Photo Credit: Mike Mozart
The card may have no value until it is added at the register, but going along with that, their product has no value, especially if you are disables.
I am a sportswriter, but I felt that customers needed to hear about this experience with the service from Groupon.
My wife and I bought a Groupon to attend a "Discover the Dinosaurs" even in NJ, with our five year old nephew and his parents. The kiddo loves dinosaurs, so it seemed like a great idea.
A quick background, I am disabled; I have cardiovascular issues. I can function, but I can't support myself standing around for a long period of time. So, we called to confirm all of the typical access; i.e. ramp, to get in, no stairs necessary, and other basic background questions, so we went ahead and attended the event.
We arrive, and EVERYONE is in the lobby waiting to get it, although the event is open. People that paid, people that didn't pay, it didn't make a difference. The room was a zoo. There was a long line to change your Groupon voucher into a ticket. The line didn't move. Ten minutes, twenty minutes, nothing. They had no accommodations to sit. After waiting over an hour to get in, we couldn't stay, as I was unsteady on my feet. We went to the one staffer we could find to demand to get in, or a refund. They informed us to call Groupon.
The day of the event, we returned home, and called Groupon. My wife made the call, and was told they would look into it and call back. We never received that phone call back. Weeks went by, and we still received nothing.
Finally, we called back, and spoke to another representative, who found no record of our previous call. First she informed us that we could receive a refund if we made the call the day of. Upon informing her that we DID call the day of, she had no answer. After informing us how "frustrated" we must feel about four times, my wife demanded a supervisor.
After being disconnected, we had to call and leave a message. We received a fairly prompt call, and were transferred to a supervisor. In the middle of the conversation with the supervisor, we were disconnected again. Upon receiving a return call from the supervisor, my wife was told that we could have gone a different day, again that we didn't call the day of, and that we should have asked about this prior to attending.
Who asks whether or not there will be seats on a long line prior to getting into an event?
The bottom line result was that we received nothing.
The moral of the story is to watch yourself. This may not be their dealing with everyone, but it was their dealing with us. Tread carefully, and have all of your ducks in a row if you are purchasing a Groupon for an event if you have any type of disability.
They may leave you out in the cold.
UPDATE
As of Monday afternoon, Groupon has emailed us to let us know that we are getting a refund after all. Within 10 days, my account should be refunded, will post an update at that time.