If you haven’t already bought into the whole coupon craze, maybe it’s high time you did. Internetorganized group buying has exploded in the last two years, with world leader Groupon rejecting a US$6b offer from Google at the end of last year. The premise is simple—you indicate your interest in a deal and if the requisite number of other people do likewise (the “tipping point” in marketing speak), the deal is activated. While a deal-a-day might not keep the doctor away, the best coupon sites are worth exploring for some great savings. But with some 14 (and counting) different websites in Singapore offering deals that run the gamut of dining, travel and beauty services, it can all be a little overwhelming. We road-tested the most high profile of these sites, to save you time when it comes time to save.
BigDeal.sg
The Good: We imagine most folks would be pleased with the array of offers available here (food and travel, as well as beauty services). You can get your hair permed/colored on the cheap, a 60-minute body massage, or pick from a list of dining partners that includes Forlino, Michelangelo’s and miki yo (most of which are under $50).
The Bad: The uber tacky website, complete with images of Cupid, kissing couples and a red and pink background (barf). On top of that, their “more deals” tab on the homepage doesn’t list the time the offer is valid and the layout of Terms and Conditions is messy and unprofessional.
Verdict: If you can overlook the hideous design issues (we can’t—so sue us, we’re all about aesthetics), there are a fair number of respectable offers.
Variety: ✔✔✔✔✔
Usability: *****
Notable merchants: Forlino, Sentosa, Outback Stakehouse, Night Safari
First Deal: May 2010
Frequency: Updated once a day, with one deal sent by email daily.
No. of ongoing deals: 4
Savings: 40-97%
Payment: AE/MC/V, PayPal
CityNomads.com
The Good: Carefully curated, one-of-a-kind deals. While the scope is narrow (it’s almost entirely restaurants and bars), the selection is genuinely impressive, with recent offers including menu discounts at El Toro and 50% off at Infusion@Dempsey. We booked a wine dinner at Bistro Amigo ($99, down from $160) and the experience far exceeded our expectations. (The food was cooked by a former Top Chef contestant, no less.) City Nomads also hawk bottles of vino and shake things up once in a while with non-dining-related deals like golf at Urban Fairways.
The Bad: Not so great if you’re not a foodie or nightowl. And typically only one or two deals a day. Still in need of some finetuning (not listing a time for one event, saying that a coupon would be sent when in fact none was required). Having said that,
they’re quick to make corrections when pointed out.
Verdict: Well worth looking at, particularly if you’re big on food and drink. Professionally done and, barring a few teething problems, shows real promise. Not even Groupon offers such unique experiences.
Variety: ✔✔✔✔✔
Usability: *****
Notable merchants: El Toro, Infusion, Shots Cafe, Oosters Belgian Brasserie
First Deal: Dec 2010
Frequency: Every 2-3 days, with daily email reminders.
No. of ongoing deals: 1-2
Savings: 50-81%
Payment: AE/MC/V, PayPal
Deal.com.sg
The Good: This is one of the more established sites, with a good range of travel, retail, dining, beauty and entertainment deals. They’ve already worked with dependable brands such as Skinny Pizza, Marie France Bodyline and Hog’s Breath Café. On top of the usual tabs, they have a friend referral system that earns you $6 credits for each successful referral. Extra savings, score!
The Bad: While we appreciate the sidebar of other deals available, the slew of non-essential information crammed underneath really clutters the site. Worse still, customers who bought a four-day Bangkok holiday package back in January discovered they had to pay considerable extra charges, not listed in the promotion. The company did offer refunds, but it’s hardly a tale that gives us confidence.
Verdict: It’s worth checking out to see what’s available (you never know what might pop up), although not all of the deals are with what we would consider top-notch partner merchants.
Variety: ✔✔✔✔✔
Usability: *****
Notable merchants: Holiday Inn, Hog’s Breathe Cafe, Mad for Garlic
First Deal: May 2010
Frequency: Up to 3 new deals, one new deal emailed daily.
No. of ongoing deals: 3-5
Savings: 40-94%
Payment: AE/MC/V, PayPal, Smoovcard
Groupon.sg
The Good: Formerly known as Beeconomic (read our interview with co-founder Christopher Chong on p.8), this Singapore-born site has since been acquired by Groupon giant for a purported $24 million, but we don’t care about that. What we do care about is that they have (hands down) the greatest variety of deals: A smorgasbord of health and beauty, entertainment, dining, travel and retail options with over 280 merchants such as Chan Brothers, Ben & Jerry’s and L’Officiel. And the customer support hotline is something they can be deservedly proud of (other sites try to bury theirs at the bottom of the page).
The Bad: Users will only benefit from their “recommend a friend” function if the friend to whom they have recommended Groupon purchases a successful deal within 72 hours of the referral. That’s sneaky. Also, the ‘more deals’ tab on their homepage doesn’t list the time the offer is valid till. And the deal write-ups, while still amusing, lack the polished humor that helped make its US parent such a star.
