Agreed, and isn't that the whole point of group buying in the first place? Groupon didn't invent the group buying model, they're just enabling / automating it.

Agreed, and isn't that the whole point of group buying in the first place? Groupon didn't invent the group buying model, they're just enabling / automating it. I see nothing wrong with that. If a business can't benefit enough from the higher volume guaranteed buys to cover the fees, then they probably shouldn't expect miracles from any group buying service. Using it purely for advertising / marketing seems secondary and questionable to me.