June 7, 2010: Internet coupons

LOOKING TO SAVE MONEY WITH

THOSE SUNDAY MORNING COUPONS?

WELL, KEEP YOUR SCISSORS AT

BAY.

THERE ARE NOW BIG SAVINGS TO

BE HAD ONLINE.

NEW WEBSITES ARE POPPING UP

OFFERING DEEP DISCOUNTS THIS

SUMMER.

SINCE APRIL, JERRY DOYLE'S

WEBSITE HAS BEEN OFFERING

DAILY DEALS ON ANYTHING FROM

RESTAURANTS TO SPAS TO BALLET

SLIPPERS.

>> THINGS MAYBE YOU WOULDN'T

NECESSARILY ALWAYS DO.

BECAUSE YOU SEE A GREAT DEAL

THERE YOU'RE GOING TO BE

KAYAKING ON THE CHARLES RIVER.

YOU'RE GOING TO GO WATER

TUBING UP IN AMESBURY PARK.

>> Rooney: HERE'S HOW IT

WORKS.

AFTER REGISTERING AT EVER-

SAVE.COM, YOUR EMAILED A DEAL

OF THE DAY CALLED A SAVE.

IF YOU WANT IT, PAY WITH YOUR

CREDIT CARD AND PRINT OUT THE

COUPON WHICH YOU HAVE MONTHS

TO USE.

THERE'S NO COST TO SIGN UP FOR

THE CONSUMER OR THE MERCHANT.

AND DOYLE ONLY MAKES MONEY

WHEN THERE'S A TRANSACTION.

>> IF SOMEBODY SPENDS, YOU

KNOW, $20 FOR A $40 VOUCHER

WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A SMALL

PERCENTAGE OF THAT $20.

THE REST GOES TO THE MERCHANT.

>> Reporter: IT JOINS A

GROWING NUMBER OF ON-LINE

SITES TEAMING UP WITH BUSINESS

OWNERS.

IT'S WORKED FOR ANGLO, OWNER

OF A CAFE IN BELMONT.

>> TO BE HONOR I WAS SKEPTICAL

ABOUT THE KIND OF PROMOTION

THEY WERE OFFERING.

BUT IN EIGHT YEARS IN BUSINESS,

I HAVE NEVER GOTTEN A RESPONSE

FROM A PROMOTION LIKE I DID

FROM EVER-SAVE.

>> Rooney: HIS PROMOTION PAYS

$6 FOR $12 WORTH OF GOODS.

BY 8:00 IN THE MORNING, HE HAD

ALREADY SOLD 60 VOUCHERS.

>> I ACTUALLY EMAILED THEM.

I SAID IS THIS REAL?

DID THAT REALLY HAPPEN?

THEY SAID YES IT'S REAL.

WE'RE EXCITED FOR YOU TO TOO.

BY THE END OF THE DAY IT WAS

ALMOST 500.

>> Rooney: THAT TRANSLATE INTO

BIG BUCKS FOR HIS SMALL SHOP.

EVEN WITH CUSTOMERS GET AGO

50% DISCOUNT UP FRONT.

>> THE FIRST PERSON WHO CAME

IN CAME IN TO TURN IN THEIR

$12 CERTIFICATE AND SPENT $60.

>> Reporter: LIKE HIS

MERCHANTS, JERRY DOYLE HAS HAD

SO MUCH SUCCESS WITH EVER-SAVE,

HE'S EXPANDING DOWN THE EAST

COAST.

>> I THINK IT'S A REAL WIN-WIN

FROM A CONSUMER STANDPOINT AND

A MERCHANT STANDPOINT.

>> Rooney: IN THE LONG RUN, A

WIN-WIN FOR HIM TOO.

AND JOINING ME NOW IS OUR

BUSINESS CONTRIBUTOR KRIS

FRIESWICK.

IT SEEMS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT

THEY COULD CUT THEIR PRICES IN

HALF BUT IT'S ALL ABOUT THE

VOLUME.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

IT'S ALSO ABOUT THE

INCREMENTAL INCOME THAT

THEY'RE MAKING WHEN, FOR

INSTANCE, SOMEONE COMES IN

WITH A $12 COUPON BUT ENDS UP

SPENDING $60.

AND THAT'S A SMALL PRICE TO

PAY FOR A $60 SALE.

>> Rooney: EVER-SAVE IS IN

BOSTON.

HE'S TALKING ABOUT EXPANDING.

ARE THERE OTHER OUTFITS LIKE

EVER-SAVE AROUND THE COUNTRY?

>> THERE'S A LOT OF THEM

ACTUALLY.

