Month: October 2013

ShopDiscover

Discover Card Drops Groupon Cashback to 5%

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ShopDiscover

It is with sad news that today I was notified by Discover that they have elected to drop their Shop Discover casback from partner Groupon down to 5% effective today. The cashback payout with Groupon when using the Shop Discover portal has always floated between 10-20%.

Back in June, Discover temporarily lowered the payout on Groupon to 10%, after apparent comments from their users that were confused by the terms, stating:

When Groupon was at 15% Cashback Bonus, the Terms and Conditions excluded purchases of Groupon Goods and Groupon Getaways, and we received calls from cardmembers who were confused by this. So, in order for us to better the customer experience with Groupon, we have lowered the overall Cashback Bonus to 10% but are now able to offer it on Groupon Getaways and Groupon Goods.

Then in September, Discover revised the payout back up to 15%, but with new exclusions:

Offer not valid on Getaways, Occasions, Live & Now, Epic Deals, Groupon Gift Cards, Groupon Reserve and Charity Promotions

Now, with Discover dropping the payout down to a record 5%, they have not completely opened up the exclusions:

Offer not valid on Getaways, Groupon Reserve and deals that redirect from Groupon site.

In Conclusion

Groupon lowers their Shop Discover cashback payout on Groupon to 5%. This is a BIG deal from a marketing perspective!

Over the course of a day, I peruse tons of forums and blogs that cover an assortment of topics from finance, travel, and deals in general. There is one universal theme that carries across all walks of dealdom, and that is Shop Discover is the leader in payouts to their customers.

We have compared countless times the Shop Discover retailers versus the other portals that payout part or all of their commission back to the consumer, and Discover is ALWAYS at the top of the chart.

So where does this put Groupon?

Sites like FatWallet, eBates, Mr. Rebates, and Big Crumbs all payout a measly 3%.

TopCashback, which supposedly pays out their entire commission and rather makes their money off advertising, pays anywhere from 1-5% cashback, reserving a 10-15% payout for only new customers in select categories.

The various frequent flyer miles & hotel rewards portals pay anywhere from 2-6 miles per dollar, but I would never recommend using them since they are run by evil companies such as Cartera that have been known for horrendous customer service and typically do not always paying out their customers.

Having exclusions for what qualifies for cashback is typical in the industry. I have a hard time believing people using the Shop Discover portal can be that confused over what does or does not qualify for cashback, when it clearly tells you upon clicking through to the merchant.

I find it very discouraging that the Shop Discover portal, at least for Groupon, now puts the program more in line with the other portals because some people cannot figure out how to read directions.

Anytime I see a deal posted on a forum or blog, it is synonymous to also mention using the Shop Discover portal to earn X% back because they simply were the leader in the industry. Sadly, the move to only pay customers only 5% no longer warrants the premium acknowledgement. Quite possibly, you will see others that routinely purchase their Groupon’s through Discover switch to other cards.

I have even read countless comments from people who have gotten their Discover cards simply for the great payouts that come from the Shop Discover portal. This will be a big cashback blow to the loyal Groupon Shop Discover users, and I predict a major game-changer to how much Discover gets used in the future within its Shop Discover program. I foresee by the new year, Discover will reevaluate the payout with Groupon and possibly raise it back up to where it belongs, at the top of the pile to continue brand awareness of the Shop Discover brand.

Save Money, Travel More!

Source: Discover PR

Lego Duplo Pile

2014 Lego Kidsfest Tour Dates, Details, and Money Saving Tips

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2014 Lego Kidsfest Tour

Since 2009, the Lego Kidsfest traveling show has seen nearly 420,000 guests through the doors. Previous tour stops include Minneapolis, Boston, Austin, Cincinnati, Denver, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Hartford, Milwaukee, San Jose, Phoenix, Louisville, Cleveland and Raleigh.

The 2014 Lego Kidsfest (North American tour) has been announced, with cities and dates as follows:

  • Raleigh, NC: February 28 – March 2, 2014
  • Novi, MI: April 25 – 27, 2014
  • Calgary, AB, Canada: May 16 – 18, 2014
  • Atlanta, GA: June 27 – 29, 2014
  • Dallas, TX: August 29 – 31, 2014
  • Richmond, VA: October 3 – 5, 2014
  • Indianapolis, IN: November 7-9, 2014

Finding you can not get yourself to one of the Lego Kidsfest cities this year? Than check out our review of the Cleveland, Ohio Lego Kidsfest from 2011, which includes lots of pictures and details of the event.

Is Lego Kidsfest coming to your City, and you are trying to decide on when to go? Check out our tips.

