Let me preface this posting by saying, that I am fan of Groupon and will continue to purchase Groupons.

If you are like me you have been purchasing Groupons for several years and many have been redeemed. But what about those you purchased as an impulse buy and thought you would use but never got around to it. But beyond not using the Groupon, what if that business has closed.

I just went through My Groupon and out of the 130 purchases,  over half are used(Yeah), but of those not redeemed at least fifteen I could not use because the businesses are closed.

So far I have filled out the Groupon customer support form with all the necessary details, two have been credited, waiting for the others. Updated- Groupon has responded and it appears that most of the Groupon purchases I submitted for refund/credit have been processed, no apparently issues.

I the past when I have emailed Groupon has been pretty good about crediting the account so you can purchase another Groupon.

Take a look at your Groupon account and in particular those for expired Groupons and do a pass to check if the business is still open.

How big of a problem is this for Groupon when businesses run a Groupon and collect the money and then shortly thereafter close.

Would it be good practice for Groupon to notify others who have purchased a Groupon for a business once the business is verified closed?  It may mean that Groupon would be issuing Groupon Bucks for Groupons most likely forgotten by the purchasers.

Usually if the business is closed you will first receive an email from Groupon something like this:

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Hi Victor,

I’m really sorry for the trouble you’ve experienced with your Groupon. Our Resolutions Team is here to help with these situations, so I’m letting them know what’s up. After they’ve looked into this, one of us will get back to you.

Thanks for your patience. We’ll be sure to let you know when we’ve got an update.

Regards,

Dinesh U.
Groupon Customer Support

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Then the next email a few hours later usually. (Groupon is especially responsive on the weekends via email)

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Hi Victor,

I’m sorry for any trouble you’ve experienced with redeeming your Groupon.

Unfortunately, we are also having difficulty getting in touch with this business. At this point, we’ve decided it’s best for our customers to cancel this deal and offer a refund to anyone who was unable to redeem their Groupon. We’re in the process of notifying our customers, but I want to make sure you’re taken care of today.

I’ve just issued a $32 refund in Groupon Bucks to your account. The Bucks are available immediately, never expire, and automatically apply to your next purchase. You can see your balance in the top right corner of the page when signed into your account at www.groupon.com/mygroupons.

My apologies again for any inconvenience.

Regards,

Soundar M
Groupon Customer Support

OR

Hi Victor,

I’m sorry you weren’t able to enjoy this Groupon. I’ve just canceled this order and issued $5 in Groupon Bucks to your account. This credit will be available for you to use shortly, and you’ll receive an email as soon as it has processed.

Any Groupon Bucks you have will apply to a purchase automatically. You can see your balance in the top right corner of the page when signed into your account at www.groupon.com/mygroupons.

Please let me know if I can help you further.

Regards,

Ben
Groupon Customer Support

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As consumers and supporters of Groupon could we ask Groupon to notify those who have purchased a Groupon which the business has closed.  Even though the amount of money is substantial, I would guess in the whole picture the goodwill and re-engagement of customers who may not be as active could outweigh the cost to Groupon.   Thoughts?