"Group site" voucher purchased, not quite as described...

[MrShed]

Hi all,

 

I purchased a voucher from one of the new "group purchasing"sites (look at Crowdity for an example) back in July.

 

This voucher was for a single night stay in a suite in a high end hotel, and was valid for 6 months.

 

On the advertisment, and on the voucher, it states valid 7 days a week.

 

However, the hotel have confirmed that they will not accept single night bookings on a Friday or a Saturday.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Technically speaking, the voucher is valid 7 days a week, but there was no mention of requiring an additional spend on certain days etc, and I feel somewhat misled.

[jannyT]

Sorry I can offer no help with your case but it seems that unfortuntely it is not unique. Myself and colleagues purchased Groupon vouchers for a cupcake company. The advertisement and the voucher we have quite clearly states that the voucher (cost £5) can purchase 12 cupcakes of a value of £20 giving a 75% discount. Then it seems that the cupcake shop don't want to do this after all and blame Groupon for "getting it wrong" and want to offer 12 "bitesize" cupcakes in exchange for this voucher. This deal being £5 instead of £10. Now maths is not my best subject but this quite clearly is not the deal we purchased or what is printed on our vouchers. Groupon have offered refunds for people who don't want the new offer but despite requests to them for refunds, we have so far been ignored.

 

Just wondering if anyone knows where we and the OP stand with our similar issues?

[MrShed]

Same site btw mine was from Groupon. Just wish it was only a fiver!

[jannyT]

Hi MrShed

I am no expert but if you have a voucher that you bought and paid for in good faith you surely have some grounds to take this further? "Valid 7 days" should mean "Valid 7 days". I feel really cross that we have been conned by Groupon like this. They have said that they will refund ours as there was a "miscommunication". I would get in touch with them and demand a refund as what they have supplied clearly is not what you paid for in good faith.

 

Having said that, I'm still waiting for a response from them. I had a generic response this morning to say that they were "very busy with queries" and would get back to me. More likely "busy with complaints"!

 

Quite frankly I'm not surprised that they are busy if this is the way they run their business!

 

Even though it's only a fiver we feel annoyed because we have been conned. It's the principle.

[MrShed]

Yes I've ahd the same generic response.

 

I have asked them to clarify for me - at standard rate, the room is £370 a night (!) so to omit that you need to do this on 2 of the 7 days the voucher is valid is a little bit naughty I feel.

[BankFodder]

Yes I've ahd the same generic response.

 

I have asked them to clarify for me - at standard rate, the room is £370 a night (!) so to omit that you need to do this on 2 of the 7 days the voucher is valid is a little bit naughty I feel.

 

 

Would you like to talk to the media about this?