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Learn how to use the Groupon Website to save Money

by Steve Black
written by Steve Black

GrouponWhat is Groupon? How does it work?

Hi everyone! Corbin from Techboomers here, with another website for you to look into. It’s called Groupon, and it’s a deal-of-the-day operation that lets you buy vouchers to exchange for products and services at discounted prices. How does that work, you ask? We’ll tell you!
Groupon is a website that allows businesses in major urban areas around the world to offer mass discount promotions. You get to be the one to take advantage of these deals by using Groupon: just find a deal that you like, purchase a voucher from Groupon at a discounted price, print the voucher out, and then trade it in at the establishment offering the deal for goods or services! Groupon is one of the largest online deal-of-the-day operations out there, and it’s intuitively organized, so finding something you want close to home is a snap! Groupon makes it even easier by recommending other deals that it’s hosting from businesses that are similar or in the general area of where you like to shop. You can even use Groupon to save on things that you buy every day, and you can get those coupons for free!

What are some tips for using Groupon to its fullest?

1. Being proactive is the best policy for avoiding problems.

The “group” in “Groupon” comes from the fact that businesses only offer their deals on Groupon as long as enough people buy into them. That means a business may cancel the deal if they don’t sell enough vouchers, or they may sell too many and not have enough product to cover the demand. Also, most vouchers have expiry dates and other conditions on when and for what they are eligible.
There are ways to cancel your Groupon vouchers and get refunds for them (we’ll cover that later), but the best way to make sure that you can redeem your deal without a hitch is to be proactive. Before you buy a voucher, read the fine print for it, and make sure you know when it expires and what other special conditions dictate how you can or cannot use it. Call the business ahead of time and make sure that they are still offering the deal, and will otherwise be able to fulfill it for you. And try to cash your voucher as soon as you can after purchasing it, to avoid having your situation change and the business deciding to cancel or reject the deal from it being undersold or oversold (respectively).

2. Get the deals that are right for you by adjusting your preferences.

You can change your taste preferences in Groupon to have it recommend local deals that are more relevant to you. For example, depending on if you’re a man or a woman, you can have Groupon show you deals that are geared more towards your gender. Or you can also ask Groupon to orient your recommendations towards things that you like to do. “Adrenaline” will show you more sports-related deals, “Good for Kids” will show you more discounts on things you can enjoy with your children or grandchildren, and “Pet Lover” will allow you to receive promotions geared towards pampering your non-human companion(s).

3. Save even more money by using on-site credit to pay for vouchers.

Groupon has an on-site credit system called “Groupon Bucks”. The most straightforward way to earn Groupon Bucks is to send referrals to your friends and family, and have them sign up for Groupon and purchase vouchers. This has the double benefit of having more users on Groupon to fulfill voucher quotas, so the more people you refer to Groupon, the more deals you can get! Groupon also occasionally has promotions where you can earn Groupon Bucks by purchasing vouchers that you wanted anyway. By building up enough store credit, you may be able to pay for a good chunk of a voucher, or even the entire thing!

4. Know that you have options if you change your mind or something goes wrong.

In most circumstances, if you decide that you actually don’t want something that you purchased a Groupon voucher for, you can cancel the voucher within three days of purchasing it for a full refund. In addition, you can get in touch with Groupon to let them know if you are not satisfied with your voucher purchase. For example, the product that you exchanged your voucher for was broken or defective, the business refused to honor the deal despite your voucher not being expired yet, or a vacation or event that you booked got cancelled or rescheduled. In all of these situations, get in touch with Groupon’s customer service department, and they’ll work with you to make things right. They may even offer you a full refund. For more information on Groupon’s refund policies (and how to get a refund from Groupon), or how to contact Groupon customer service, see these tutorials for Groupon Refunds and Groupon Customer Service.
If you’d like some more information on what Groupon is and how to use it before you actually try it out, visit this Groupon course on Techboomers.com. Otherwise, why not head over to www.groupon.com and see what deals you can dig up?

