Note – Post has been updated – GrabOne is another site with a client friendly refund policy
In the last 12 months there has been a massive growth in group buying sites. You know the ones … where businesses offer their goods or services at up to 90% off as a way to get new customers through the door. There is a veritable plethora of sites out there, all looking pretty much the same on the surface. So how do you choose a site to use?
First – I have no business link to any site I am about to mention (and after this post, I am very unlikely to have any connection in the future). I have purely used a few different sites as a customer.
So why do I say that Cudo in Australia is the only group buying site worth using? It all comes down to the terms & conditions … you know those things that no-one reads. We all just merrily click the “agree” button and hope all is well. But, when something goes wrong …
It all started about 6 months back when I bought a cleaning deal through one of the sites. Well the deal was on, but when it came to ring the company to book the service, the phone was always on answer saying how busy they were with the unexpected influx of people, so please leave a message. Needless to say repeated phone messages over a number of weeks were not answered, so I tried contact by email. Repeated emails were also unanswered. I finally went back to the group site asking for a refund – after all I had paid them for a service that was not being provided. The site hummed and hawed – and pointed me to their site terms which suggested no refunds were payable unless the deal company was in receivership (until I mentioned the Department of Fair Trading … when suddenly a refund was paid).
The same week I bought the cleaning deal, I also bought a photo on canvas from a different deals site. This time I had an email to confirm it would be done within a fortnight … and then nothing. I chased it over 3 months … and still nothing except more promises to do it in the next fortnight. So, I went back and checked the terms of the deals site. This time the terms said no refunds no matter what. So I am now discussing the matter further with the deal business – using terms like “failure to supply”.
Now to be honest, yes … I should have pored over the T&C of each site before committing to purchase – in as much the same way that all the people who were flooded in Brisbane should have read the T&Cs of their insurance policies. But silly me thought that they would all be pretty much the same, that refunds would be payable if the deal company didn’t supply the goods advertised. I was wrong.
So in the interests of my readers who may want to try group buying sites (and who also hate reading T&C’s) , I have stripped out the refund terms of some of the major & newer players.
Bizz Buzz
You understand and agree that Bizz Buzz Vouchers are non-refundable and cannot be exchanged or redeemed for cash. If any issues arise with the Merchant or the supply of the product/service, you should take up this issue directly with the Merchant. We are unable to assist you in resolving disputes with the Merchant.
We will refund the purchase price or exchange the Bizz Buzz Voucher where we have made a mistake
Scoopon
15.1. Scoopon vouchers are non-refundable and cannot be exchanged or redeemed for cash because you have changed your mind, are unable to use the Scoopon voucher or the Scoopon voucher has been damaged, lost or stolen.
15.2. Scoopon will refund the purchase price or exchange the Scoopon voucher where we have made a mistake; for example, the Scoopon voucher we issued is not for the product that was advertised.
Spreets
REFUNDS: Except as required by law, a User is not entitled to a refund if the User simply changes their mind or makes a wrong decision. A User receives their voucher via email at midnight if the Deal they have purchased reaches its minimum number of buyers. If a User has any problems using their voucher at a business, they can contact support@spreets.com.
Jump On It
b) You will not be to entitled to any refund on the purchase price of an issued Voucher, except as required by law. However, Jump On It will provide a no-questions-asked money-back guarantee and refund the full purchase price of any Voucher, for any reason, within 30 days of purchase.
c) If for any reason you cannot redeem a Voucher (including but not limited to circumstances in which a Merchant goes out of business or ceases offering the service described in the Deal), Jump On It will provide a full refund if you request such a refund during the Voucher validity period.
Our Deal
31. We will however refund the price which you have paid for a voucher if:
- we become aware that a Supplier has become bankrupt, started being wound up, entered into administration or had a receiver appointed to it after the start of the Advertising Period but before we transfer the purchase price which you have paid for a voucher to the Supplier;
- we make a mistake, for example by issuing you a voucher which is incorrect.
Wimzy
Please choose carefully when purchasing from our merchants. We do not normally give refunds if you simply change your mind or make a wrong decision. You can choose between a refund, exchange or credit where goods are faulty, have been wrongly described, are different to the product purchased on the website or doesn’t do what it is supposed to do.
Deal Me
10. Changing your mind and refunds
10.1 Please choose carefully when purchasing a voucher because we do not normally give refunds if you simply change your mind or if you make a wrong decision. If you have any problems using your voucher at a business please contact support@dealme.com.au. It is the responsibility of the provider/supplier whether they issue a refund for a good or service.
Compare these to the refund policy of Cudo & Grab One & the choice of which site to use suddenly becomes simple.
Grab One
Can I return my GrabOne Coupon?
Once you have purchased a deal you are committed to the transaction and your credit card will be charged immediately following confirmation of the deal. Except where we are required to under law or in relation to our GrabOne Promise, we do not give refunds or allow exchanges.
What if the business for my GrabOne Coupon closes down or does not honour my GrabOne Coupon?
