GROUP BUYING: 8 FACTORS TO CONSIDER BEFORE JUMPING ON A DEAL

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Group buying is becoming a fad in today’s consumer society. It is a great way to save money for products and services you’d normally have to pay full price for anyway such as dental treatment, hair treatment or dining out. A daily deal that is sure to grab your attention is available and you’d be spoilt for choice due to a wide variety of products, services and holiday accommodation offered at irresistible prices.
Despite the huge savings offered in group buying opportunities, one must be discerning when choosing the array of products, services and travel accommodation available. Here are 8 factors that you should look out for before jumping on a deal that takes your fancy:
1. Need Versus Want
There may be a time when you get tempted by a deal on a product or service because of its attractively low price. That sinfully delicious artisan chocolates cost just $49, a 71% discount off its retail price. Now, you could either treat yourself to the whole chocolate package or keep it for a friend’s birthday. Now, do you really need to get that chocolate? Can you do without it? Are you sure you’re going to buy it as a gift? If you weren’t planning on buying it anyway don’t buy it for the sake of buying.
2. Be prepared to be swarmed with emails
Once you’ve signed up with a group buying site, you’d be swarmed by emails. These deals are updated daily so that means you’ll receive daily emails notifying you of new products. This product notification is a form of advertisement on the part of the group buying company, giving its clients exposure in the hope of widening the consumer base.
3. Block out dates for holiday accommodation
If you intend to purchase a holiday accommodation offering massive discounts at a dream location, ensure that you read the fine print. Some dates or days are blocked out such as Fridays to Saturdays and public holidays as well as the peak season. Purchase only when your leave from work is flexible.
4. Be prepared to pay for your own airfare
That tempting holiday accommodation offer does not include airfares. Do consider your budget when you include airfares and transport transfer from the airport to your intended accommodation.
5. The urge to jump on a deal
Since the deal for a product or service is on for only a short period of time, a decision to purchase must be made quickly. Any impulsive shopper can be lured into this consumer trap as the deals are hard to resist and is available for only a short time. Also many shoppers can be addicted to group buying when they keep on purchasing one product or service after another as the offers seem too good to be missed.
6. Deals of products or services are not always of the best quality
The deals advertised always claim to offer the best food, product or service. However, this may not be the case as different people would have different tastes and expectations. My advice is to always perform a Google search of the businesses offering the deals and look for the retail price offered. If you are looking up a restaurant, checking out its reviews will be helpful to get an idea of the quality of food served and its services.
7. Be prepared for an addiction to a certain lifestyle
Group buying can be addictive as you may think that you are making huge savings each time you jump on a deal. Bear in mind that you are NOT making any savings if you don’t intend to purchase a particular product or service on offer. If you have had a good experience with a particular service on offer, you’d want to experience another similar service or try another service. For example, you may be satisfied with a hair treatment service that cost you just $69 and would love to try out a facial treatment this time since you can be treated from top to toe using group buying for a steal. You may tend to notice that you have gradually adopted a different lifestyle from before, preferring pampering service which was considered to be a luxury prior to your group buying experience. Purchasing a product or service which you don’t really need is an additional expense that can take a toll on your wallet.
8. Be prepared to be harassed by sales representatives
Group buying benefits consumers as well as business in the sense that the former gets what appears to be a good deal while the latter hopes to get leads that may translate to loyal patronage. With this in mind, be prepared for a sales pitch after your service. I have had the experience of trying out a deal that led to the sales representative talking me into signing up for a series of sessions for a ‘good’ deal. This isn’t considered a good deal if paying for a series of sessions have not been on the cards anyway. It just means additional expenses. Also be prepared for upselling of related products after the service. This is just part of business tactics to make some profits and to secure loyal patronage.
Group buying is indeed a way of making huge savings if you use it to your advantage. However, be mindful of the above-mentioned pitfalls of group buying. Not all that glitter is gold. Be an informed and discerning shopper and take advantage of good deals the next time you see a deal on a product or service you’ve been looking for.






