Groupon in Japan. Fail?

(HER) ● I love to use Groupon when I am back in Boston. Since I am also registered to Groupon Japan, I usually get e-mails with great deals that always make me wish that I am back home in Japan.

My mother told me a few days ago "I want to get my nails done one day!", I told her "Use Groupon, they have amazing deals for nails/haircuts/spas."
 
After downloading the  Japanese Groupon iPhone app she tells me:

"It has 2 stars as its rating...Are you sure about this?"

After reading a few reviews we find out that apparently Groupon is very unpopular in Japan because of a mistake they made in January 2011. They were offering deals for "Osechi" , which is Japanese traditional new years food in boxes. Every single dish that is included in the boxes have special meanings which represent good luck and happiness.

The deal was from Bird Cafe and offered Osechi boxes for only 10,000 yen which usually cost 20,000 yen!

Please take a look at the pictures from http://www.geocities.jp/gurupon7/ below...

<- The ad on Groupon that time

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These are the pictures of the actual boxes that were delivered to people.

These were taken once they were open, not after eating a bit of it :p

Osechi boxes are meant to be full and gorgeous just like the pictures on the ads!

According to the article, the company not only delivered boxes like this, they also delivered late (which is terrible because we traditionally eat osechi on new years day and a few days after that)!

The CEO of "Bird Cafe" resigned..

And unfortunately Groupon now has a bad reputation here in Japan.. :(

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