THERE SEEMS TO BE AN ENORMOUS

NUMBER OF THEM BASED IN THE

BOSTON AREA.

I SUSPECT IT MIGHT BE BECAUSE

A LOT OF THE COLLEGES HAVE

GREAT ENTREPRENEURIAL PROGRAMS

AND A LOT OF VENTURE FUNDING

IN THE AREA BUT THERE IS A

COMPANY CALLED BUY WITH ME

THAT'S LOCATED IN BOSTON.

THAT HAS THE SAME SORT OF

MODEL.

AND THERE'S A LOT OF COMPANIES

THAT DO A LOT OF BUSINESS WITH

BOSTON-BASED COMPANIES EVEN

THOUGH THEY MAY BE NATIONAL

COUPON COMPANIES, THERE'S A

LOT OF PRESENCE IN BOSTON IF

YOU WANT TO SAVE SOME MONEY.

>> Rooney: THERE'S OTHERS THAT

THERE'S SORT OF A TAKE ON THIS

BUT NOT JUST LIKE EVER-SAVE.

GROUP-ON.

>> GROUP-ON DOT-COM IS A

COMPANY THAT BASICALLY DOES

THE SAME SORT OF THING.

IT OFFERS YOU A CUT PRICE

COUPON THAT YOU CAN SPEND AS A

PARTICIPATING MERCHANT BUT

UNLIKE EVER-SAVE, GROUP-ON

REQUIRES THAT A CERTAIN NUMBER

OF PEOPLE TOO SIGN UP FOR THE

COUPON IN ORDER FOR IT TO

BECOME VALUABLE.

USUALLY IT'S ABOUT 100 PEOPLE

THAT NEED TO ACTUALLY PURCHASE

THE COUPON BHF IT WORKS.

AGAIN IT'S....

>> Rooney: THE MUSEUM GOT

9,000.

>> 9,000 GROUP-ONS.

THERE'S A QUESTION OF HOW MANY

PEOPLE ON ONE DAY ARE GOING TO

SHOW UP.

A LOT OF THESE GROUP-ONS

ACTUALLY COME WITH SOME

CONDITIONS LIKE YOU CAN USE IT

ON CERTAIN DAYS OR YOU HAVE TO

MAKE AN APPOINTMENT.

SO THAT THEY CAN SORT OF

MANAGE THE FLOW OF PEOPLE

COMING IN TO USE THOSE COUPONS.

>> Rooney: RESTAURANT.COM.

>> RESTAURANT.COM IS A

NATIONAL COMPANY.

THEY HAVE A PRESENCE ALL OVER

THE COUNTRY.

MOST OF THE MAJOR CITIES IN

THE U.S.

BOSTON... THERE ARE ABOUT 75

RESTAURANTS THAT ARE ON

RESTAURANT DOT MANY COM THAT

ARE FROM THE BOSTON AREA.

AGAIN YOU BUY A VOUCHER

ESSENTIALLY, SAY FOR $20

YOU'LL GET A $50 OR $40 COUPON

THAT YOU CAN THEN GO IN AND

USE IN THAT RESTAURANT TOWARDS

THE MEAL.

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF

RESTRICTIONS AGAIN.

OFTEN THEY'LL NOT LET YOU USE

THEM ON HIGH VOLUME NIGHTS

LIKE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AND

FREQUENTLY YOU CAN'T USE THEM

FOR ALCOHOL.

>> Rooney: WHAT ELSE?

>> WE HAVE ALSO ONE OF MY

FAVORITES RUE-LA-L AND.

>> Rooney: I'M SUSPECT OF

THAT.

I SAW THAT IT WAS LAST YEAR'S

MERCHANDISE.

I'M A SHOPPER.

>> THAT MAY BE TRUE.

THAT'S HOW THEY GET THESE CUT-

RATE PRICES ON A LOT OF THE

MERCHANDISE THAT THEY ARE

OFFER ING IS THAT OBVIOUSLY IF

THIS YEAR'S STUFF AND HOT OFF

THE PRICE THEY WON'T OFFER IT

AT 50% OFF WHICH IS WHAT YOU

GET.

HOWEVER THEY HAVE WATCHES,

HOUSE WEARS, LUGGAGE WHICH IF

IT'S SIX MONTHS OLD AND NOT

NECESSARILY THE LATEST SEASON,

WHO IS GOING TO CARE.

>> Rooney: THEY CLAIM IT'S BY

ININVITATION ONLY.

THAT IS NOT TRUE.