1) If you want to be sure to get lots of free Lego items to take home with you, I would strongly recommend going on the first day, and early before the crowds start to build. I assume they have enough to hand out for the entire multi-day event, but I do not know for sure.
2) However, if you want to be able to see some of the larger displays towards their completion, we recommend possibly going on the last day and near the end of the event. There are several large builds that start at the beginning of the event, and as people continue to add on to the build, they become more impressive.
3) If you are looking to purchase Lego sets, I strongly encourage waiting until the Lego KidsFest as there are lots and lots of sets we never really saw available in traditional stores. In addition, they were blowing out several series on pretty great sales. When we were at the Cleveland show, they were selling 4 or 5 sets of the Prince of Persia sets together for $35. People were grabbing them like crazy, and I do not know if they lasted all weekend.

Lego No Brick Sign

Lego No Brick Sign

Want to save money on your admission tickets to Lego KidsFest? For the 2011 Lego Kidsfest shows, Groupon was an invaluable tool to help guests purchase tickets at discount. Tickets had gone on sale at the respective Groupon page anywhere from a month to two months ahead of the event. Therefore, it was important for guests to keep an eye out on their Groupon page. In addition, purchasing your tickets early was key once they showed up on Groupon. All of the events in the past had sold out.

For historical reference, here is some of the information I gathered on the 2011 events.

Minneapolis, MN
May 20-22, 2011
Groupon tickets went on sale about 4/12/11 for $12 each (up to $20 value)

Pittsburgh, PA
June 17-19, 2011
Groupon tickets went on sale about 5/3/11 for $12 each (up to $20 value)

Raliegh, NC
Oct. 7-9, 2011
Groupon tickets went on sale about 9/11/11 for $12 each (up to $20 value)

Cleveland, OH
November 4-6, 2011
Groupon tickets went on sale 9/14/11 for $12 each (up to $20.50 value)

Hartford, CT
Dec. 2-4, 2011
Groupon tickets went on sale about 10/15/11 for $12 each (up to $20.50 value)

Here is the bad news. Lego did not offer Kidsfest tickets for the 2012 or 2013 shows via Groupon. I had discussions with Lego reps, and the demand was just too high for tickets to warrant the need to sell them via Groupon. This could change for 2014, but it all depends on how ticket sales go.

In my experience, the best way to score a discount for Kidsfest in 2012 and 2013 was to visit local blogs. Last year Lego partnered with local travel and family blogs to not only offer a discount on tickets (typically $2-3 off tickets), but also gave each site a set of tickets to give away. This can be an excellent opportunity to not only score tickets for free, should you win, but also purchase tickets at discount.

Keep in mind, discount for Lego Kidsfest shows typically end a couple weeks prior to the show. So purchase your tickets early if there is a date and time you want to visit. From my experience, almost every showing, if not all, have sold out in advance.

Love Lego Kidsfest, and now are considering visiting one of the Legoland parks? Than check out our Legoland Coupon and Discount page, where we try to list every available promotion that we can find. Know of some discount that is not shown? Drop us a message, and we will get it added.

Have a great time at a Lego Kidsfest near you, as our two you boys loved the event!

Save Money, Travel More!

Source: InACents

Groupon ToysRUs

Groupon $7.50 for $15 Towards Toys”R”Us & Babies”R”Us

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Update: 3:15 PM: If you were following today on Facebook, you would have seen the chase was on to find valid links for this offer, because as soon as we would find one, it would sell out in a market. As of right now, you can still purchase a $10 Toys”R”Us/Babies”R”Us voucher (affiliate link); however, it still costs $10, but for good measure, you will also receive a free Toys“R”Us brand AA or AAA 20-Pack of batteries ($21.99 Total Value). You can also purchase a $10 Toys”R”Us/Babies”R”Us voucher for only $5 or $6 for $10. (both affiliate link).

Update 11:30 AM: The $7.50 for $15 deal is already sold out, but there is still a $5 for $10 Toys”R”Us (affiliate link) that is alive.

This morning Groupon is offering a great national deal for a $15 gift certificate to spend at Toys”R”Us & Babies”R”Us (affiliate link) for only $7.50.

Groupon ToysRUs

This is an excellent opportunity to stock up on early Christmas gifts. This is also an excellent way to stock up on diapers! Not the voucher must be used on a minimum $15 purchase and expires November 23, 2013. This gives you a little less than a month to take advantage of the voucher.

Also, do not forget that this is an excellent opportunity to be able to whip out your Discover card, and purchase via the Shop Discover portal, earning you an additional 15% cashback.

Save Money, Travel More!

Source: Groupon