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livingsocial.com

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Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,268 ✭✭✭✭ Kristian Greasy Memoir


    Just to highlight this. As a business we were being encouraged to provide a €30 for €15 voucher, so consumer pays €15 and gets €30 voucher to use in store.

    The actual cost to us as a business for you to redeem this would have been €22.50. The fees are 50% of the deal price!!

    The guys doing the valetting were most definitely doing this deal at a loss regardless of how many were sold. I wonder how much return custom they will receive from this at their normal retail price? Will the extra 145 customers pay ful price next time or will the guys have to incentivise these customers to return again?

    Therein lies the problem with these deals from a business perspective.
    I've gotten deals in the past but never returned as a customer,so far at least.

    Its great for the customer but I remember going to a tourism marketing conference in DCU last year where people asked should their businesses be doing these deals.

    The resounding answer from the panel was NO.

    If it is going to be done, it needs to be managed and limited to a maximum number of vouchers.
    One food delivery company in Dublin sold over 2000 deals last summer, didn't get paid on time by the deal company, couldn't pay their suppliers and ended up with a lot of unhappy customers who didn't get their orders as a result.
    The negative publicity destroyed what up to then was a good business.


  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 20,364 Mod ✭✭✭✭RacoonQueen


    Therein lies the problem with these deals from a business perspective.
    I've gotten deals in the past but never returned as a customer,so far at least.

    Its great for the customer but I remember going to a tourism marketing conference in DCU last year where people asked should their businesses be doing these deals.

    The resounding answer from the panel was NO.

    If it is going to be done, it needs to be managed and limited to a maximum number of vouchers.
    One food delivery company in Dublin sold over 2000 deals last summer, didn't get paid on time by the deal company, couldn't pay their suppliers and ended up with a lot of unhappy customers who didn't get their orders as a result.
    The negative publicity destroyed what up to then was a good business.

    And for businesses in certain industries people will just buy up all the similar deals and never return to a particular business. Think beauty salons, car valeting etc they'll just buy the next valet service.

    With the 'demise' of boards deals I can see other deal companies going the same way. They are a good idea, in theory but there ended up being way too many of them so there was no benefit to businesses when a competing business would be running a similar deal elsewhere the same day or the following week.

    The amount of people who do not use their vouchers at all is staggering as well. The deal companies were making a fortune and some don't even pay companies until a voucher has actually been redeemed. :eek:


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,322 ✭✭✭ian_m


    The amount of people who do not use their vouchers at all is staggering as well. The deal companies were making a fortune and some don't even pay companies until a voucher has actually been redeemed. :eek:

    Some customers try to use their vouchers but their attempts are in vain. Bring this to the attention of livingsocial and they ignore the problem and never return your call. They are a disgrace.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2 zanqa


    I have been with Living Social for 2yrs, which is probably only because I never had any issues with my deals... Until now- VIP valeting deal which I have been trying to schedule for a month now. The phone is either busy or off. I managed to get through twice and was promised a call back- which never happened. Annoyed with the treatment I asked LS for a refund but they refused (our terms and conditions madam, allow a refund within 7 days only, SIC!). They said that after that time the issue is entirely between myself and the merchant and they cannot help.
    I asked them to immediately shut down my account and had to call them and held the rep on the phone while he was doing it (there was no option to do it online, even though that's where they were sending me).
    There is no way I could continue my 'co-operation' with them for even a second longer. Very improfessional approach and total ignorance.
    Anyway, now I am stuck with the useless voucher with VIP Valeting Stepaside and I think I will have to try to contact them telepathically, as both phone and email attempts failed miserably... :(


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,468 ✭✭✭sconhome


    zanqa wrote: »
    I have been with Living Social for 2yrs, which is probably only because I never had any issues with my deals... Until now- VIP valeting deal which I have been trying to schedule for a month now. The phone is either busy or off. I managed to get through twice and was promised a call back- which never happened. Annoyed with the treatment I asked LS for a refund but they refused (our terms and conditions madam, allow a refund within 7 days only, SIC!). They said that after that time the issue is entirely between myself and the merchant and they cannot help.
    I asked them to immediately shut down my account and had to call them and held the rep on the phone while he was doing it (there was no option to do it online, even though that's where they were sending me).
    There is no way I could continue my 'co-operation' with them for even a second longer. Very improfessional approach and total ignorance.
    Anyway, now I am stuck with the useless voucher with VIP Valeting Stepaside and I think I will have to try to contact them telepathically, as both phone and email attempts failed miserably... :(

    You could write or call to their office during business hours.

    Their Facebook page noted how many new customers they had received through the LS offering. If its a one or two man operation they are more than likely snowed under and, while it is no excuse, just cant manage their diary at the moment. But, they should just tell you that, rather than ignoring the contact.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,148 ✭✭✭amadangomor


    Didn't realise that there is a 24-48 hour delay to the deal.I bought tickets for my son and myself yesterday around 9pm for tomorrows Circus showing by Fossetts at 4:30.

    So they sold me a voucher for tickets that I have no way of obtaining before the performance?I have told my son we are going so if I don't get the voucher I'm going to have to pay full whack for the tickets.Absolute joke!What is the logic behind the delay?I have used these deal company once before and all i had to do was print out the vouchers that arrived immediately.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,468 ✭✭✭sconhome


    Cant answer your questions and not providing excuses for LS, but what about bringing a print out of the offer email and negotiating directly at the ticket office?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,148 ✭✭✭amadangomor


    Cant answer your questions and not providing excuses for LS, but what about bringing a print out of the offer email and negotiating directly at the ticket office?

    Thanks.A big panic for nothing,the vouchers were there this morning. I over reacted a bit but it did say after I bought the vouchers that they take 24-48 hours to arrive.


  • Registered Users Posts: 207 ✭✭murphf


    Can anybody please give me the phone number for living social! Can't get through on email


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,322 ✭✭✭ian_m


    01-6535675

    Best of luck with that. I'd rather spend the day at the dentist.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 8 craftylady72


    Hi, Im in the same boat re living social, I have a voucher for a spa that has gone out of business, according to their website livingsocial will refund any vouchers for places that have closed. Ive sent them the online query a few times and have just received the stock reply that someone will contact me & have been given a case number. However this was over 2 months ago now & Ive heard nothing. Ive mailed them a few times-nothing. Ive tried to ring them on the number on their website but just cant get through. Its 02 033560899, havent a clue where that number even is, does anyone have another contact number for them please??


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