The Disgruntled Customers of Groupon Philippines

I was recently browsing some news feeds from friends in my personal Facebook account when I saw a former colleague venting her anger about being cheated and deceived by Groupon Philippines.  I checked the page where she posted her complaint and I was greeted by too many posts with the same tone of frustration and disappointment.  I tried checking Google to see if there are bloggers who posted about the company’s poor customer service and I found this one.

A screenshot from the blogger’s blog post

The blogger is quite angry because her sister’s credit card doesn’t receive any refunds from Groupon Philippines after being charged of an unattainable deal.

“On January 23, 2012, my sister used my account (with my permission) and her credit card, purchased five vouchers for “All You Can Eat Buffet with Bottomless Iced Tea for P450 (P900 value) at Imperial Palace Suites (Up to 51% off)”, which she planned to use on her birthday.

On January 24, 2012, we called Imperial Palace to make a reservation for January 25, but lo and behold, we were told that they were not accepting weekday reservations. The deal did not mention this or my sister would not have bought the vouchers in the first place. My sister is a lawyer and she is very keen to details.We read and re-read the deal on the site and the voucher to make sure we didn’t miss something.”

It is very obvious that this customer service problem has been existing for quite some time yet it seems like the company doesn’t give any satisfactory solution to appease their customers.  Below is the only recent message from Groupon Philippines posted on their Facebook fan page.

My former colleague purchased a watch and a bag from them on April but until now she hasn’t received her orders yet.  She tried contacting them through all means but received no feedback from the company.  All other recent comments on their Facebook page are the same.

See more customer complaints on their Facebook fan page.

I hope Groupon Philippines will settle these disputes as soon as possible.  It seems like the company’s philosophy (we treat our customers the way we like to be treated) has now backfired.

P.S: To Groupon Phillipines: If you are treating your customers this way, then expect that you will also be treated the same way.

About Empress

Empress is a tech enthusiast who loves to read and write. She founded Empress Content Writing & Digital Marketing Services to help small entrepreneurs grow their business.

41 thoughts on “The Disgruntled Customers of Groupon Philippines

  1. Oh no! I’m a Groupon addict. I purchase all the time. So far, I only purchased salon and spa services, no real product except for a bed from Mandaue Foam, which actually arrived on time, earlier than expected actually. Would it be safe to just buy services than actual products? Now I’m scared. Thanks for sharing this. I’m not aware of this at all.

  2. We’ve been purchasing deals from Groupon, we’ve got nice results but not until now. I am very very disappointed at their service this time. They sent me the voucher, and when I entered the code for checkout, it is invalid. I contacted both Groupon and the merchant weeks ago through email and phone. The merchant says I have to contact Groupon since they gave the code. Groupon told me that they’ll call back as soon as they contacted the merchant. What can I do? the deal expires today, does that mean that I won’t receive my item though it is already paid a month ago? This is really frustrating! I’ll go to their office tomorrow and see what happens.

  3. They have every right to be upset. I have bought a number of “specials” from Groupon and learned early on that you have to read the fine print. I also found that many of the Groupon specials were the same price when I went to the companies anyway. The worst was travel packages and hotel deals. I got better deals from main stream websites that specialize in travelling. People need to complain more.

  4. I´m sorry to say this but not only in the Philipines, many reports worldwide with the same concepts have troubling with these sites.

    One owner in Scandinavia even went bakrupcy because of groupon because their seller sold her to many offers, now her customer comes to her but she don´t earn a dime!!!!

  5. These group coupon buying deals are becoming a disaster all over the world. When they started they were a great promotional tool, and businesses cared enough to give a little in the hope of repeat custom. As the business has progressed and the sites are in desperate need of constant advertising and sponsors – the value in these deals has dwindled to nothing. It’s not just in the Philipines it really is everywhere.

  6. I purchases last July and until now i dont have my item.. they are really worst. and their numbers are useless. it keeps on ringing the whole day i called it up and noone is answering. i emailed them maybe a hundred already but the reply is all electronic, no concrete answer. They all fooling people. really bastards!

  7. hi all..i am working on getting our concerns to DTI..we need to let others know what kind of company Groupon is para wala nang ibang manakawan pa…let me know if you have suggestions..i have my blogger friend write about them already

  8. Yes, i’m also a Groupon Philippines victim, I hope someone will be brave enough to file a complaint to DTI regarding this matter.

    Their FB page is still up and running and I noticed that they are now filtering all the negative feedbacks about them… Poor service.. never again.

  9. I think the novelty of these group buying websites has really worn off. They push the seller to put their prices to rock bottom, then they take advantage of the consumers. The only people making a profit here are groupon!

