Is Groupon Just a Glorified Outlet Mall?

Have you ever been to an outlet mall?  I have gone to them for years and each time I pull into the parking lot, I get excited about the prospect of getting great deals from brand name stores.  Over the last 10+ years, though, I have become increasingly more disillusioned and less satisfied with the outlet mall experience.  Rather than providing heavily discounted “store” items, it seems that they have become the place where stores can get rid of items no one wants by trying to convince you they are a deal. They offer low-end labels that may be less expensive but they are also significantly less quality.  A “Brooks” label shirt at a Brooks Brothers outlet will typically start to fall apart after two trips to the washing machine.I feel as though I’m having a similar experience with Groupon.  When it was first introduced, I felt like I was getting a great deal on items that anyone would want.  Now it seems that the “deals” are items that no one would want or you have to read the fine print because if you think the experience is too good to be true, it probably is.  A great example of this is with laser hair removal.  I have a friend who purchased a Groupon for this.  It seemed like a great deal because it was almost half off what you would typically pay; however, the offer was only good for 6 months and according to experts, it usually takes at least a year to complete the full laser hair removal process.  So this Groupon deal would leave you with some wacky looking body hair and the need to spend even more money after 6 months.How do you feel about Groupon or other deal sites?  Have you gotten great deals? Do you use them? Have you been happy with a Groupon purchase or gotten buyer’s remorse? Let me know!