Everyone loves to save money. Whether it is on clothes, books or other essentials, if possible, people like to pay less than full price. This simple fact is why events such as Black Friday are so highly anticipated and loved. But, Black Friday only comes once a year. So, how do everyday American save money every other day of the year? They turn to sites such as RetailMeNot.
RetailMeNot is a coupon site. On any given day, one could search for a specific store on the site and if there are any available coupons, they can be found and used through RetailMeNot. This is great news for those who only shop if they have a discount. RetailMeNot coupons can also be redeemed online and some are even eligible for free shipping.
“I absolutely love RetailMeNot. I downloaded the app on my phone and I have used it ever since,” Patty Martin of Bangor commented. “It is so convenient. I used to search for coupons in magazines and newspapers and often I would come up short. Now, all I have to do is pull up my app and BOOM! A coupon!”
Despite the app’s popularity, it does have its downfalls. Chris Hughes, also of Bangor, talked about his bad experiences with the app. “I liked RetailMeNot until I started finding more and more coupons that didn’t work. Some stores put out one-time use codes. By the time the code makes it to RetailMeNot, it has expired. I would get up to the counter to pay thinking I had a good deal going for me and the cashier would tell me that my coupon was invalid. It’s very frustrating.”
Not only does RetailMeNot put out expired coupons, often it lists deals that are already running on a store’s site. So when people click on the deal, they are brought directly to the store website and receive no coupon.
Every app will have pros and cons, much like everything else in life. RetailMeNot has many pros such as being convenient, easy to use and a great money-saving tool. It has just as many cons, however. It puts out expired coupons, it gives false hope for discounts and many retailers do not trust it.
So, to all of the shoppers out there, it seems as if RetailMeNot has two sides. One side reflects a handy, money-saving tool. The other side represents expired coupons and customer frustration. That leaves us with one question: RetailMeNot or Not?
