I first discovered LivingSocial about a year ago. Every morning I receive a bunch of emails announcing current deals. LivingSocial is smart for putting each deal into a separate email – of course this way even if your eyes glaze over, you might still notice something that interests you.
But it seems Beauty is the Beast. I’ve used different types of services and had some great experiences except with beauty-related services.
Here are some examples:
I saw an offer in June for a Shellac manicure. I decided to buy a voucher since the business was not too far from my work. I have called many times since the day after I purchased my manicure and either a) nobody answered the phone, b) I was told there were no available appointments or c) I was told I would be put on a waiting list and called if there was space available. Is it any surprise that You Little Beauty has been all booked in December and will not accept the vouchers after the expiration date?
Now see how it says Three-Week manicure? I since learned that either You Little Beauty of LivingSocial misrepresented what was being sold. According to CND which makes Shellac…its a 14-Day manicure…
Its a manicure…but according to the voucher fine print (those lucky enough to get an appointment if they do exist) must arrive with their nails all clean and ready to go…
When I most recently called a week ago to try and make an appointment, as soon as I said I wanted a Shellac manicure I was quickly advised that they were booked up because the offer was expiring and they’d call me if there were any cancellations. The kicker is that I had not said anything yet about having a LivingSocial voucher…
I had also purchased a certificate for Kajree in Highgate for eyebrow threading and a head massage since I really am on the hunt for a place that does good threading in London. (Oh yes Los Angeles, you spoiled me!) I called the business several times, tried visiting in person and emailed and never receive an answer. From April to October, you can imagine this is pretty frustrating. As the expiration was approaching, I emailed LivingSocial and soon after I received an email from Kajree saying to call them. I still never managed to get in touch. It’s too bad because I really did want to find a place nearby that does threading. For the cost of £12 I gave up.
So why am I yammering on my blog lately about good service and bad service? Well because we’re in a time where people think alot more about value. I’m starting to feel like the money I’ve spent on un-redeemed LivingSocial vouchers will outweigh the savings. It seems to me I’m taking a gamble. This is terrible for LivingSocial because with all the money they surely spend on marketing, why would you want to be faced with these service failures? Well I did a small Google search and it seems like LivingSocial has some dissidents: http://www.sitejabber.com/reviews/www.livingsocial.com
So what do you think? Do you think that LivingSocial should refund certificates if the service offered is misrepresented like a Three-Week Shellac manicure?
What’s a fair solution for dealing with vendors who sell LivingSocial vouchers and then avoid redeeming them by being “fully-booked”?
Breaking the Marketing Rules 