When it comes to keeping her family entertained Kerman mom Niki Ruffoni loves searching her favorite daily deals websites like Groupon and Living Social: "I liked the one from the movies, Fandango, that's an awesome deal, I've bought those twice now, even though I haven't been to a movie in over a year. But then it made us go. It made us go and enjoy it."
But her enthusiasm sometimes costs her, when several of the deals she purchased expired before she could redeem them. With a 3-year-old and another on the way, Niki ended up on doctor's ordered bed rest and eating the cost of water park tickets she couldn't use: "I tried to get someone else to use it, maybe a family member, even post it on Facebook if someone wanted it for a good deal, and I still didn't get any bites on it."
That's where a new group of websites comes in, where customers can sell daily deals they can't use to people who regret missing them.
www.lifesta.com is one. CEO Yael Gavish told us how it works: "99 cents plus 8 percent and the seller can set it higher or lower, whatever the seller wants." She says people should post their unwanted deals as soon as possibly for the best chance of a sale.
www.couprecoup.com is like "Craigslist" for Groupons, the biggest sit eon the web for deal resellers. But it offers no guarantees for phony deals. Another option is www.dealsgoround.com which has a "deal wallet" which helps users keep track of their deals so they don't forget about them.
Groupon sends reminders of upcoming expiration dates too, but Niki says she's changed her deal-shopping approach: "I look at the expiration date now. Is it only for a summer event, is it only for six months or is it for a full year, because then you have more time."
Online:
www.Groupon.com
www.LivingSocial.com
www.lifesta.com
www.couprecoup.com
www.dealsgoround.com
