Finding Even Deeper Discounts For Group Coupons
SOMERVILLE (CBS) -- Kelly Chronley of Somerville is always looking to try something new. In just the past few months she has gone skiing, rock climbing, skydiving and taken a cooking class. All of these things would cost hundreds of dollars, but this newly graduated engineer spent only a fraction of that. "It helps me enjoy life on a limited budget," she said.
Kelly is talking about group buying sites like CBS Local Offers, Groupon, LivingSocial and Buywithme. They all offer deep discounts on all kinds of products and services in cities all over the country. Kelly is so hooked, she rarely does anything without one of these deals. But every so often they just don't work out. "I bought a Groupon for a Yoga studio in the area and I was jut too busy to use it," she said.
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Thousands of people have found themselves in the same boat and that is the idea behind several new sites that have created a secondary market for these unwanted deals. Kelly calls it a mix between Groupon and Craigslist.
WBZ-TV's Kate Merrill reports.
Kelly posted her unwanted Yoga Groupon on a site called Couprecoup. "Within a week, someone emailed me and we were able to meet up," she said. That person paid cash for the Groupon and Kelly got her money back.
These sites are not all about unloading what you don't want. They can also help you find something you missed out on. The discount deals are usually available for a short time and often sell out. Now, if you miss out, you can search for it on Couprecoup or Dealsgoround. As an added bonus, some people offer an additional discount as an incentive.
Here's an example. A Segway tour from Boston Gliders is regularly priced at $80. The Groupon offer was for $30. It was listed on Couprecoup for just $20. Boston Glider owner Allan Danley says he has no problem with this secondary market. He says the coupons have already been negotiated and paid for, so it doesn't matter to his bottom line if they are resold. He just wants people to get out there and try a tour. "We know they are going to go home, go on Facebook or Twitter and tell 300 friends and those 300 friends are going to be like, 'Wow! We've got to go do this,'" he said.
Here are a few other deals we found:
Helicopter Flying lessons at East Coast Aero Club
Original Price: $225
Groupon Offer: $60
Couprecoup: $45
Lift Tickets at Jay Peak Resort
Original Price $69
Groupon Offer $45
Couprecoup $40
Bartending Class Drinkmaster Bartending
Original Price $495
Groupon Offer $160
Couprecoup $125
It's a win-win for people like Kelly who will continue to add to her list of adventures. "These are things that I would love to do in my 20s and I can't really afford it without a good deal."