  10. Sorry to hear that. I had a totally different experience with Groupon. I bought a membership for 1 month at sportlife for $10…and now somehow I have a year worth of training! Value: $800 🙂

  11. i’m also one of the recent customer of Groupon. and i am very very very disappointed right now. i purchased a toy for my daughter which states delivery date of Sept. 24. i purchased it around August. Sept has passed and i started emailing them for follow up but to no avail. i just thought their having problems with their deliveries so i let it pass. But month of Oct i started emailing them again and again to no avail. when i finally had the courage to call them last Oct. 22 they told me they already shipped my item last Oct. 3. i only live in Sta. Mesa only. they promised me to give me the tracking number within the day bcoz their having problems retrieving the number to their logistics dept. i waited the whole day and no email was sent. i called again today, same process, after holding on the line for 5 min the tracking number is still lost and blaming their logistics dept. what kind of customer service is that? they should have made sure that the item is really delivered to the customer. from what i see, Groupon is just after the payment they receive from the customers. but no after sales service.

  12. Grabe marami nplang na biktima itong groupon. I availed home masage but i found out di pala totoo ito. I called groupon but there number cannot be reached nor no one take the call. Hay naku..good luck sa empleyado ng groupon nagpapagamit kayo sa mga panloloko ng kumpanya nio. Jomelyn, kay and Joan good luck sa karma sa inyong lahat jan.

  13. Hi,

    Recently, I purchased a premium product from Groupon Philippines, which is naavail ko nmn ng walang hassle.

    I suggest for those who have complaint to visit their office. There’s no use of calling, however if you visit personally, they might listen to your complaint and resolve the issues.

  14. I am terribly disappointed with this groupon site. There is not even a contact number on the email transaction receipt and had to search for their number on google. Terrible!!!!!

  15. I purchased a voucher from Groupon Philippines in October for an online course. The merchant told me that the voucher code didn’t work,so I forwarded the voucher to the merchant so that they’ll see that the code is exact. I also emailed Groupon regarding the voucher code error. I was waiting for the replies of both the merchant and Groupon, but they are not replying.

    So what I did was call up Groupon, asking for a refund since I’m unable to use the voucher with no one replying to my emails. The customer service rep said it would take 3 weeks. Ok then.

    After 4 weeks, I called up Groupon because the reversal did not take effect upon checking my credit card statement. I called them up again, and the rep told me that perhaps the statement updates was just late.

    I tried calling them again and I was told to expect a call from them within the day, but nothing happened.

    Right now I’m trying to call but no one is answering the phone. They’re not replying to emails either.

    I don’t know how am I going to get back my refund.

  16. I am terribly disappointed with this groupon site. There is not even a contact number on the email transaction receipt and had to search for their number on google. The fact that I still have to go to their office defeats the purpose of online shopping.. Convenience!

  17. I haven’t receive 2 of my orders in Groupon. I created 3 different tickets reporting this issue but got nothing from anybody from the company they should stop this online shopping alot of customers kept on purchasing and paid for them without any goods in return

  18. I bought 4 products in a span of 3 months and did not get any of what I purchased. I followed it up with them through email but there was no reply. They should at least explain why they failed to deliver the products. I requested for a refund but again there is no reply. We are not protected from this group buying site. But let us try DTI. Let us all complain or report this to DTI so that Groupon will be banned from selling products online.

  19. This is not good, of all the comments I read I am adding another message here to show grouponphilippines how disappointed we are, guys I think it’s about time to bring this to the media so that we all can get our refunds, I can’t wait to go back in the Philippines, I guess I’m spending my vacation in turning the merchants n grouponphilippines who is ignoring us now a days….for grouponphilippines we work hard to get the money we paid you so we will work hard again to get our money back!!!!!!

  20. @Eden: We have the same predicament but I only bought 1 product( since I just wanted to try them out)and that was last Sept.28,2012 up to now I haven’t receive the item. I really wanted this Groupon to be banned and stop them from victimizing more trusting filipino customers.

  21. Wow, I have been using Groupon Philippines for years and have never had a problem with anything I have purchased. One time my product was overdue but when I called they had advised it was delayed in shipping and offered me a refund or credit. In fairness, I will continue to use them again.

  22. it is indeed unfortunate, we are publishers for groupon australia on our website ayawmobiliko.com and we don’t have this kind of problems.

    we are not publishing groupon philippines as of now, but i do hope if we do, they should be more caring of their customers. customers are definitely always right.

