Facebook gives up on deals
It probably won’t come as a surprise to metro Atlantans: Facebook is ending its “deals” program.
The daily-deal type offerings promoted spas, horseback riding trips and the typical restaurant discounts — many times for large groups of people — through the current Facebook platform.
Although Facebook hasn’t announced a reason for dumping “deals,” speculation includes consumer deal fatigue. When I wrote a column on Facebook in May, I had trouble finding anyone who’d actually bought a Facebook deal here in Atlanta, one of the five test markets.
According to media sources, the demise of “deals” won’t affect Facebook’s location-based “check-in deals.”
What’s your go-to daily deal source? Are there any underdogs you think offer better discounts?
– By Lauren Davidson, Atlanta Bargain Hunter
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13 comments Add your comment
Nate
August 29th, 2011
3:40 pm
HalfOff Depot is the best. They offer discounts as printable vouchers that last for a few days up to a few months before the deal is gone off the site unlike living social or groupon that require you to act within 24 hours to purchase deals. I just used one yesterday at Five Seasons Brewing Company of $10 for $25 worth of food, drinks eligible for the discount as well. I highly recommend HalfOff Depot.
Debbie
August 29th, 2011
3:53 pm
I still like ScoutMob a lot. No up-front purchase, so if you don’t use the deal, you’re not out anything. Plus, they’re an Atlanta company! (And no, I have no affiliation with them.)
Facebook Deals suffered from too much overlap with other, established deal sites. There was never anything new or unique. Also, I wasn’t sure how to use, if my purchase would be involuntarily published to my feed, etc.
Elaine
August 29th, 2011
3:56 pm
Scoutmob is #1! While you can get it via email, the Scoutmob App on your phone allows you to always have all the valid deals with you! Great places and crazy convenient – all for FREE since you don’t have to pre-pay like the other deal sites… Keep it up Scoutmob!
I Love Life Cereal
August 29th, 2011
4:27 pm
Slickdeals.net</b
Yeah baby, yeah!
MA
August 29th, 2011
4:37 pm
Thank God!!!!
Blondie
August 29th, 2011
5:25 pm
Facebook deals wasn’t really a “deal” anyways. There were ads on there for places that offered little or no discounting on their normal prices. I failed to see how it was any different from the normal Facebook Ads. Not sorry to see it go.
Danny
August 29th, 2011
5:43 pm
Companies seem to take the big hit on those “Deals”. The people that mainly get those deals are there only for the deals, they do not purchase more or become repeat customers, they just move on to the next “Deal”.
wle
August 29th, 2011
8:30 pm
yeah i have deal fatigue
90% of it is for crap no one needs or wants
==
color consultation
duct cleaning
parachute jump
detailing
chinese restaurant 50 miles away
$2 off at a coffee shop 30 minutes away..
[like i don;t pass 150 coffee shops on the way]
dog boarding
Chocolate Manicure & Pedicure
Window Tint
Full Deck and Patio Furniture Pressure Washing!
floor sanding
tcby
la fitness
body sculpting
“liposuction”,
“half off camping”,
“$4 for $16 worth of Bagels!”,
Cabin Rental with Wine and Breakfast
feng shui
roof inspection
spa
high tea
catered lunch
diagnostic Sylvan Skills Assessment
==
seriously
this stuff would have to be free, but i still wouldn;t do 75% of it
wle
wle
August 29th, 2011
8:30 pm
it;s worthless, or worse – a lot of the ’services’ are just going to be sales pitches
wle
wle
August 29th, 2011
8:31 pm
i should charge them for every exclamation! point!! they!!! use!!!!
wle!!!!!
scooby-doo
August 30th, 2011
9:49 am
@ wle – you’re funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I agree most deals are either too far away or offer things I don’t care for. I like Goldstar.com for local events which has several ongoing deals to choose from. I also discovered a wonderful website called Atlantaonthecheap.com which lists just about every local deal under the sun in one location.
katz
August 30th, 2011
8:52 pm
I, and many friends, avoid businesses that offer “deals”. We don’t have time to mess with the requirements and at the same time, feel the businesses are taking advantage of us. Why pay twice what most customers pay…just because we are either too busy or too disorganized to mess with the “deals”. Also, often times the “deal” price is no better than prices at establishments that don’t offer “deals” while the regular prices have been raised to make it look like the “deal” is a bigger discount than it is. This “deal” crap takes the fun out of going out….
katz
August 30th, 2011
8:54 pm
hugecity.com is nice because it lets me know what’s going on…and also who has deals…so I can avoid them