"Buy Time" consumption trap

"The group was fooled again!" After a weekend spa trip, my friend complained. 98 Yuan of group purchase price originally in the weekend also need additional charges, and group buy website labeled "Original price 398/person", in fact should be each standard room rate. So vague + swap concept, in fact, there is no cost-effective many of the group, was described by the website hype. In the past two years, group buying is definitely one of the hottest words in the internet economy. The original price of 460 yuan hairdressing package sold only 49 yuan, as long as 98 yuan can eat to the original price of 411 yuan of food ... So exciting price, every day in all kinds of buy online attract attention. Food, clothing, movie tickets, cosmetics, snacks and so on, there are few things in daily life can not buy.

However, contrary to the rapid development of Chinese group buying websites, consumers ' freshness and enthusiasm are rapidly evaporating. The endless group buys the trap to be impossible to guard against, you still dare regiment?

Buy, "pie" or "trap"?

In early 2010, the originator of Groupon, the United States, Groupon was set up only 1.5, its valuation will be more than 1.35 billion U.S. dollars, the miracle of growth has greatly stimulated the enthusiasm of domestic group buying, from March 2010 onwards, Groupon for the template of group buying site began to appear in large numbers in the country. From the beginning of last year's 4, developed to the current nearly 1800, the Chinese group buying site to add an average of 5 daily increase in the speed of explosive growth. In the past December 2010 alone, domestic network group buying sales broke through 401 million yuan. This growth rate in the domestic internet unprecedented. From the initial several to today's "Thousand Regiment War", the domestic appeared a group of well-known group buying website, for example, the United States regiment nets, full network, handle nets, glutinous rice nets, 24 coupons, 58 group Buy, the public comments group, tick group, QQ Group, F group Nets, Pet Regiment, etc., so 2010 years also known as "group purchase year."

With the rapid development of group buying, a piece of amazing group buying action also repeatedly into people's eyes. This newspaper in the last year has been reported, September 9, 2010, Taobao cost-effective platform to launch a group of Mercedes-Benz Smart car activities, if the number of groups of 200 units, users can enjoy 77 percent, that is, 135,000 yuan of the group purchase car, the activity on line only 3 hours 28 minutes, 205 Smart is snapped. This is almost equivalent to Mercedes-Benz China's 1/20 Smart sales all year round.

However, with the hot, group-buying experience of the complaints also increased, the association received the group purchase complaints also climbed, the main reflection of the problem is the merchandise discount false, goods not board, counterfeit goods, poor service. According to the "2010 Domestic Network group buying industry Credit Survey Report", the number of users to two times in the group to account for 30% of the respondents, but the third group buy users only 13.3%. And the Austrian Network survey results also show that the rejection and reduce the frequency of the net users accounted for 50%.

Admittedly, online group buying can really bring us concessions and convenience, but "pie" and "trap" is only a gleam. So what are the common pitfalls of online group buying and how should consumers guard against it?

Consumption traps

Trap One: Raise the original price discount water

Case: Original price two people when a person said

Just after the weekend, the friend angrily complained, "buy too can cheat." Earlier this year, friends in a group buying site to see Taishan a hot Spring hotel group purchase information, the original price of 398/person, the group purchase price only need 98 yuan/person, less than 30 percent of the prices are quite exciting. Friends on the Internet to check the Hot Springs Hotel information, is indeed an old hot spring hotel, the people have been very good evaluation. Think of the New year after the department party is missing a place, so the friend excitedly with colleagues after consultation, ordered 18 people group purchase.

Last weekend, a dozen friends of the department from Guangzhou to set off, spent two hours drive to Taishan, a group of people tired and excited just want to hurry to stay for a while, did not expect to be stuck in check-in. Hotel staff said that the 98 Yuan of the group purchase price is only the usual prices, the weekend each room also charge 76 yuan fee, and they originally ordered 18 people is 9 rooms, even now only need 7 rooms, the other two rooms still charge.

Friends froze, the weekend surcharge, the site does not say, but the hotel attitude is very tough, and claimed that the hotel has always been so. Friends helpless only call to inquire about the site, did not think the site also "can't manage this." Come all the way here, can not all retreat back, so ruanmoyingpao for more than half an hour, finally both sides let the step, not to charge 76 yuan per room fee, but did not stay in the two rooms in accordance with the cost of 4 people to collect money.

Stayed there for one night, when a pedestrian returned to Guangzhou in Sunday, he took a publicity leaflet of the hotel. Eagle-eyed colleagues found that the publicity leaflet on the 398 yuan is the price of each standard room, that is, two talent 398 yuan, but the group purchase site is impressively written is "the original price 398/person", the instant discount and cheaper half. Such a concept of substitution and vague, it is really let people squares leftovers, friends can only one face wry smile, "as a lesson to grow insight."

Trap two: seemingly cheap but hiding hidden consumption

Case: Hair Shop 99 Yuan Group purchase cash to pay 400 yuan

In all types of group buying, hairdressing should be the most favored by female consumers, "now the average hairdressing service will cost hundreds of or even thousands of dollars, compared to the purchase price concessions are attractive." Lily, who often buys on the internet, says so. Reporter to "hairdressing group purchase" for hot words in Baidu search, got thousands of search results, including handle nets, tick group, 58 groups and other well-known group purchase sites have related information.

