Heads Up! Groupon Settlement for Expired Groupons

Here is a response I received today from Groupon regarding an expired Groupon purchased last November:

"""Fortunately, even after the promotional value expires, the Groupon is still worth the amount you paid for it, in accordance with Groupon's terms of service. For example, if you paid $10 for a $20 Groupon, that Groupon should still be worth $10 at the business after it's expired.

To access your expired Groupons, sign into your account at www.groupon.com/mygroupons and choose "Expired" from the menu next to "Show".

Regards,

Claudia P.
Groupon Customer Support
"""

So where is the settlement item for my Groupon? Does the settlement not affect those who purchased and maybe it is only for who sued them?

I am writing to BBB to make complaints that Groupon first locked my account, which makes my paid groupons inaccessible, meantime refused to refund. It is definately a rip-off.

this is the latest info I've seen...so we may still be able to use the coupons that expired....i think..

"The settlement requires approval by U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw in San Diego.

It covers consumers who received Groupon vouchers between November 2008 and Dec. 1, 2011. These people may redeem the vouchers past the expiration dates, or recover from the $8.5 million settlement fund."

I'd be happy with just getting the coupons extended...

Quote from mychaelp : Here is a response I received today from Groupon regarding an expired Groupon purchased last November: """Fortunately, even after the promotional value expires, the Groupon is still worth the amount you paid for it, in accordance with Groupon's terms of service. For example, if you paid $10 for a $20 Groupon, that Groupon should still be worth $10 at the business after it's expired. To access your expired Groupons, sign into your account at www.groupon.com/mygroupons and choose "Expired" from the menu next to "Show". Regards, Claudia P. Groupon Customer Support """ So where is the settlement item for my Groupon? Does the settlement not affect those who purchased and maybe it is only for who sued them?

The settlement affects anyone qualified for it (IE you purchased the coupon in said time period and didn't use it). The case isn't complete yet, and they are required to contact people who are eligible after the case is finished.

Quote from XReflection : Really? Someone sued over this?

Why is that a surprise. People sue over this sort of thing all the time (or file class action suits).

Quote from xlsun2003 : I am writing to BBB to make complaints that Groupon first locked my account, which makes my paid groupons inaccessible, meantime refused to refund. It is definately a rip-off.

Why would they have locked your account? They don't do that randomly...

Quote from Masked Marvel : Lol. While it is true the owner makes up the difference in my state, you skirted my issue. The coupon benefits the company but not the server. If you're tipping 15% in my restaurant you won't be asked back. Get with the standard of the times and out of the 60s.

Wow. I'd like to know the name of your place, because your restaurant MUST r be doing an AMAZING service to expect those tipping 15% to be not welcomed.

Due to the economy I KNOW of restaurants which ARE just happy have enough customers. I've seen many close, and many become mobile..

Quote from mat2000 : Wow. I'd like to know the name of your place, because your restaurant MUST r be doing an AMAZING service to expect those tipping 15% to be not welcomed. Due to the economy I KNOW of restaurants which ARE just happy have enough customers. I've seen many close, and many become mobile..

This thread still active? lol

Restaurants that have customers who think that 15% tipping is acceptable are, by their nature, destined to close. Restaurants rely on people spending money when they come. If you're too cheap to tip properly, you're too cheap to eat out.

Quote from Masked Marvel : This thread still active? lol Restaurants that have customers who think that 15% tipping is acceptable are, by their nature, destined to close. Restaurants rely on people spending money when they come. If you're too cheap to tip properly, you're too cheap to eat out.

Not necessarily - they need to create value by providing fantastic food and have good margins on their food and drink. Like any business, if they let the fixed expenses get out of whack and not have enough clients to generate revenue, then they are doomed.

Customers can be fickle, and so the restaurant business is a hard one to break into anyway. To get repeat customers, restaurants have to create value for the diner. Otherwise even the customers who aren't "too cheap to tip" as you put it won't save the restaurant. Seen this happen a few times among a couple of people I know who have tried to run "expensive" (high-end) restaurant (Japanese).

The final time it clicked - was because the price was right, the food had great value, rent was about 1/4th what they had originally started out with at other venues, and they trained the staff very well, especially on how to upsell on alcohol.

Quote from Pras_Srini : Not necessarily - they need to create value by providing fantastic food and have good margins on their food and drink. Like any business, if they let the fixed expenses get out of whack and not have enough clients to generate revenue, then they are doomed. Customers can be fickle, and so the restaurant business is a hard one to break into anyway. To get repeat customers, restaurants have to create value for the diner. Otherwise even the customers who aren't "too cheap to tip" as you put it won't save the restaurant. Seen this happen a few times among a couple of people I know who have tried to run "expensive" (high-end) restaurant (Japanese). The final time it clicked - was because the price was right, the food had great value, rent was about 1/4th what they had originally started out with at other venues, and they trained the staff very well, especially on how to upsell on alcohol.

I repped you for a good response. Of COURSE a restaurant has to manage fixed costs and control waste.. etc.. That wasn't my point or the focus of my responses.

