Beware the Tempting Travel Deals on Group Buying Sites
I've decided to split my previous post into two on how I refunded the payment for the travel voucher I bought from Metrodeal (Palawan offer from Ensemble). I've listed a few tips below to help other prospective buyers of accommodations & travel deals online.
1. Know what you're buying and what you're paying for. Read and double-check the terms & conditions for the voucher as listed by the group buying site and the merchant. You might want to print a copy for your reference before paying and after payment once you've downloaded the voucher. Some people had noticed that the package inclusions or inclusive dates for the voucher were changed without prior notice.
2. Check the inclusive dates on the voucher. Some vouchers can only be used on weekdays and some establishments consider Fridays as weekends (unbelievable, but sadly true). National holidays and peak periods are usually not included but if it's not listed, verify with the establishment (not the group buying site) first. Make sure you have alternative dates set in mind just in case the establishment becomes fully booked (like with special occasions or bookings). They prioritize bookings on a first come, first serve basis. Similar to online airfare sales, these companies/establishments only allocate a certain amount of seats/rooms for coupon/voucher holders. If you want to be booked on a peak period or holiday, ask the merchant if there are extra costs.
I purchased a discount voucher on Wego for a SG Flyer + Duck tours combo a few months ago because I intended to use it for my upcoming trip. But there were specific limited dates that you have to exchange the printed voucher at the travel agency's Singapore office for entrance tickets to the 2 establishments. I was able to claim the 2 entrance tickets but weren't able to use them due to time constraints. Good thing their validity dates are separate and extend up to next year.
3. Research. Research. Research. Deals like these can be quite expensive especially if you're booking for more than one person so it pays to do your research about the accommodation, the transpo, and the packaged tour before paying for it. Search for reviews of the establishments online at Tripadvisor, Booking.com, Agoda.com, etc. It's also a good idea to check the hotel accommodation using Google Maps so you'd have an estimate how near or far it is from the main road, the airport, or the city. You might get a good deal on accommodation but if it's too far from the airport and the main attractions or if the travel to that accommodation takes a considerable amount of time, you're better off paying extra to be near where the action is. For air, land, and sea transfers, check how many minutes/hours it takes to travel from the air/seaport to your accommodation.
Some deals have already been offered previously by other sites. You can include the name of the group buying site while searching for the hotel/destination. You can also try online community fora like PinoyExchange (their travel and leisure section is a great place to start) and FemaleNetwork's GirlTalk here.
4. Read the description carefully. Skip the descriptive adjectives. If the voucher is good for 2 people, it's only for 2 people. If you want to bring in other persons, buy another voucher. If you want to stay an extra night, ask the merchant/establishment directly what their rates are. Infants and children are usually free but make sure to ask.
5. For travel deals where airfare is included, check the airline's website and see the price range for their regular base fares. Domestic travel ranges from 800-to P5000 or more depending on the travel dates. Chances are, if the deal/voucher includes roundtrip airfare, the merchant is assuming they can purchase a promo fare ticket or the lowest regular fare. This is where problems arise because if you decide to book on peak travel periods like holidays & weekends or within the next 2-4 weeks, airfare generally becomes more expensive. Remember that in order for these merchants to make money on the deal, they have to book you on the cheapest available seats. Sometimes it's better if you book the airfare ticket and the accommodation separately.
Online seat sales are held somewhat regularly by domestic carriers like CebuPacific, Air Philippines, Zest Air, and PAL, so keep an eye out for announcements on their Twitter or Facebook accounts. International carriers like Jetstar, Tiger Airways, and Air Asia also hold seat sales but they're more unpredictable and sporadic in nature. Seair holds seat sales occasionally, if you do get one (especially for Batanes), good for you, since their destinations are limited and airfare costs more than other domestic carriers.
6. If the deal is associated with a travel agency, make sure they have valid contact numbers and office addresses listed. Some travel deals found online are offered by travel agencies located in the provinces (eg. Ensemble whose office is located in Cebu). Inquire with them directly especially for the more expensive destinations like Misibis Bay, Bellarocca, Sheridan Resort, etc. Or make sure their address is one you're familiar with or accessible to you so in case problems arise, you can go to their office directly.