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Tech Support

Introduction to Facebook

by Steve Black
written by Steve Black

Hi everyone! It’s Corbin from Techboomers, here to give you a primer on how to get started on Facebook. Chances are that you’ve at least heard this website’s name, and maybe even heard it referred to as an example of “social media”, but you may still be a bit confused as to what it’s all about. Basically, Facebook is a stage for people to show off what they find important or interesting to other people that they know or like. Those people can then show appreciation for, comment on, or ask questions about what they see from other people. If it helps, think as Facebook as a big game of show-and-tell.
There are two important steps to getting started on Facebook: creating an account and connecting with people, and adjusting your privacy settings.
Create an account and connect with people
The first step to joining Facebook is to create an account on the website. To do this, head over to www.facebook.com and fill out the form on the right side of the screen with your name, email address, account password, birth date, and gender. Then click “Sign Up”.
Facebook sign up
On the next screen, you can type in your email address again (or your other email addresses, if you have more than one), and Facebook will see if any of the people you’ve contacted over email have accounts on Facebook. If they do, you can send those people “friend requests”. A “friend request” is basically asking someone to add you as a contact on Facebook (i.e. contacts on Facebook are called “friends”). If they accept your “friend request”, then it generally becomes much easier for each of you to see what the other is doing on Facebook.
Once you’ve sent out “friend requests” based on whom you converse with over email, you can add more information about yourself. This includes where you live, where you grew up, where you went to high school and/or college/university, and where you work. You can also choose who can see this information on Facebook (see the next section). When you’re done, click “Continue”. Depending on what information you choose to put in, Facebook will find even more people whom you might know, and you can send each of them “friend requests”. If they accept, then you’ll be connected with them on Facebook! When you’re done, click “Next”.
Facebook 2
Next, you need to choose a picture to represent yourself on Facebook. Everyone on Facebook can see it, so make sure that it’s a nice picture. Click “Add Picture”, find the picture of yourself that you want to use on Facebook, and then click “Open”. Click and drag the corners of the frame (or the frame itself) to select the area of the photo that you want to use, then click “Save and Continue”.
The final step is to go to the email account that you used to sign up for Facebook, open the confirmation email that you receive, and click “Confirm Your Account”. This will verify your account for Facebook. Congratulations! You’re almost ready to start using Facebook!
If you’d like to see this process illustrated with pictures and videos, head over to this How to Create a Facebook Account tutorial on Techboomers.com.
Adjust your privacy settings
Just because Facebook is a “social” network doesn’t mean that privacy isn’t important when using it. There are certain things that you do on Facebook that might be understood by some people, but frowned upon by others (or are just none of their business, like sharing certain personal information). There are two general ways to control your privacy on Facebook: using the “audience selector” function, and by using “lists”.
The “audience selector” function allows you to quickly choose who can see information that you put on Facebook. Generally, you have four options: “Public” (i.e. everyone on Facebook), “Friends” (i.e. only people whom you’ve connected with on Facebook), “Only Me”, or “Custom” (which lets you include or exclude certain people or lists of people; we’ll cover lists in a minute). You can set a general rule as a shortcut, or you can choose for each piece of information that you post on Facebook.
facebook 3
“Lists” are categories of people whom you’ve connected with on Facebook. Some are close personal friends, others are work colleagues, still others are old schoolmates… you can create lists to organize your “friends” on Facebook any way that you want. Once you add “friends” to a “list”, if you post information in that “list”, then only the people in that “list” will be able to see it. Conversely, if you post information on Facebook and use the “audience selector” to select a “Custom” audience (as described above), you can choose one or more “lists” of people whom you do or do not want to see that information.
facebook 4
There are also other ways to control your privacy on Facebook, such as setting who can find you or send you “friend requests” on Facebook, or who can “tag” you (i.e. connect your name to a picture or other piece of information) on Facebook. For more information and detailed instructions on how to protect your privacy on Facebook, check out the following tutorials on Techboomers.com:

  • Understanding Facebook Privacy: www.techboomers.com/t/facebook-privacy
  • How to Change Facebook Privacy Settings: www.techboomers.com/t/changing-facebook-privacy-settings
  • Facebook Lists: www.techboomers.com/t/facebook-lists
  • Facebook Tagging: www.techboomers.com/t/facebook-tags
  • Facebook Account Settings: www.techboomers.com/t/facebook-account-settings

Once you create an account on Facebook and set your privacy options up the way that you want them, you’re ready to enjoy all that Facebook has to offer! Share your thoughts and interests with your friends, comment on what your friends are up to, organize real-life events, play games, and more! To learn how it all works, visit the rest of our Facebook tutorials on Techboomers.com!

