A Jacksonville business says they will change how their advertisement is worded, after an On Your Side investigation into complaints.
The carpet cleaning company's Groupon ad was reported to the Better Business Bureau and Groupon's Reviews by over a dozen customers claiming their purchase for services ended up being much more than advertised.
The Honor Carpet Cleaning company in Jacksonville said they've had the Groupon promotion for over a year. The ad reads: Carpet cleaning for up to six rooms, $49; carpet cleaning for up to 3 rooms, $29. Both dollar amounts are next to higher original prices, indicating a discount.
However customers like April Dominguez of Jacksonville, say they soon learned the purchase was only for a credit toward more expensive packages.
Honor Carpet Cleaning manager Steve Perkins says the price is not set until after a home inspection, and additional charges come based on poor carpet condition.
Dominguez was quoted three packages costing $300 to $575 for her six rooms. Her $50 Groupon was worth a $150 credit towards a package. The words 'credit', 'voucher' or 'gift certificate' do not appear in the ad.
"No one likes for you to just show up to their house and they're now spending four times the amount they thought they were going to spend," said Dominguez.
Following a conversation with First Coast News about the ad, Perkins said he is in contact with Groupon to revise how the promotion is worded to make things clearer for his customers.
Groupon permits cancellation of an unredeemed Groupon purchase within 3 days. After that, the purchase cannot be self-canceled and users should contact the customer service line.