7. Always check the validity of the voucher. Some vouchers are offered for sale online but cannot be used or booked until a certain start date. Some offer between 3 months to 1 year validity for the vouchers. Be wary of buying travel deals/vouchers if you plan to use them within the next few weeks or 2 months from now. Chances are, you might be asked to pay extra for airfare (see #5) or become frustrated with the whole booking process.
8. For hotel/resort accommodations, check their website for their offpeak, lean, and peak season rates. Think you're getting a great deal because you saved 50% off their regular rates? Make sure to check because you might be surprised that the rates in the coupon/voucher is more expensive than their regular rates. Reviews on Tripadvisor generally include photos taken by travelers and guests who have stayed in the resort/hotel. Travel blogs are also a good source of info and feedback regarding this.
9. If you really want to buy, make sure you're really going to use it in the foreseeable concrete future. You wouldn't want a substantial amount of money go into waste because you or your companion won't be available on the dates you booked it. If, for some reason, you're no longer interested in it, check to see if the voucher is transferable and contact the group buying site merchant directly to ask how to transfer the voucher or what steps are needed to take. Some vouchers are transferable (even if it's in your name) while others require you to give an authorization letter to the online merchant so they'll be the one to transfer it to your designated person.
10. You can try selling/exchanging the voucher or giving it as a gift to someone who could use it if you're no longer interested or able to use it. If you haven't booked it yet, you can still sell it/exchange it with others at coupon exchange sites (not recommended but some people are able to sell their vouchers to others who are willing to buy it). Coupons/vouchers which have already been booked are less desirable because prospective buyers have to adjust to those dates accordingly.
If a deal is too good to be true, it probably is. Be wary of online deals with more than 100 items sold, especially for travel deals and accommodations. MetroDeal have even sold more than 1,000 items of their Cebu & Palawan travel deals. How do you think they would accommodate all who have purchased those? It's ridiculous. It's greedy. They've made a huge profit even before buyers were able to use the voucher.
1. Know what you're buying and what you're paying for. Read and double-check the terms & conditions for the voucher as listed by the group buying site and the merchant. You might want to print a copy for your reference before paying and after payment once you've downloaded the voucher. Some people had noticed that the package inclusions or inclusive dates for the voucher were changed without prior notice.
2. Check the inclusive dates on the voucher. Some vouchers can only be used on weekdays and some establishments consider Fridays as weekends (unbelievable, but sadly true). National holidays and peak periods are usually not included but if it's not listed, verify with the establishment (not the group buying site) first. Make sure you have alternative dates set in mind just in case the establishment becomes fully booked (like with special occasions or bookings). They prioritize bookings on a first come, first serve basis. Similar to online airfare sales, these companies/establishments only allocate a certain amount of seats/rooms for coupon/voucher holders. If you want to be booked on a peak period or holiday, ask the merchant if there are extra costs.
I purchased a discount voucher on Wego for a SG Flyer + Duck tours combo a few months ago because I intended to use it for my upcoming trip. But there were specific limited dates that you have to exchange the printed voucher at the travel agency's Singapore office for entrance tickets to the 2 establishments. I was able to claim the 2 entrance tickets but weren't able to use them due to time constraints. Good thing their validity dates are separate and extend up to next year.
3. Research. Research. Research. Deals like these can be quite expensive especially if you're booking for more than one person so it pays to do your research about the accommodation, the transpo, and the packaged tour before paying for it. Search for reviews of the establishments online at Tripadvisor, Booking.com, Agoda.com, etc. It's also a good idea to check the hotel accommodation using Google Maps so you'd have an estimate how near or far it is from the main road, the airport, or the city. You might get a good deal on accommodation but if it's too far from the airport and the main attractions or if the travel to that accommodation takes a considerable amount of time, you're better off paying extra to be near where the action is. For air, land, and sea transfers, check how many minutes/hours it takes to travel from the air/seaport to your accommodation.
Some deals have already been offered previously by other sites. You can include the name of the group buying site while searching for the hotel/destination. You can also try online community fora like PinoyExchange (their travel and leisure section is a great place to start) and FemaleNetwork's GirlTalk here.
4. Read the description carefully. Skip the descriptive adjectives. If the voucher is good for 2 people, it's only for 2 people. If you want to bring in other persons, buy another voucher. If you want to stay an extra night, ask the merchant/establishment directly what their rates are. Infants and children are usually free but make sure to ask.
5. For travel deals where airfare is included, check the airline's website and see the price range for their regular base fares. Domestic travel ranges from 800-to P5000 or more depending on the travel dates. Chances are, if the deal/voucher includes roundtrip airfare, the merchant is assuming they can purchase a promo fare ticket or the lowest regular fare. This is where problems arise because if you decide to book on peak travel periods like holidays & weekends or within the next 2-4 weeks, airfare generally becomes more expensive. Remember that in order for these merchants to make money on the deal, they have to book you on the cheapest available seats. Sometimes it's better if you book the airfare ticket and the accommodation separately.
Online seat sales are held somewhat regularly by domestic carriers like CebuPacific, Air Philippines, Zest Air, and PAL, so keep an eye out for announcements on their Twitter or Facebook accounts. International carriers like Jetstar, Tiger Airways, and Air Asia also hold seat sales but they're more unpredictable and sporadic in nature. Seair holds seat sales occasionally, if you do get one (especially for Batanes), good for you, since their destinations are limited and airfare costs more than other domestic carriers.
6. If the deal is associated with a travel agency, make sure they have valid contact numbers and office addresses listed. Some travel deals found online are offered by travel agencies located in the provinces (eg. Ensemble whose office is located in Cebu). Inquire with them directly especially for the more expensive destinations like Misibis Bay, Bellarocca, Sheridan Resort, etc. Or make sure their address is one you're familiar with or accessible to you so in case problems arise, you can go to their office directly.
7. Always check the validity of the voucher. Some vouchers are offered for sale online but cannot be used or booked until a certain start date. Some offer between 3 months to 1 year validity for the vouchers. Be wary of buying travel deals/vouchers if you plan to use them within the next few weeks or 2 months from now. Chances are, you might be asked to pay extra for airfare (see #5) or become frustrated with the whole booking process.
8. For hotel/resort accommodations, check their website for their offpeak, lean, and peak season rates. Think you're getting a great deal because you saved 50% off their regular rates? Make sure to check because you might be surprised that the rates in the coupon/voucher is more expensive than their regular rates. Reviews on Tripadvisor generally include photos taken by travelers and guests who have stayed in the resort/hotel. Travel blogs are also a good source of info and feedback regarding this.
9. If you really want to buy, make sure you're really going to use it in the foreseeable concrete future. You wouldn't want a substantial amount of money go into waste because you or your companion won't be available on the dates you booked it. If, for some reason, you're no longer interested in it, check to see if the voucher is transferable and contact the group buying site merchant directly to ask how to transfer the voucher or what steps are needed to take. Some vouchers are transferable (even if it's in your name) while others require you to give an authorization letter to the online merchant so they'll be the one to transfer it to your designated person.
10. You can try selling/exchanging the voucher or giving it as a gift to someone who could use it if you're no longer interested or able to use it. If you haven't booked it yet, you can still sell it/exchange it with others at coupon exchange sites (not recommended but some people are able to sell their vouchers to others who are willing to buy it). Coupons/vouchers which have already been booked are less desirable because prospective buyers have to adjust to those dates accordingly.
If a deal is too good to be true, it probably is. Be wary of online deals with more than 100 items sold, especially for travel deals and accommodations. MetroDeal have even sold more than 1,000 items of their Cebu & Palawan travel deals. How do you think they would accommodate all who have purchased those? It's ridiculous. It's greedy. They've made a huge profit even before buyers were able to use the voucher.
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