Tuesday, November 29, 2011

What the @#$@# Tuesday

I renamed today. It's no longer Tuesdays at the Table or Two on Tuesday or any of that, and I've deemed it such due to last night's Mixbook antics. Let me explain why the words "invalid coupon code" wrecked shop around here last night.

I bought the Groupon (or whatever deal it was) a while ago -- $15 for $50 to spend. And my thoughts go-
Christmas cards! Christmas cards! Christmas cards!

Sounds like a great idea right? Yes, a really great idea!

So I waited for the "cyber Monday" deals emailed to me for the previous week and created my card last night along with a p.i.t.a. calendar for a belated birthday gift. The calendar took forever because I needed photos from Cowboy's laptop, plus mine was acting up.

But, it all gets done. I am satisfied with the results, but mostly excited that I was going to get such a great deal.  And then? Whomp....whomp....whomp.

I learn that shipping is like 20 bucks to order the cards and calendar. What? I played around with the different choices, and I believe got it down to around $11 by removing the calendar. It's not time-sensitive; after all, I'm already about 6 months late on the gift.

So for $68 (which I'd use the 50 from my Groupon), I was going to receive our Christmas cards. Whatever.

Once I retrieved my Groupon ticket and figured our which number to use in the discount code space, the lovely, red words "Invalid coupon code" jumped across the screen with an evil laugh. Ok, it wasn't really like that, but after trying a couple of times thinking that maybe when I copied and pasted, I left a space before or after the number which threw it off.
Nothing.

So hopping back over to the Groupon, I see in tiny, tiny print that the coupon expires Feb. 2012 (which I knew), but also that it doesn't activate until Feb. 1, 2012. What the @#$#? If Cowboy wasn't sleeping on the couch, I would have lost my grits!

It just seems like a shitty deal, and yes, I should have read it in its entirety before buying, but really, Mixbook? I am pretty sure I'm not the only one who bought the deal with Christmas cards in mind. In fact, I recall people's facebook sharings about it with the same idea. And on top of that, do you really charge that much for shipping?

Well, it looks like I need to take lots of pictures this Christmas season to make a great photo book or calendar in February. Or I can do our Christmas cards for next year????
But then again, I can only do one or the other because I'm sure as heck not spending a dime more than $50 to give this company more money, and with shipping, options are limited.

And this morning's conclusion? HELLO SHUTTERFLY!


6 comments:

Erin said...

NO WAY!!! I am SO mad for you right now. And even more mad because I think I have that exact same groupon! I am jumping over to check out the fine print in mine now as well. I know it expires Feb 2012 because I couldn't make it a book for his first year but really it doesn't activate until then? WTH?! I think switching to shutterfly is a great idea! HA!

Natalie said...

Oh girl that stinks! I mean what groupon purchase doesn't let you use until Feb 2012??? Ridiculous I say!

the workaholic momma said...

WHOA...pure insanity!!! I would have been so mad too!!!! Shutterfly is offering buy 1 get 50% off on all others for their custom calendars (or at least they were yesterday) and free shipping if you spend over $30 (use Ship30)...and if you go through Ebates - you also get 8% cash back on your total purchase...so maybe that will help?!

Cole said...

OMG! I would have been losing it too! How frustrating.

I hope you have better luck with Shutterfly. I happen to adore them. :-)

Meg O. said...

How shitty, indeed!!! I wonder if Groupon gives refunds. I would totally ask for one. How deceptive!

Alisha said...

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?! I bought TWO of them! !@#% is right!