Verdict: As much as we shy away from the predictable, in this case, the brand name and (no doubt) financial backing really pays off. The site’s easy to use and the sheer assortment of deals makes this the site with the most mass appeal: There really is something for everyone.
Variety: ✔✔✔✔✔
Usability: *****
Notable merchants: Mint Museum of Toys, Groove, Tully’s Coffee,
LAMC Productions
First Deal: May 2010
Frequency: Three new deals on website, one new deal emailed daily.
No. of ongoing deals: 3-5
Savings: 50-96%
Payment: AE/MC/V, PayPal
Hungrydeals.hungrygowhere.com
The Good: One of Singapore’s most popular food sites has gotten in on the coupon action. Should mean crowdpleasing deals, right? Some aren’t bad: 50% off at Shin Sapporo Ramen, an exclusive tie-up with Illy Coffee, and recently a foodie trip to Batam. Their Facebook page is pretty active; with prompt feedback on customer requests. The Bring Back Deal request feature is a nice touch, too.
The Bad: We know it’s not their main business, but it still feels like an afterthought. The site is so bare it might as well be naked and from what we can tell, it doesn’t seem to be very well-maintained. There’s also an additional $0.25 transaction fee (save us the arithmetic and just build into the total, why don’t you.)
Verdict: Let’s just say we won’t be coming back. We expected a whole lot more from this foodie household name
website, and we most certainly didn’t get it.
Variety: ✔✔✔✔✔
Usability: *****
Notable merchants: Shin Sapporo Ramen, Illy Coffee, Platypus Kitchen, Brewerkz
First Deal: Dec 2010
Frequency: One new deal emailed daily.
No. of ongoing deals: 1
Savings: 50-66%
Payment: AE/MC/V, PayPal
Liveoffcoupon.com
The Good: Aside from travel deals with affordable accommodation packages, beauty offers (fancy a Brazilian?) and discounted movie tickets, there are also dining deals aplenty.
The Bad: The site doesn’t really provide details of past deals, so it’s hard to get a sense of exactly what’s been offered or what’s to come. Also, their “refer friends and get money” option is listed but doesn’t seem to be functioning. Quite a few of the partner restaurants aren’t very good in our book. So what if we pay less for a mediocre lunch? We’d rather spend our money (and calories) on food that’s really worth it.
Verdict: Some interesting offers, especially short travel ones. While we can’t speak for the quality of the hotels, it might be worth exploring for a cheap weekend getaway (if you aren’t too fussy that is).
Variety: ✔✔✔✔✔
Usability: *****
Notable merchants: SAF Yacht Club, Samy’s Curry, Cathay Cineplexes, Pasta de Waraku
First Deal: Oct 2010
Frequency: One deal emailed daily.
No. of ongoing deals: 2-3
Savings: 40-92%
Payment: AE/MC/V, PayPal
StreetDeal.sg
The Good: The site’s layout is simple yet functional, with a sidebar of other deals as well as a concise 3-step “how does it work?” box. Deals vary from dining at Krish for a mere $16 to a 4D3N stay at Bangkok’s Four Points by Sheraton for just $235 (we stayed there when it opened in December and, at 60% off, that’s a real bargain). They also have offers on health and beauty, games, retail and entertainment. Their friend referral system credits you with $8 per friend. That works out to be quite a hefty bundle if you invite all your “friends.”
The Bad: Not publishing a customer helpline number is a real deal breaker. And we’d appreciate being able to see how long the other deals on the homepage have left to run, without having to click through to them first. The How it Works section is also far from clear.
Verdict: Not bad at all. Ladies in particular will be impressed by the diverse range of health and beauty deals on offer; but frankly there’s something for everyone here.
Variety: ✔✔✔✔✔
Usability: *****
Notable brands: Kusu Retaurant, Body Coutours, That Purple Place, Inizio
First Deal: Oct 2010
Frequency: One deal emailed daily.
No. of ongoing deals: 3-4
Savings: 30-92%
Payment: AE/MC/V, PayPal
Tip-It.com.sg
The Good: The site’s well-organized and navigation’s a breeze. We spied everything from art and cooking classes to dining and travel, not to mention health and beauty, entertainment and retail stuff too.
The Bad: The variety we like, but we call into question the quality of their partner merchants. We simply haven’t heard of many of them. Also, you can’t zoom in on the merchant locator map, which makes it kind of redundant.
Verdict: We recommend doing some serious research on the partner establishments before you bid.
Variety: ✔✔✔✔✔
Usability: *****
Notable merchants: Cathay, Seventh Heaven, Ramen Culture, Movenpick Ice Cream Creations
First Deal: Aug 2010
Frequency: A new deal emailed daily.
No. of ongoing deals: 2-3
Savings: 20-90%
Payment: AE/MC/V/ bank transfers, GiroPay, PayPal