>> IT IS BY INVITATION ONLY

BUT THERE'S LOTS AND LOTS OF

WAYS TO GET YOUR INVITATION,

FROM SOMEBODY WHO IS ALREADY A

MEMBER.

>> Rooney: I SIGNED UP.

>> HOW LONG AGO WAS THAT.

>> Rooney: BACK AT THE TIME

WHEN THEY SAID IT WAS BY

INVITATION ONLY.

>> YOU HAVE SPECIAL

PRIVILEGES.

>> Rooney: NOBODY KNEW ME.

WHAT ELSE?

>> WELL, THERE'S ALSO AN

ORGANIZATION OR THERE'S A

WEBSITE THAT IS KIND OF NEAT

CALLED THREAD-UP.

A CHILDREN'S CLOTHING ON-LINE

SWAPPING SITE WHERE YOU

BASICALLY CAN FIND OTHER

PEOPLE THAT HAVE... THAT ARE

SELLING CLOTHES THAT ARE FOR

THE GENDER AND AGE OF CHILD

THAT YOU NEED CLOTHES FOR.

YOU CAN THEN ALSO PACKAGE UP

ALL YOUR OLD CHILDREN'S

CLOTHES THAT YOU DON'T NEED

ANYMORE AND PUT IT ON THEIR

SITE.

IT'S BASICALLY A

SWAP-FOR-SWAP.

>> Rooney: THERE'S A LOT OF

SWAPPING.

CDs.

>> YOU DO NEED TO BE CAREFUL.

THERE ARE SOME PRETTY STRICT

TAX RULES AROUND BARTER WHICH

THIS IS CONSIDERED BARTER SO

MAKE SURE YOU'RE NOT VIOLATING

ANY TAX RULES BECAUSE IF

YOU'RE TRADING UP, LIKE IF

YOU'RE TRADING SOMETHING AND

YOU'RE GETTING SOMETHING

THAT'S WORTH MORE MONEY THAT'S

ACTUALLY RECOGNIZABLE AS

INCOME.

YOU NEED TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT

THAT.

ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WEBSITES

THAT HAVE SWAPPING MAINTAIN

THE QUALITY OF THE STUFF

THAT'S BEING SWAP SHERIFF'S

DEPUTY THAT AT THE ASK THEIR

USERS TO ALWAYS POST REVIEWS

OF THE OTHER SWAPERS.

IF SOMEBODY IS CONSISTENTLY

GETTING BAD REVIEWS ABOUT THE

QUALITY OF THE STUFF THAT

THEY'RE SWAPPING, THEY GET

BOUNCED.

>> Rooney: WHAT ARE THE DOWN

SIDES OF THIS FOR THE

CONSUMER?

ANYTHING?

ANY OF THESE THING?

>> I HAVE TALKED TO SOME

PEOPLE THAT SAID THAT

SOMETIMES IF A PROMOTION LIKE

THAT EVER-SAVE OR GROUP-ON

EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL IT CAN BE

TOUGH TO GET IN THE DOOR AT A

PLACE.

IF IT REQUIRES AN APPOINTMENT,

IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO GET THE

APPOINTMENT.

I'M ALSO HEARING THAT THESE

SITES ARE VERY CUSTOMER

FRIENDLY MOSTLY BECAUSE

THEY'RE ALL BRAND NEW AND

DON'T WANT TO START OFF, YOU

KNOW, MAKING CUSTOMERS ANGRY

RIGHT WHEN THEY'RE OUT OF THE

GATE.

>> Rooney: THAT'S REALLY

INTERESTING.

WE'RE GOING TO POST FOR

ANYBODY LISTENING TONIGHT

WE'RE GOING TO POST ALL THOSE

SITES ON OUR WEBSITE

WGBH.ORG/GREATERBOSTON AND YOU

CAN CHECK IT OUT THERE.

THAT'S IT FOR GREATER BOSTON.

TOMORROW AFTER THE MURDERS OF

THREE TEENAGERS IN THE CITY

WE'LL LOOK AT HOW YOUNG PEOPLE

ARE COPE ING WITH THE VIOLENCE

IN BOSTON.

>> YOU GET JUMPED.

YOU CAN'T BE LIKE A HARD CORE

KIND OF GUY BECAUSE THEN

YOU'RE JUST GET INTO FIGHTS

AND AGGRAVATE PEOPLE.

>> Rooney: THAT STORY AND MORE

AT 7:00.

COMING UP NOW IT'S THE START

OF THE QUARTERFINALS OF HIGH

SCHOOL QUIZ SHOW.

I'M EMILY ROONEY.

GOOD NIGHT.