7 Tips for Navigating Group-Coupon Sites

Do Your Due Diligence

If you believe the write-ups on the site, just about every deal sounds as if it will be the greatest single regret of your life if you don’t immediately snatch it up. “Ignore the flowery descriptions on the site and do your homework,” says Frietchen. If a deal is for a service or a place you’re not familiar with, take a few minutes to read online reviews. (Yelp is a good place to start.) Keep an eye out for reviews that mention people’s experiences using discount vouchers—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

If the deal you’re considering is for a service, such as a massage or hair coloring, call the merchant before you buy to check availability on the days you want. After all, if you’re set on a Saturday-morning massage and they’re fully booked every Saturday for the next four moths, you’ll want to keep clicking elsewhere. The same holds true for travel and hotel deals: Be sure to scope out blackout dates before you commit.