  23. In the Philippines the rule of Bussiness is Make Money today ,the next day do not worry about that till the next day. This thing called customer service. what is this you speck of customer service. Repeat bussines is how can i make money today the next day do not worry about that till the next day it is the cycle of bussiness in the Philippines.

  24. BEWARE DO NOT BUY FROM GROUPON

    Groupon will not refund your money even though you have a valid reason. It will not give you back your money even though no service rendered nor goods delivered. This is a clear theft. Beware.

    1. They refunded me with Groupon credits in the past. Now they’re refusing and contradicting their own website FAQs. Business is down that they’re resorting to thievery?

  25. The only deals I buy from groupon are the photobook deals… Otherwise, I refrain from buying products, because I got scammed once and I never received my paid order. The customer service really really sucks!

    1. Until now wala pa yung order mo? I ordered kasi last August and until now wala pa rin. I’m contacting them but they’re not answering my calls and not responding to my online queries

  26. Groupon Philippines is actually a great and fun way to get deals. However, before you purchase anything, you need to understand the following:
    1. They tell you right away [if you bother reading the very bottom part of any deal]: “Please note, if you want a refund on a bank deposit purchase, we can only refund you in Groupon credit, which you can use in the next purchase.” I got them to refund a friend’s credit card purchase even after the deal had expired [because she just couldn’t book it], but they refunded her thru Groupon credit. Not sure if that is how they deal with all credit card purchases. Better to use Paypal because they do refund that way if you have Paypal. Here’s their FAQ page for exact details: http://www.beeconomic.com.ph/faq
    2. The delivery is wonky, you can get a package right away or it can be quite delayed. The last product I bought has been delayed for more than 2 weeks. I think it can be dicey. If it is delayed, you can complain about it thru:
    3. Their Zendesk link [https://grouponphilippines.zendesk.com/anonymous_requests/new], they’re pretty good about answering complaints and processing requests that way. They do have a landline number [1-800-10-GROUPON (PLDT only)] you can call, but you’ll have to stay on it for hours on end before they pick up. In fact you have to try it several times, for several minutes [like 20-30 minutes] and can hit the jackpot when someone deigns to pick up. But when someone does pick-up, then you can have your complaint attended to.
    4. Best to stick to services or resto deals BUT check reviews of those establishments first before buying! Caveat emptor! There are unscrupulous restaurants out there like Zero Degree Manila Ice Bar whose Indian cuisine buffet is not what it was touted to be in the deal and 7th High Apex Lounge who cancels their deal at the very last minute saying they can no longer accept the vouchers they sold. In the case of Zero Degree, we should have read the reviews before purchasing and in the case of 7th High, Groupon refunded the amount to Paypal after we told them that 7th High cancelled it. That being said, last but not the least;
    5. If you keep the above mentioned things in mind and do your homework, then you actually do get great deals.
    The same goes for Metrodeal and the other discount dealers.

  27. Just had a recent incident with Groupon. I ordered an aquamundo bag last November 2013 and waited for a month to make a follow-up call on December 11, 2013. I was advised it will be prioritized.

    Since I was busy during the holidays, I did not pay too much attention about my order except leaving another follow-up email. Upon my return from vacation today, I learned that my order have not arrived yet. I made another call, only to be informed that I will no longer receive my order because it is already out of stock. Imagine my dismay. 2 months of waiting and no effort of informing the client.

    Now, I am waiting for my credit card refund which they claimed would happen within 2-3 weeks. I am so disappointed with their service. Their on-line support is useless. I will never use their service again and will warn my friends about their company.

  28. Thanks for the article

    I’ve also heard from others that Groupon doesn’t work well in most 3rd world countries. Not sure how true this is though.

  29. I love Groupon Philippines. I’ve been using them for years now and have not had any problems. When I called their hotline about a travel deal I was interested in, they answered right away and provided details regarding the fine print. Bought the deal and enjoyed my trip. Groupon is more fun in the Philippines! I’ll keep shopping.

  30. I am not a customer of Groupon, nor will I ever. I was the victim of Fraud whereupon some @$$ purchased a Groupon Manila getaway. I have tried to get in contact with them with these numbers from their site:
    632-478-7078 and 1 800 10 Groupon (which is a fake #)

    My bank is now dealing with the issue, and I am raging angry with Groupon because this is a company that was MADE IN THE USA, but like Starbucks does outside franchising to get out of paying proper taxes and wages. There is no go between person, no international help, and now I have to hope that since I work for the airport, I can personally find the S.O.B. who did this in the first place by using Groupon which has no true safeguards for your information. Anyone can steal your credit numbers, and purchase their dream vacation on your dime because no one cares about your safety. No one.

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