If a business that is supposed to provide goods or services to you under a deal closes down, or if that business does not honour your GrabOne Coupon, we’ll make sure you get your money back. Please refer to the GrabOne Promise for the specific terms that apply.
GrabOne Promise
We want you to be confident that if you buy a GrabOne deal and redeem your GrabOne Coupon, the relevant business will provide the goods or services to you. At the end of the day, if the business doesn’t deliver, you will be out of pocket and our reputation will be at stake.
So this is our promise to you – if you attempt to redeem a GrabOne Coupon from a business that no longer operates, or if that business unreasonably refuses to honour your GrabOne Coupon, we will refund the price that you paid to us for the GrabOne deal.
All we ask is that you notify us within five working days following your failed attempt to redeem your GrabOne Coupon. You can contact us by calling 1800 291 647 or contacting us. Of course, some terms and conditions apply and these are set out below:
- The GrabOne Promise will not apply if a business’s refusal to honour the GrabOne deal is because the Universal Fine Print or the Fine Print have not been complied with. For example, you will not receive a refund if a restaurant does not honour a GrabOne Coupon that you have given to a friend who is under18 years old, and your friend tries to redeem that GrabOne Coupon for alcohol.
- If you have given your friends or family a GrabOne Coupon and they cannot redeem the GrabOne Coupon for the reasons mentioned above, we will give the refund to you and not your friends/family.
- We will not be liable for any other loss or damage incurred by you, and/or any person that you give the GrabOne Coupon to, as a result of a business’s failure to honour your GrabOne Coupon. For example, if you incur costs travelling to the business where the services in a GrabOne deal would have been provided, we will not be responsible for those costs.
Thanks for using GrabOne. We hope you enjoy your GrabOne deal, backed by our GrabOne Promise.
Cudo
3.2 You will not be to entitled to any consideration, credit or full or partial refund on the purchase price of an issued Coupon, except as required by law.
Cudo’s Satisfaction Guarantee – Terms and Conditions
1. Cudo members may be entitled to receive a full cash refund (“Refund”) on the terms set out in these terms and conditions if that Cudo member is not satisfied with the quality of the goods and services received pursuant to a voucher he/she has purchased on the Cudo Website (“Voucher”) or is not satisfied that the goods or services provided by a merchant conformed with the terms and conditions for that offer.
2. A request for a Refund must be submitted via the form located on the contact page of the Cudo Website or via email to Cudo Customer Service (see contact us).
3. All Cudo members requesting a Refund will be required to provide a full account of their experience with the good and/or service and full particulars as to why they are not satisfied with the quality of the goods and services that are the subject of a Voucher and/or are not satisfied that the goods or services provided by a merchant conformed with the terms and conditions for that offer as published on the Voucher and/or the Cudo Website (“Particulars”). In addition to Particulars, Cudo members are encouraged to provide feedback on how Cudo can improve its services to members.
4. Cudo reserves the right to verify the validity and veracity of some or all of the Particulars at any time, including (but not limited to) by consulting with the relevant merchant responsible for fulfillment of the offer and/or by asking the Cudo member for additional information or documentation.
5. Where Cudo concludes that a complaint is invalid or that a Cudo member’s Particulars are misleading, incorrect and/or deceptive, Cudo reserves the right to refuse a Refund (in its sole discretion).
6. Where a Cudo member has previously received a Refund from Cudo (including pursuant to these terms and conditions), Cudo reserves the right to refuse a further request for a Refund made by that Cudo member (in its sole discretion).
7. The value of the Refund will be the same as the purchase amount of the corresponding Voucher. The Refund will be paid directly into the bank account which the Cudo member used to purchase the Voucher.
8. A Cudo Member may request a Refund up to thirty (30) days after the expiration date of the relevant Voucher (as published on the Voucher). After this time, a Refund may, or may not, be provided to the Cudo member at Cudo’s sole discretion.
9. Cudo reserves the right to resolve a Cudo member’s complaint and/or dissatisfaction with the goods and/or services provided by a merchant via other means prior to paying any Refund to that Cudo member, including (but not limited to) repairing or replacing any good and/or resupplying the relevant good or service that is the subject of the Voucher.
10. Any Refund provided to a Cudo member is in no way an admission of guilt or liability by or on behalf of Cudo or the admission of any other fact in connection with any act or omission which led to the request for a Refund being submitted by a Cudo member.
11. Cudo’s Satisfaction Guarantee policy may be amended or cancelled at Cudo’s sole discretion.
Who knew a refund policy could suddenly become a unique selling proposition? Now … why on earth are Cudo keeping it secret and burying it in their T&Cs?
I’d love to hear your experience with group buying sites – both positive & negative.
Ingrid Cliff
We put your business into words
Heart Harmony – Freelance writer
June 13th, 2011 at 11:59 pm
I had to change 5 bulbs myself to find out my car has a bad rectifier.I too wonder why we need to change the whole unit to replace a car bulb.Great post, i enjoyed reading it.