groupon vs living social
We Review Livingsocial, Groupon and ScoutMob
Livingsocial: An international site that brings you a deal a day for your city, Livingsocial claims to offer up to 90 percent off on dining, activities, and services. You can click on it to buy it and share your purchase with others -- the coupons will be sent to you via email. The deal page tells you simply how much of a discount you get, the original value, how many people have bought the deal, and how much time you have left to buy it. There's also a "fine print" section listing any restrictions -- like a limit of one purchase per person -- and the date by which you need to use the deal.
This system seems to work well because you don't have to worry about sifting through a long list of coupons or deals or having your email cluttered with messages. Livingsocial also has an iPhone app to make getting your deal a day even more convenient.
Unfortunately, reviews for this site from users are pretty weak. ResellerRatings posters say coupons they've purchased on Livingsocial were not sent to them despite having their credit cards charged, and confirmation emails are often not sent. Others say they had trouble getting refunds when they changed their minds on a deal. Customer service is of little help, users add. Users on SiteJabber report suspicious charges on credit cards tied to their Livingsocial accounts, possibly from the site charging the card more than once or for other deals. Others on the site say the deal-a-day service seems to just want to collect personal and credit card information and then randomly cancel orders. This is definitely not a site we'd recommend due to all these issues.
Groupon: This site works very similarly to Livingsocial in that it offers a deal a day that a group of people buy to bring down the cost. You can buy it and share the purchase with your friends as well. The site tries to reduce the cost by 50 to 90 percent. You can personalize and also access deals from your phone. Some deals include a spa package for 50-percent off at $65.
SiteJabber users are a little less scathing in their reviews for this site than Livingsocial, but not by much. Their qualms include the businesses not honoring coupons and deals that come with strings. One poster describes buying a wine deal for $25 with a $75 original price tag, but being asked to sign up for a $129.90 membership to actually get the discount. Others say the quality of service of certain coupons is questionable. To summarize one user‘s gripe, how good is a $12.50, hour-long massage actually going to be?
Viewpoints reviews are much more positive, however, with users liking the deals offered and the site's ease of use. Users also like the local aspect of the deals and the fact they could save on activities. Cons listed include only a single deal a day, poor customer service, and delayed refunds. This is a site we'd recommend using with caution. It seems to help save on certain services and items, but always read the fine print and check reviews of the merchant before buying.
Scoutmob: This new site claims to focus on the small guy, the unique restaurants and businesses that give a city grit, flavor, and charm. It's unique in that it sends deals directly to your phone, so you don't have to worry about confirmation emails or printing (though you do have to sign up with the site and will get deals to buy via email). You also don't have to worry about handing over credit card information -- you just get the deal texted to your phone and show up at the business. There's also an app, so you can just do the whole shebang from your iPhone, though it's OK if you just use a regular mobile phone to get deals.
The setup looks similar to other deal-a-day sites by telling you how much the discount is, who already bought it, and how long you have to get it. A sample deal for Seattle includes 50 percent off at a coffee shop -- most of the deals are for eateries or cafes. What's different here is that you're getting a coupon that you can use for a certain time period for free. You don't ever even have to use the coupon if you don't want to. This differs from Groupon, which requires you to actually "buy" the deal first.
The number of cities this relatively new site serves is limited thus far -- New York's not even on the list -- but Scoutmob is getting early praise and is said to be giving Groupon a run for its money. In a comparison of the two sites on Mokabala, Scoutmob is the winner because it doesn't require users to buy, and it offers deals to independent and trendy places. Plus, it seems to help out the merchants more than Groupon does -- Scoutmob takes $2 per customer who uses the deal as opposed to 50 percent taken by Groupon -- which probably makes for a more pleasant experience. A Reuters story on the new deal-a-day site is also favorable, praising its local focus and ease of use. If this site is in your city, we say give it a go.
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