Customers who are too cheap to tip ARE too cheap to keep a restaurant open. I've been a career service industry guy for decades and have seen exactly what you describe many times, of course. We all have. The economy sucks. But even when the economy was booming, if customers didn't want to PAY for the atmosphere, service, and quality of food (freshness, preparation, etc etc), then no amount of cheaper paper towels would save the joint. Training service staff to make people happy is desperately important. Responders in this thread say they either don't tip, or tip 15% for great service and a little more for over the top service will kill those restaurants.

Quote from Masked Marvel : Responders in this thread say they either don't tip, or tip 15% for great service and a little more for over the top service will kill those restaurants.

1) I thought the tips go to the servers, not the restaurants.

2) Calling people who tip 15% cheap?? 15% is standard. Why should customers be expected to pay more. It's fine if they do, but honestly, why do you want to insult a customer who pays a 15% tip??

When the Heck/Hell did 15% become cheap???? .... Average Yes, Cheap NO

Quote from Smilinpretty : Same thing--expired groupon asked for a refund and was told as long as the merchant honored the vaalue I paid , they would not refund. Any problems with that I was to call back. Unfortunetely they willl honor what I spent-although not a good deal anymore.

I posted earlier in the thread about 2 rock climbing Groupons which expired and I had been unable to schedule sessions with the company. They were full or had openings which didn't work with my kids' schedules. They expired last August and I was unwilling to use them at face value bc 1) It's no longer a deal and 2) The Groupons were for my kids who are in college and they aren't going to be home this summer.

I called and talked AT LENGTH with two people, one a supervisor of the first person. Both kept telling me they could do nothing bc too much time had passed. I kept telling them I had tried to schedule and had been unable to get a responses from the company and, also, they were booked up when I finally did reach them a few times. They told me to use them myself (I am not a rock climber) or to give them away (I am not giving $110 of rock climbing to anyone, thank you). These conversations went back and forth. I asked for the manager of the 2nd person who finally agreed to give me a one time Groupon credit, after I asked for credit rather than cash back, bc I thought cash was a lost cause. This whole thing took about 45 mins of discussion but was worth it to get $110 of credit. Now I have to use that up.

Moral of the story---they told me to contact them BEFORE expiration. If you are having any trouble using Groupons, contact them right away, even if you are at the vendor at that moment and they are giving you a hard time. They also said to call the vendor and see what availability of certain Groupons are, like if something needs to be scheduled, check to see what dates are open BEFORE you buy the Groupon. I never would have thought to do that. Overall, the Groupon people solved my problem, but it took asking for supervisors and holding firm to my stance that I had been unable to schedule before expiration which was the fault of the vendor. And also, that I had no intentions of becoming a rock climber

Quote from mat2000 : 1) I thought the tips go to the servers, not the restaurants. 2) Calling people who tip 15% cheap?? 15% is standard. Why should customers be expected to pay more. It's fine if they do, but honestly, why do you want to insult a customer who pays a 15% tip??

Simply put, talent.
I'm not going to hang around for dessert or be upsold on a bottle of wine or a second cocktail if service sucks. Restaurants with good food, ambiance AND service are good places to linger and order a full meal (app, entree, dessert) and several drinks. The food could be great and the ambiance killer but I'm not going to hang around to spend money if I'm not enjoying myself; and that's ALL in the timing - i.e, your server. If the entrees are, as you put it, a value, and they don't make much on them, then they have to find the profit in the extras - desserts, drinks, etc.

Ok, sometimes live music helps but really, nothing kills a good meal like an unduly long pause between drinks/food/conversation. Even if it's just a water refill, more chips, or an explanation as to why the kitchen is backed up, great servers know when to show up, and they tend not to work at 'value' or 'family friendly' restaurants in my experience. Not trying to be snarky, just answering your question.

Quote from Masked Marvel : I repped you for a good response. Of COURSE a restaurant has to manage fixed costs and control waste.. etc.. That wasn't my point or the focus of my responses. Customers who are too cheap to tip ARE too cheap to keep a restaurant open. I've been a career service industry guy for decades and have seen exactly what you describe many times, of course. We all have. The economy sucks. But even when the economy was booming, if customers didn't want to PAY for the atmosphere, service, and quality of food (freshness, preparation, etc etc), then no amount of cheaper paper towels would save the joint. Training service staff to make people happy is desperately important. Responders in this thread say they either don't tip, or tip 15% for great service and a little more for over the top service will kill those restaurants.

HAHAHA, good luck with this argument on SlickDeals. Half of the folks here don't tip at all.

By the way, I tip 15-18% and am always smiled at and asked back, as well as given great service. I know more baristas, bartenders, and waiters/waitressess than anyone I know who hasn't worked in the foodservice industry, and not a single one has ever said anything negative about a 15% tip. Some may think it's just average, but way too low? Maybe you should bring that up to Miss Manners, who advocates tipping in this range.

Also, why are you mentioning cheaper paper towels when tips go directly to workers? Do you understand how a business works?