Part of the hassle Groupon customers traditionally have faced is presenting that printed or mobile deal voucher to redeem it when the time comes. And that time wasn’t always ideal for businesses, either, with owners complaining of floods of customers wielding vouchers and overwhelming them. In an attempt to allay both stressful situations, Groupon’s new foray into the deal world for restaurants that take reservations comes with a time limit, with no voucher presentation involved. [More]
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Going Shopping? Here’s Where You’ll Find September Deals
By 8.29.14
Do you plan to spend your Labor Day weekend shopping? If so, there are certain things that you’ll find great deals on as the calendar flips from August to September. Our power-shopping colleagues down the hall at Consumer Reports recommend looking for gas grills, digital cameras, bicycles, and small electronics. Our friends over at Rather-Be-Shopping would add mattresses, baseball equipment, pool toys, and model year 2014 cars to that list. [Rather-Be-Shopping] [Consumer Reports] [More]
TiVo E-Mails Me Coupon Code, Reserves Right To Remove Discounts After Order
By 7.31.14
When TiVo was offering a great price on their Roamio DVRs, reader Victor thought that his mother-in-law could use one. He thought about it, put one in his virtual cart, and then took some time to decide. Like many retailers will do, TiVo sent him an e-mail with a $50 off coupon to entice him back. How could he resist? He placed the order, and that’s where things started to go wrong. [More]
Here’s What You Should And Shouldn’t Buy In June
By 5.28.14
Every store and every industry has its own cycle of sales, and by timing your purchases just right, you can take advantage of them. There are two different things to keep track of: the ways that sales cycle every year, and also current trends in retail. [More]
7 Items You’ll Find The Best Prices On During May
By 4.30.14
Our price-tracking colleagues down the hall at Consumer Reports keep track of when the best discounts appear on a variety of items. As we get ready to flip over the calendar page to celebrate May, what will you be able to find the best deals on in the coming month? [More]
Can’t Find A Coupon Code For Online Stores? Just Ask
By 3.6.14
When you’re shopping online, you probably perform a cursory search online to find out whether the e-retailer you’re about to buy from has any coupons available online. Sites for sharing coupon codes like RetailMeNot are great to check quickly. What should you do if your search comes up empty? Don’t despair. Like brick-and-mortar retailers, online stores might have your back when you don’t bring your own coupons. [More]
Will You Ever Use 20 Rolls Of Paper Towels? What To Buy And Not Buy In Bulk
By 1.22.14
Buying in bulk might seem like a great idea, if you have the time and storage needed to deal such large quantities. But with more retailers offering coupons, in-store promotions and customer loyalty programs is buying in bulk really a good deal? And what items are even good in bulk? [More]
Have You Tried These Ways To Save Money At Amazon?
By 12.2.13
Amazon offers the best prices on many items and has an unbeatable inventory, but did you know that there are ways to save even more? Yes, there are, ranging from signing up for rebates to asking for a price-match. [More]
How Stupid Does Bed Bath & Beyond Think We Are?
By 11.26.13
“How dumb does Bed Bath & Beyond think we are?” writes reader Kristina. Well…maybe they’re just working from assumptions about the average American consumer’s math skills. This coupon offers $25 off a $125 purchase, which is great if and only if you want to spend exactly $125 at the store. [More]
What Do You Shop For In November?
By 11.12.13
Our power-shopping colleagues over at Consumer Reports don’t just test every product you can think of: they also keep track of what’s on the market and when is the best time to buy certain things. Looking over their November list, we wondered: what do Consumerist readers shop for during this month? [More]
Amazon Dominates Sears’ Prices In The Bondage Accessories Market
By 8.9.13 — Updated: 8.16.13
Full disclosure: I know nothing about the bondage accessories market — what’s good, what’s bad, what’s very, very bad — but I do know how to spot a low price. And while it’s admirable that Sears is branching out to third-party vendors outside of the tools and home goods sections, if you’re gonna sell a customer a harness, at least try to compete with Amazon’s prices. [More]
Study: Men Swayed By Flashy Colors See Deals Where There Are None To Be Had
By 7.16.13
Let’s be totally clear here: I have no idea if men are all suckers for flashy colors or whether women or more likely to read the fine print on a deal, no matter the color. But that’s exactly what a new study says — men get all “ooh” and “aah” when a deal is marketed in bright color, whereas women apparently take the time to suss out whether or not they’re actually getting a good price. [More]
Groupon Introduces Discounted Restaurant Reservation Service
By 7.1.13
Now that the general public is over the first blush of excitement we initially felt for daily deals sites like Groupon and LivingSocial, the industry is casting about for new ways to entice customers. Because just like a shark, companies know they’ve gotta keep moving or face certain death. Groupon’s newest bid for survival: A service offering reservations at upscale restaurants for up to 40% off. [More]
My Health Insurer’s Idea Of ‘Healthy’ Food Is Mayonnaise And Ice Cream
By 5.15.13
Should our health insurers try to nudge us toward the healthiest habits possible, like eating fresh, healthy food and exercising regularly? Or should they just give up, accept Americans’ crappy habits and hope that we do less healthy versions of unhealthy things, like eating giant plates of whole-wheat pasta? Reader Scott wonders whether that’s what his health insurance company, Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield, is up to with a package of coupons that they sent recently. [More]
16 Free Ways To Celebrate Your Mom This Mother’s Day — And Yes, Hooters Is Involved
By 5.10.13
So you weren’t able to convince Harrison Ford to show up at your mom’s door in his Han Solo costume. She’d be the first one to tell you that hey, it’s the thought that counts. If you’re low on cash or just enjoy scoping out good deals with the woman who brought you forth into this world, there are a bunch of options out there to celebrate Mom this year, including another attempt by Hooters to lure women through its doors. [More]
Comcast Offers Broadband So Fast, The Promotional Price Ends 6 Months Early
By 3.19.13
Where are six months and twelve months basically the same thing? At Comcast, of course. The cable company/ISP/overlords of all media want to show us all that they have a poor grasp on math. We can laugh it up all we want, but the joke’s really on reader Bubbicito. It doesn’t matter how confusing he finds the deals in Kabletown, because he doesn’t have any other choices for high-speed broadband. He can still vent at Consumerist, though. [More]
HP’s Free Nook Promotion Could End Up Costing You $355
By 12.6.12
HP’s website has an offer going right now where you can score a free Nook Simple Touch (a $99 value) with the purchase of a new computer. But depending on which computer you buy, you could end up spending several times the cost of the e-reader. [More]
Sam’s Club Offers Great Thanksgiving Week Deals, Abruptly Cancels Orders
By 11.26.12
Is Sam’s Club the new Best Buy? Last year, Best Buy canceled orders for many of their hottest doorbusters just before Christmas, leaving customers sad and giftless. If that’s Sam’s Club’s plan, at least they’re operating on a shorter timeline before canceling their hottest deals. Readers report to us that Sam’s sold and then canceled these deals all in the space of Thanksgiving weekend. [More]
