So you're blaming Groupon for the fact that you went out of business?!  Unbelievable.  Excuse me, but did anyone hold a gun to your head & force you to offer a Groupon?   I think not.  Did you not do your research before offering your deal?  Did you contact other companies that had offered Groupons & asked them what their experienes were?  Did you actually read your contract with Groupon for the terms?  Perhaps your lack of personal responsibility (like blaming others for your business problems) is what caused you to close?  Or could it be the really lousy economy in which companies that have been in business for a hundred years are closing?  But of course not, it's  so much easier to blame others. 

Groupon is a joke!  They take half of what your offering so you end up with 25% of what you would normally charge for your product or service.  It may get customers in your door temporarly, but they're not coming back.....unless they have another groupon that is.  Anyone who buys their stock when they go public is a fool!!!  Groupon has "jumped the shark."

If you really think Groupon is a joke, then I'd say you don't understand customer acquisition or retention. Whether you pay for a billboard to draw in clients, send postcards or offer a Groupon deal - you're still paying something to acquire new clients. If you understand your business and thus the lifetime value of a customer - then you understand how much you can afford to spend to acquire a customer.

If you think the Groupon deal is supposed to make them customers for life, then you also don't understand customer retention. Groupon is a tool to get customers in the door - just like a billboard and a postcard campaign. After that - it's up to you to get them to come back. If you don't have a method to get their e-mail address so you can notify them of specials, deals and just plain great news - then you'll likely lose with Groupon.  If you do understand that, you could do a Groupon every week and make millions.

So Groupon is going for the 'Bigger Deals', eh? Has anyone read the Privacy Acts that are attached to most everything ...? Has anyone read or heard about Groupon being caught SELLING people's personal information, which is direct conflict with the PA's of places like MyPoints and Many others? I think I know what they mean by the "Bigger Deal" ... MORE income not only from the bigger ticket items, but also the increased database of personal data they will accumulate!  *Be Careful !!*  EVERYONE is looking for a better deal ... a way to save some money in these tough times ... but it's 'groups' like Groupon that will steal even more, and we will have even Less !!!

The businessman isn't saying that affiliating with Groupon forced him to close his doors you imbeciles, he's saying that the ENVIRONMENT of heavy couponing and expecting a large amount of service for a small amount of money as a driving factor is. Lame excuse but maybe it is a factor hurting small businesses.

groupon are not worth paying for Entertainment book is less expensive. they don't get my money

Groupon is a horrible company. It kills small businesses, especially those in the service industry- like mine. Couponing has gone overboard. It is putting more of a strain on the economy- Because of Groupon, etc., small business have to put out tons of product for a fraction of the cost, and are not getting compensated near enough from Groupon themselves. Groupon drove a ton of business in my door, I was busy to the point of exhaustion, and when the coupon was done, I still couldn't meet my overhead, the customers flocked to the next coupon deal, and left me wondering if it was me somehow. I even lost my regular customers because they were going where the deal was. It devalued my experience, it devalued my education, and it creates consumer bullies. Despite the high quality service I provided for them, Groupon ruled, and left me having to close my doors.