However, hair purchase contains the most traps. Ms. Zhang, who lives in Liwan District, also rushed back to the fashionable group buying a hair certificate, but when the use of the trouble.

Ms. Zhang told reporters, seemingly cheap, but it contains hidden consumption traps, "I spent 99 yuan to participate in the hair dyed Perm Group, wait until the store consumption, but was suggested that the best to pay the cost of hair styling, if not cut on the hot, hair on the chaos of the total no type, but under, Ms. Zhang added 50 yuan cut hair styling fee.

This is not finished, wait until the haircut, and the shop told her that the group buy package does not include nutrition potions and hot dye before and after the care, and "without these steps, the hairstyle is neither ideal nor to maintain lasting." In desperation, Ms. Li spent more than 200 yuan.

Trap Three: Goods and services are shrinking

Case: 98 Yuan ate a "slimming" meal

Recently, netizens "elusive" in the forum reaction, he went to a restaurant to consume 98 yuan buy coupons, dinner home only to find that the original group purchase coupons 13 dishes are less than 2 samples. "The waiter just vaguely reported the name of the dish!" According to his introduction, he went to the restaurant last month to consume a 98 yuan purchase coupons, when the waiter will buy the dishes on the whole, obviously feel the number of group buying is not enough. As the user in the use of Buy coupons, and a single point of 150 yuan of dishes, therefore, netizens also did not care too much. After eating home to find a catch, "from the site on a look, this is stupid eyes!" He went home to the site than a bit of food, only to find that the commitment to buy coupons in the price of the food is 28 yuan with the combination of fat and meat balls, that is, the original price of 316 yuan of vegetables, a full 56 yuan.

Trap Four: Booking difficult service poor

Case: Group buying nearly expired

Often participate in group buying activities, Miss Chen frankly, to participate in online group buying is the value of this price, she has been a group of film tickets, hair, catering and photography, because each group to participate in less than thousands of people more than thousands of million people, and most concentrated in a period of time to spend, the quality of service of the business has significantly decreased.

Mr. Chen recently on February 14 Valentine's Day on the night ordered a set of double lovers dinner, the group purchase price as long as 188 yuan, the prices than the restaurant at the same rate thousands of dollars of the package price is much cheaper. Mr. Chen secretly congratulated, but let him not anticipate is, in only two days, that set of couples package booking volume has reached more than 5,000, and the actual area of the restaurant is only 100 square meters.

By the time Mr. Chen picks up his girlfriend and rushes to the pizzeria, the store is packed and there are long lines outside, and it's almost impossible to have dinner before 10, and Mr. Chen decides to find another restaurant.

However, the next day he was ready to apply for a refund to the restaurant, the other side told that the group has been on the purchase page posted on the date of the use of the package to the Valentine's Day on the night of 12 o'clock, if no consumption can only be counted automatically abstained.

This kind of embarrassing thing is not only this one, gu recently in the "QQ group purchase" on a U.S. Body project, coupons marked a day in advance booking, can play three or four times did not succeed, and finally two weeks ahead of schedule to the awkward Monday morning. Difficult to make an appointment is also a lot of people encounter after a big "tragedy", "can not wait for the expiration of the bar."

User Experience

Expert reminder

1, cosmetics things are difficult to buy authentic, food and beverage groups are mostly real, photography, beauty salon is not necessarily.

2, see the big deal, first of all to remind themselves, how can there be pie in the sky. To see through the trap, first of all to understand the market price, if the group is too low, do not participate in the purchase.

3, before the regiment, to search for the group buy the net and the group of sale before the purchase of consumer experience.

4, group purchase site needs to be certified, if there is no source of group buying site must be playing the name of group buying to deceive consumers. are on the portal of group buying sites, such as Sina, the public comments on the network to sweep goods, but also to see the head of NetEase information. High credibility of the big group buying site is still trustworthy, it does not need to use a small sum to destroy the long-term accumulation of credibility. Group buying and online shopping this thing, we still have to eyes wide eyes.

5, as far as possible to choose Third-party Payment, inspection after the payment method, can reduce unnecessary trouble.

The Chinese Consumer Association has also given several tips on how to evade risk by buying websites for illegal group buying:

1, must choose a higher degree of credit, large group purchase website consumption;

2, buy the website is reliable, should pay attention to see whether the site is company-run, whether with ICP license, to see whether it has a license code and related links, the website copyright page has no operating business name and address, telephone, responsible and other information, customer service hotline can be connected, the relevant bar, forum consumer evaluation. If there is only address and contact, consumers need to think twice before they do it.

3, carefully read the consumer rules before the order, do not be confused by price and discount. There are a few important messages to be sure: the effective use date of the coupon, the limit period, the number of limits, the availability of other restrictions or additional consumption.

4, keep a good purchase when the content of the page, confirm the page and confirm the message and other vouchers, once a consumer dispute, can be used as a claim for such rights of evidence.