Introducing Group Buy on Services

OfferMe’s Deal Detective, Erick Teresa presents yet another concept that's guaranteed to put savings in your pocket.

I have always been passionate about our online Group Buying concept and what it means to our users. People come online to get a great product at the most competitive price and I'm proud to say that our team has performed exceptionally well to serve that purpose. OfferMe consistently provide great value products at the best prices we can negotiate from reputable sellers. Each of whom pass a stringent registration process just to be part of the site. We have introduced a wealth of communication tools ensuring your voice is heard and that you can purchase products in full confidence.

However, the last thing we want to do is rest on that success. Over the last couple of weeks we started receiving high level interest from our users that focused on a new line of business. No company is currently providing this new concept and we thought, “Why not OfferMe?” Our team started initial discussions and, after heavy research, proudly present a brand new concept that's guaranteed to open a whole new world of opportunities, while continuing to save you dollars and time.

Group Buy at your Service

Group Buys on services allow you to grab a great deal on an activity! Get a discount on great meats at select restaurants. Save bonus dollars on a weekend away for you and your partner. Pamper yourself with a spa treatment for only a only a fraction of the original price. The possibilities are endless and so are the savings.

One of our verified sellers, City Hunter Internet Cafe is the nation's only gaming orientated internet cafe chain, providing their patrons the very best in e-Entertainment. They do this by combining the latest in PC technology along with a large array of games. They feature five stores in the Sydney area spanning from Chatswood to Burwood. With their 6th anniversary just passed, City Hunter has grown to be a popular destination for the new generation LAN gaming population.

Every Christmas, City Hunter offer $21 Gift Cards, allowing patrons to give their friends and loved ones a minimum of six hours of free playtime. This year, they're offering that same card through OfferMe, becoming the first company to be part of the Group Buy on services program. Thanks to Group Buy, City Hunter will be selling the Gift Cards for $15 off! That's $6 each. Additionally, for the first 99 cards you can use up to $5 in OfferMe Credit.

That's $21 of playtime for a mere $1. Check it out

We're pretty excited about this first Group Buy on a service. We feel it shows the potential of this new feature and we hope you embrace it. We're aiming to provide you with even better deals going forward; in travel, accommodation meals and entertainment. Further, if there's something that you've always wanted to do, but were waiting for the best price, tell me. After all, this is Group Buy at your service.

The OfferMe Community: Group Buy goes to the Polls

Community Manager, Nadim Sharbean tells you how you'll be getting more control over Group Buy deals.

The People's Choice...
Group Buy Assassin's Creed II

Two Thursday's ago we held a vote for Christmas to tell us which PS3 game you wanted most on Group Buy. On our end there wasn't a big push. A small banner in the daily newsletters and a few mentions on Facebook. And yet the results were massive, with Assassin's Creed II and Tekken 6 going neck-to-neck right down to the wire. Near 150 users chimed in to give us their thoughts and, when it seemed that Tekken had taken the race, a huge surge for Assassin's Creed pushed it over the line.

Here are the final results for the Group Buy vote:

Assassin's Creed II – 56 votes (37%)
Tekken 6 – 46 votes (30%)
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves – 28 votes (18%)
Dragon Age: Origins – 17 votes (11%)
The Saboteur – 6 votes (4%)

Everyone's a Winner with Group Buy...

Well, almost everyone. In the end, the three top games went on sale through Group Buy at the ridiculously cheap price of $49.95. This was even cheaper than a certain gaming companies 'Insider Online 24-hour Discount Bonanza', who advertised at about $10 more. In fact, over 30 people have already joined the Group Buys for Assassin's Creed and Tekken, with Uncharted 2 going live today. I, myself, have joined the Assassin's Creed Group Buy and am seriously thinking about Uncharted as well.

At those prices I can afford two games for Christmas!

The Group Buy Voting will live on...

2010 is going to be a bigger year for OfferMe. There's a lot in the pipeline set to make your experience on our site even more enjoyable. My favourite is our Summer promotion, the Summer Selection. Similar to the past PS3 game vote, we'll be hosting polls on a wide range of categories, allowing you to choose the best products you want on OfferMe. The aim is to keep ensuring we have the Group Buy deals that you're after. Obviously, the most important thing will be your vote! Sure, picking politicians can be tough... But knowing what you want or need for the house etc is easy enough.

