Online coupon sites: Deal or no deal?

• Clivebenss

  27 Feb 11, 20:09

  Feb 27, 2011 - Sunday Times

  Online coupon sites offer attractive deals but some can turn sour, such as a recent trip offer to Bangkok

  By Natasha Ann Zachariah and Jamie Ee Wen Wei

  
  

  Bargain hunters are snapping up online coupons for cheap deals on items such as holiday tours and spa sessions, but one offer left a sour taste in the mouths of consumers.

  Early last month, online coupon site Deal.com.sg dangled a four-day trip to Bangkok which included a four-star hotel stay and return airfare on premium airlines for $188 - about half the stated original price. Customers had 18 hours to buy the coupons.

  But some holiday-makers who took up the offer found that the deal contained high additional charges and did not offer a choice of airline or hotel, despite several airlines and hotels being listed in the promotion. The travel agency in the deal also took at least a month to confirm bookings.

  The additional charges involved had increased the price to as much as $426. The complaints surfaced on Deal's Facebook page, with the promotion drawing about 1,100 comments.

  To pacify upset customers, Deal.com.sg issued 211 refunds, which is less than 10 per cent of the number of packages bought. It is the first reported incident of mass refunds for online coupon sites here.

• Askingyouto

  27 Feb 11, 20:27

  Think carefully before buying anything, even if it is cheap, if it is not something that is really needed, don't buy.

  This way, we can save the entire amount of money, cut down on everything that could be discarded from our lives and focus on what is the essence.

• Clivebenss

  27 Feb 11, 20:29

  think sometimes they get a bargain to bangkok but end up bangballs.

  

• Askingyouto

  27 Feb 11, 20:32

  Originally posted by Clivebenss:

  think sometimes they get a bargain to bangkok but end up bangballs.