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Group buying sites draw 100 complaints over conduct

ADMA CEO Jodie Sangster

Three months after the launch of a code of conduct for group buying sites, the industry has received around 100 complaints from the public, Mumbrella can reveal.

The most common gripes, according to the Australian Direct Marketing Association, the body handling the complaints, concern delays in the delivery of goods, the inability to redeem goods within a certain timeframe and slow customer service.

Most complaints were received around Christmas time.

ADMA boss Jodie Sangster said that there were “no complaints yet” about how group buying brands communicate with their customers.

“Complaints are most commonly specific to deals – not the group buying brands themselves or how they communicate,” she said.

She added that complaints were spread evenly among group buying brands with no single culprit to blame.

Sangster’s comments come two days after Hard Hat strategy director Daniel Monheit posted an opinion piece slamming group buying sites for ruining email marketing by spamming their customers.

The code was launched at Mumbrella 360 in response to negative publicity from bad customer experiences with group buying deals.

Deals.com.au is the latest group buying site to join the framework, which began with Spreets and Cudo and has since enlisted Living Social, Groupon, Ouffer, OurDeal and Catch Of The Day/ ScoopOn.

“The process is working well, and the response by the group buying sites has been good,” Sangster added. “They want to step up, fix customer concerns, and turn problems to their advantage.

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