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5 Websites Show Internet Power
Tech Support

5 Websites Show Internet Power

by Steve Black
written by Steve Black

This is the first Senior.com blog in an on-going series on Tech Support for Seniors!
Hi everyone! I’m Corbin from Techboomers, a free educational website that teaches older adults and others with limited computer skills how to use popular and trusted websites on the Internet. Today, I’m going to give you a primer on 5 well-known websites on the Internet, which is a fascinating network full of valuable tools for enriching your quality of life. For example, did you know that there’s a website that lets you book rental properties for when you go on vacation? How about a website that lets you connect and communicate with old friends, and follow news about things that you like? Or how about a website that allows you to watch as many movies and T.V. shows as you want, right on your computer, for one low monthly rate? Here’s a bit more information about just a few of them:
Netflix — www.netflix.com
Can’t find time to make it out to the movie theatre? Can’t find a classic flick that you loved growing up? Worried about missing an episode of your favourite T.V. series? Don’t sweat it! For a flat monthly fee, Netflix allows you to watch hundreds of popular movies and television shows — as many as you like! Watch how you want, when you want: Netflix works on computers, mobile devices (like smart phones), and even some video game consoles. It also “streams” programs, so you can watch them as they download instead of having to wait until they’re finished! Netflix even features a D.V.D. rental service, as well as exclusive programming that you won’t find anywhere else! Click here to learn how to use Netflix.
WebMD — www.webmd.com
WebMD is a repository of medical information and advice, curated by real physicians and accredited by the largest healthcare oversight body in America (U.R.A.C.). Think you’re coming down with something? The “Symptom Checker” function will help you narrow what your condition might be based on your symptoms and where they are on your body. Need help sorting out your pills? A drug database will give you specifications on most major pharmaceuticals. Need medical help while you’re out of town? WebMD has a directory that allows you to find a doctor, hospital, or pharmacy almost anywhere in the United States. You can even get help with deciding what health insurance plan is right for you. WebMD is great for making sure that you’re informed and prepared for your next doctor’s appointment! Click here to learn everything you need to know about WebMD.
Facebook — www.facebook.com
When someone says “social media”, Facebook is probably one of the first websites that comes to mind. This website can find and connect you with people you know based on where you live, where you went to school, where you work, and even other people who know both of you! Once you’re connected with “friends” and other things you like on Facebook, you can follow what they’re doing or how they’re feeling right now. Or, you can share what you’re up to through words, pictures, videos, links to other websites, and more! People can leave comments on your updates — or “likes” to show approval — and you can do the same for them. And that’s just the start of what Facebook can do! Join groups of likeminded people, schedule and organize real-world events, send private messages, play games, and so much more! Click here to access free Facebook tutorials.
Skype — www.skype.com
The useful thing about Skype isn’t so much its website as it is the computer program of the same name that you can download from that website. Once the Skype program is installed on your computer, though, you’ll have a simple-to-use, multi-functional communication tool at your fingertips. Find friends and colleagues who are on Skype, and then send text messages, pictures, and even computer files back and forth. Want your chat to be a little more personal? You can place a phone call over Skype, or — if you have a “webcam” or other video recorder attached to your computer — you can even have a video chat with that person in real time! And as long as you and the other person both have Skype installed on their computers, all of this is free! Check out free Skype tutorial by clicking here.
Airbnb — www.airbnb.com
If staying in a hotel or motel for a stay out of town is out of your price range or just not what you would call an ideal lodging setup, then give Airbnb a try. A short-form for “air bed and breakfast”, Airbnb brings together people who are looking to rent out their properties to guests who are looking for places to stay while away from home. Name your destination and check in/check out dates, and then choose your accommodations based on the type of lodging, the available amenities, the price, the location, whether or not you’ll be sharing it with other travellers, and more. The really cool thing about Airbnb, though, is that there’s no pressure to base your choice on recognition of a big corporate brand name. On Airbnb, your business is only as good as your reputation, so if a host wants your business again, they’ll treat you right. Of course, if you want to stay somewhere again, that means you should be on your best behaviour, too! Interested in trying out Airbnb? Click here to learn more.
As you can see, there are plenty of websites out there on the Internet that can do wondrous things for you. And we here at Techboomers.com have lessons on how to use all five of these websites, along with many more!

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