Groupon may the biggest and best-known coupon-sharing site on the web, but it has spawned a series of imitators with lots of money.
Companies use the site to offer discount gift certificates for whatever they sell--yoga classes, massages, restaurant meals--and the deals pop into subscribers's email inboxes every morning.
CTV's Tech and Trends columnist Elias Makos said, the model has been very successful for Groupon, so much so that it's now being copied by half a dozen competitors, including versions owned by Facebook, Amazon, eBay and other internet giants.
"The competitors, they are not just these mom and pop people. Ebay is interested. And Google Offers launched a couple of markets inside the United States. It will come to Canada eventually. When you are competing with all these other people it's difficult to keep that evaluation up," said Makos.
The coupons being offered may seem like steals, but they come with catches.
"Make sure you know the conditions, make sure that you know if there is an expiry date, make sure if you know you have to reserve or make a reservation before you use the product," said Makos. .
For the full interview, including details on why companies like the Groupon model, click the video player to the right.
Here's a partial list of coupon sites:
