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Today, we pay in paper. Not money bills but paper. Printouts. Vouchers.
Recently, group buying sites have caught the attention of Filipinos in the Metro. From food, clothing, health and wellness, to even travel and accommodation, there's almost every voucher for every need. You get to have the best deals that you won't even see even if you walk everyday inside the mall.
Discounts range from 30% to 100%. Yes, you read that right, 100%. If you're lucky you might catch a 100% OFF deal in one of the group buying sites below.
My Top 10 Group Buying Sites
1.
What sets Ensogo apart from other local group buying sites is their stand on corporate social responsibility. Not only that you get the best deals from well-known and reputable businesses but also, help the less fortunate. According to their website, 3% of their daily revenues go to charity. Their current charity partner is Children's Hour.
2.
Cash-Cash Pinoy is one of the best group buying sites in my list because they have diverse deals that cater to almost anyone, all at the same time. What group buying site can offer you great discounts on travel accommodation, musicals, events, shoes, food, gadgets, and health & wellness establishments all at the same time???
3.
Groupon is one of the largest group buying sites today. It has been featured in several reputable international and local journals and media such as Times, Forbes, The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, Manila Bulletin, as well as ABS-CBN. In line with this, I hope Groupon honors their promise to their customers.
"Nothing is more important to us than treating our customers well. If you ever feel like Groupon let you down, give us a call and we will return your purchase – simple as that."
4.
I've read a lot of bad reviews for MetroDeal. Most of it concerns their helpdesk or support. I checked their website for contact details, they have their physical address, phone number, and support email. If someone from MetroDeal reads this, I hope your business will be true to your promise, "our 24/7 support team is happy to assist you with your concerns".
Btw, my mom bought a voucher from MetroDeal and she's happy and ecstatic about it. We all know that how not-so-young people are quite difficult to please, that's why MetroDeal is included in my list.
5.
The world's largest online marketplace has joined the bandwagon. It's like hitting two birds with one stone. You get to see awesome deals and at the same time take a virtual window-shopping over eBay.
6.
What I like Gupo is, unlike other group buying sites, they are engaging and interactive through their Facebook fan page. They not only post the deals they have for the day buy also respond to people who comment on their page. They also have these daily contests over their fan page where you get to win cute and cool prizes.
7.
I frequent Pinoy Vouchers and a lot of people seem to check it out and take advantage of their deals. I'm have a sweet-tooth and they feature chocolate and cake deals that are really hard to resist!
8.
I bought a deal with them and emailed them to cancel after a few days. There's no problem with the deal. I just realized that it's not practical enough for me to by at that time. Only problem was, their reply to my email took a few days.
9.
Though this group buying site is not as popular as those above, I frequently check their current deals as well as past deals they have offered. I can say that their offers are diverse and not at all disappointing as compared to other group buying sites that mostly offer spa vouchers all at the same time. You might also want to know that they give 3% of your purchases to their featured foundation or charity. As of writing, their featured foundation is The Mind Museum in Taguig.
10.
I first learned about Pakyaw from Ruffa Gutierrez. I was following her on Twitter and she tweeted about buying flowers from Pakyaw. At first, I thought the name of the site was funny because it was during that time, Manny Pacquiao was really popular due to a recent win. I checked the site out and was quite disappointed of the limited offers they have. However recently, their site has improved as well as the quality of deals they have.
HEADS UP!!!
Since money is hard to earn these days and its value has decreased over time. You need to be practical with you money. It doesn't mean that you have to buy everything on sale.
Just to remind you, with all the group buying sites in the Philippines, you must also be vigilant and resourceful. DO A LOT OF RESEARCH!!!
Research on the deal you're intending to buy. Go to their website, if they have one, their Facebook account, or even try giving the establishment a call. Make sure to verify the deal and if the ORIGINAL price that the group buying site posted is correct.
I have read a lot of complaints from other bloggers talking about their bad experience with group buying sites. There's this case where the group buying site posted a 50% discount for total expenses on hotel accommodation and transfers. However, after purchasing and paying the voucher for that deal, the blogger did some research and found out that the total expenses for the accommodation, transfers, and even breakfast for that hotel is even a few hundred pesos cheaper that the original, non-discounted price that the particular group buying site posted. It caused quite a stir on the web that the Country Program Manager of the group buying site had to do something about it.
My Top 10 list is based on my opinion and experiences as well as people I know. There are a lot others out there and I'd like to know more about it. May it be a new group buying that isn't on my list or a bad experience that you had with them.
