One of my readers asked, what is the difference between Living Social and Groupon? Which site is better?
Update- Groupon has now purchased their one-time rival, Living Social.
I get daily emails from both sites and generally speaking, Groupon is usually running deals from more established businesses and are pickier about who they let in.
Living Social appears to accept some newer businesses and has more “indie” deals. Recently, Living Social has been running some great packages for hotels and weekend getaways. LivingSocial has recently introduced a takeout and delivery service for favorite restaurants which is a great time, money, and gasoline saver!
Truthfully, both sites have some great deals, but you often have to wade through days of manicures and massages to get to them (sorry no offense meant), there just seems to be a proliferation of these deals.
Living Social has no minimum number of people that have to participate in order for the deal to start. With Groupon, the merchant establishes a minimum number of deals sold before the offer is launched.
Both sites have stellar reputations for customer service and for giving you a refund if you are not happy. Both sites are after our discretionary dollars, so don’t be tempted to buy something just because it is a deal. If you don’t need it, it’s not a deal at any price.
Merchants split their revenue with Groupon and Living Social. Most deals are for 50%, 60%, 70% off or more, so the merchants may even take a loss to get so many new customers in the door. They are counting on wowing you to get you to come back at full price.
Groupon is larger, but Living Social is nipping at their heels. Have you noticed the TV spots now for Living Social? The competition is good for the consumer. Other copycat sites are sprouting up all over and if you don’t want to get all the emails, you can follow my site and I will highlight only the best deals.
I try to support local stores and restaurants when I can by purchasing a Groupon or a Living Social deal. I have not been disappointed. I get excited about the national deals that have been featured on Groupon and Living Social. I have paid $25 for $50 worth of merchandise, and $20 for $40 worth of merchandise at Nordstrom Rack, Amazon.com, The Gap and Barnes and Noble. I use these for gifts because I usually spend $20 – $25 on a gift.
Living Social recently got a large cash infusion from Amazon so I expect to see more Amazon deals in the future.
In my opinion, buyers don’t care where the deal comes from, as long as it is legit, and the deal is good.
You can create a free account at each site Join Groupon, and here to Join Living Social if you want to start to see the daily deals that you will get in your inbox. Just type in your location and it’s quick to set up the account. You can easily unsubscribe if you wish.
More With Less Today tip – you can purchase deals in other cities, you are not limited to just your local area. If you are traveling to another city and know that you will be dining out and site-seeing, these can be great money -savers while on vacation.
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