price, but can't possibly complain at £23).
- The icing on the cake though! I had a haircut today for £20 instead of £52. I can honestly say that it is the best haircut and salon experience that I have ever had. I usually pay around £65 at my regular salon. I was sceptical today and nearly cancelled my appointment beforehand, but the end result is that I would have been happy to pay £80+ for today's service. I think I'll use some of today's savings for a nice glass of wine later and not feel the slightest bit guilty about it!

I always look at the relevant company's website beforehand and try to find out how long it's been established and whether it looks and feels reputable. I've not been pressured to buy anything else or to book a further appointment, although obviously they give out price lists / discount coupons for your next visit! The upshot is that I really have been delighted with my purchases. I have only had one issue so far when I repeatedly couldn't redeem a coupon online and was getting a bit annoyed and frustrated, but a polite phone call sorted it out very quickly.

competitionscafe

Groupon users might be saving a few quid here and there but it's the founders and venture capital backers who are laughing all the way to the bank

http://techcrunch.com/2010/04/15/the-rest-of-the-details-on-that-monster-groupon-financing/

thunderbird

I've just bought a tooth whitening kit from them. I hadn't looked on her first!

The original email said it was £19 instead of £99, but following the link they sent me, the price came up as £0 plus £6.99 postage??

I've had an order confirmation from them showing the same amount and saying they are extremely busy with orders, so maybe I am in for a long wait?

ambyence

Interesting thread.
I'm signed up for the Groupon London emails - I visit a lot, but don't live there. Planning to be in london for my birthday late jan so hoping to get a good spa day deal.
So far I've had the teeth whitening home treatment kit, which i'm very happy with. Got an email saying they were swamped with orders as a result of the groupon deal...took about a week to come through.
Waiting on 2 pairs of glasses from GlassesDirect, which are due to come next week, paid £40 for them inc postage so plus my £20 voucher is £60 (saved £180ish), a lot better than my last pair that was £200 plus from a place 5 mins walk away.