With a mass influx of tourists flogging to Midtown in the month of December, I knew to plan ahead. I recently became aware of the wide world of Groupon, and I was hooked. To think that people still paid full price for anything–from iPhone touch-sensitive gloves to bike rentals in Central Park–made me pity those in the dark. I downloaded the App on my phone, and scrolled through deals like it was my AIM buddy list in 6th grade, in the elevator, on my walks to school, in the library. It was so simple; I log into the App with a password, and my credit card digits were stored for my buying convenience, allowing me to buy a plethora of goods, activities, yoga sessions in the Park, flying lessons… Essentials for a college sophomore, of course. And as I finally had a rational excuse to scour the Groupons, I planned ahead for an only $20 wash and blow-dry! Only 0.6 miles from my bed in Brookdale! With a slight tap of the screen while wearing my new touch-sensitive gloves, I bought my voucher for a wash and blow-dry that I intended to use two weeks later, on December 27th.
With a mass influx of tourists flogging to Midtown in the month of December, I knew to plan ahead. I recently became aware of the wide world of Groupon, and I was hooked. To think that people still paid full price for anything–from iPhone touch-sensitive gloves to bike rentals in Central Park–made me pity those in the dark. I downloaded the App on my phone, and scrolled through deals like it was my AIM buddy list in 6th grade, in the elevator, on my walks to school, in the library. It was so simple; I log into the App with a password, and my credit card digits were stored for my buying convenience, allowing me to buy a plethora of goods, activities, yoga sessions in the Park, flying lessons… Essentials for a college sophomore, of course. And as I finally had a rational excuse to scour the Groupons, I planned ahead for an only $20 wash and blow-dry! Only 0.6 miles from my bed in Brookdale! With a slight tap of the screen while wearing my new touch-sensitive gloves, I bought my voucher for a wash and blow-dry that I intended to use two weeks later, on December 27th.Early the next morning, I called the salon number printed on my voucher provided by Groupon. A terse, “yeah” greets me, and his tone of voice questions my request for an appointment: “in two, uh weeks from now,” he repeats back to me, “10:30 a.m., oh, okay. Yeah.” After I penciled in the appointment, my fingers slid to my phone to search for a makeup artist session to prepare for that same night, two weeks later. The limits of my beautification process were endless, thanks to Groupon.
For those two weeks, the sprinkling of international languages could be heard all around as New York was in full swing with its being a World Class City, and all. On my walk to school that morning of December 27th, I congratulated myself on my foresight as I peered into the busy salons lining 34th street. And then it started to rain. Though hesitant to postpone my appointment at my Groupon selected salon with the fear they would be booked until I was 40, I called. “Yeah,” he answers, “this appointment you want- it is for you?” “Uh-huh,” I keep my cool.
Until he tells me I have rang a barbershop, with a name much unlike the one featured on my voucher. And then I laughed. Thank you, Mr. BarberShop. You have just begun to unleash me from my obsession with Groupon.
Although he was in fact aware of Groupon deal, he explained that the barbershop outsourced some appointments to one lady who came in on certain days. Had it not rained, I would have been there bright and early at 10:30 am, greeted by six stools, electric razors, and blaring Latino music- without a blow drier in sight.
Warily, I showed up for my altered appointment, voucher in hand. I checked and rechecked the address, but the names did not match up. I climbed the stairs to the second floor of a small opening, and was seated at the one washing station in a corner, as 6 men and their barbers gave me confused, sidelong glances. The woman washed my hair, and began to blow it dry, but not before bluntly telling me I desperately needed a haircut. Oh, and that my hair felt like straw. Maybe it sounded nicer in her mind. Nonetheless, I came in a bun suited for a rat’s nest, and left with hair that, after I waved goodbye to the men in the chairs, blew glamorously in the wind, dead ends and all. Needless to say, the wash and blow dry that I was led to believe to take place at an elegant salon was very unlike the second floor barbershop for which I bought the deal.
Women of Stern, consider yourself warned; Groupon is really a treasure of deals and bargains, but take caution in purchasing on a whim without doing the proper research beforehand. It may even pay to visit the place where the service is being offered to ensure it is what you have in mind. Besides for taking a quick look into the place, here are some other tips that can transform you into the intelligent shopper we all strive to be.
1. If you don’t visit the place of interest, make sure to call ahead of time with any additional questions. The Groupon site always provides the merchant’s number, and though Groupon is generally on the mark about what to expect, you can never be too sure. Hearing from the individual company first hand can help you decide whether to buy the voucher or not.
2.Before buying the deal, decide if it is something you really, truly want or need. This should eliminate all purchases with the disclaimer, “but it was so cheap!” Just because it is on sale, does not mean you have space in your dorm room or your life for it. The smartest tactic, that does require immense amounts of self-control, is to not log on to Groupon without a specific mission. The mindless scrolling and professional advertisement is enticing enough to cause us to buy things and services we just do not need, nor will ever use. Though the prices seem cheap, if what you buy you will never use, you are essentially flushing good money down the drain.
3.Please, please, please make sure to read all of the fine print written below the voucher. It may seem incredulous that we buy without reading carefully, but it happens more often than you can imagine. Say for example, this first-time on campus kid from Miami longs for her bike at home, misses the thrill of hopping on and riding until the sun sets. One frosty January night, she stumbles on a voucher for an all-day bike rental at Central Park. One small tap, and its mine! Er, hers….The expiration date for the reduced-price rental may expire in mid-February however, and my Miami-raised bones cannot endure the increased wind-chill of New York while on a bike! The Groupon will then go to waste. You need to check the expiration date of the voucher. And read all of the fine print, every single time.
4.Finally, some of the deals are from small, but growing, businesses. Groupon tallies and publicizes how many of each deal has been bought, and the numbers are sometimes in the thousands. For small businesses, the owners may be swamped with the influx of new costumers calling and expecting (immediate) service. When using Groupon in conjunction with small businesses, try to have patience as they may be excitingly, yet exhaustingly, reworking scheduling conflicts and hiring extra hands to cope. Make sure to call well in advance for an appointment, as there may be none available for a while if the said Groupon sold to hundreds of new costumers.
With all this said, Groupon is a great source for cheap deals, but it too has its limitations. If we are made aware of its shortcomings, however, we can use the site for all that its worth, as smart and informed shoppers. Good luck!