So keep your eyes peeled for the Summer Selection, there are bound to be some sizzling deals to start the new year with a bargain!

Make Your Group Buy Voice Heard...

Did you know that OfferMe's Request It service is similar to these Group Buy votes? Simply user the OfferMe search bar to find the product you're after and click 'Register Interest'. When a product has enough interest behind it, our Deal Detectives will do their best to turn it into a Group Buy!

If you don't find the product you're after, list it. Then, whoever else is looking for the product, can also add their support to it.

Answering the Concerns of Group Buy

OfferMe's Deal Detective, Erick Teresa discusses the steps he takes to ensure your Group Buy questions get answered.

Ever look for a product online – even in our Group Buy – and worry that it might not be exactly what you are looking for? Maybe it's a new laptop and you want to make sure it's perfect to play your favourite games. Maybe you are looking for a a Digital Camera and you want to compare optical zoom specifications with another model that's for sale online. The product looks great and so does the price. You just need to sort out this small enquiry and once answered, you're ready to purchase the product; or, in the case of Group Buy hit the “I Want To Buy” button.

With other eRetail sites that's where the problems usually arise. You want to ask someone but have no idea exactly who to ask. It's not like there's a sales rep to even spend some time chatting with you about the product. If you really want the item, you will end up sending an email to the general enquiries department while waiting anxiously for a response. Usually you end up waiting an eternity. Sometimes you may not even get a response! More times out of most, you'll end up leaving and buying your item across the road where you paid more money but at least you received assistance from someone who was available to help.

Who can blame you? No one wants to spend their hard earned dollars on an item they don't have full confidence in. Undoubtedly, this lack of a personal touch is a huge problem within the eCommerce world, where most items are available without any assistance at all.

Of course, at OfferMe, we've gone a ways to make sure we're there to answer this questions. This is what makes OfferMe so different to everyone else online.

Group Buy is Buyer focused...

Firstly, whilst OfferMe works hand-in-hand with the sellers on our site, it's important to separate us from these eRetailers. This allows us to remain as a buyer focused platform, giving us the ability to to negotiate competitive deals. To ensure we're getting the best possible deal, our team researches both online and off-line competitors. Each Group Buy deal listed goes through the same stringent qualifying process. This helps us stay true to the buyers demands, as they continually receive quality deals and at highly competitive prices.

We also provide a wealth of communication tools ensuring you have our full support.

Answer your Group Buy question Live...

As with most companies, customer support is a crucial part of our service. Our head of Customer Services, Sakshi Paul, oversees all of our customer enquiries ensuring our buyers are fully supported and that their issues are addressed within a timely efficient manner. Sakshi also manages our live chat feature during business hours, providing live support for users through instant chat messaging. It's a safe, secure and personal way to get the answer to any product-specific or service-related question you may have.

Get InTouch to discuss any Group Buy concerns...

Some of you may already know about OfferMe's InTouch. Yet the truth is, a lot of users are unaware of the full potential InTouch gives them. InTouch is OfferMe's community platform where everyone can share their own experiences, product knowledge and even team up to get a Group Buy Deal.

Further, I'm on there. I spend a fair amount of my time in InTouch getting ideas about new products to source or speaking to concerned buyers. Simply add me as a friend and I'll keep you up-to-date with the deals I'm currently negotiating while trying solve any of your product issues.

Settling any Group Buy issues across the web...

Everyone knows that the 'net is a big place. OfferMe isn't confined to the OfferMe site alone. There are other places you can chat to OfferMe users and get the answers you're after. Our Online Content Manager, Nadim Sharbean, manages an OfferMe Facebook fanpage which has grown to over a thousand fans within a couple of weeks. While the latest Group Buy Deals and some hilarious video clips make up the bulk of the site, you can also chat to other OfferMe fans & users, and compare your experiences.

If you're a forum surfer, the best place to find chatter about OfferMe Group Buys is Australia's number one retail forum, Ozbargain.com.au. Online Marketing Coordinator, Bekim Ahmedi works hard to consult all questions that appear on the site. Staying involved in threads like this ensures that all these answers to obvious concerns remain available to anyone that may share them.

What I'm essentially trying to emphasise is that, when you choose to shop with OfferMe and use our Group Buy service, you are not alone. Our team is here to assist you, providing the full support you need to confidently make your purchase.