Tyrone Perez, an alumnus of GMA 7′s Starstruck was apparently found dead in an abandoned car in Valenzuela City just three days shy of New Year’s Day.

You know, I’m not very fond of our local celebrities but when I hear of news about suicide cases, I can’t help but weep for them and the families they left behind.

To Tyrone, rest in peace.

A year forward and we’ve witnessed the mushrooming of group-buying sites and of course, the tons of horror stories from customers who were shortchanged or who did not get to use their vouchers altogether. I’ve then decided to do a mini-review of my own purchases from the group-buying sites that littered the internet. Please be reminded that my opinion is based on my personal account when I claimed/used my deal vouchers, hence my experience may be different with yours or your friends’. Thanks!

———————

ENSOGO

Probably the first of its kind in Manila and one of the biggest. For over a year, it has been faced with a lot of complaints from dissatisfied customers. So far, I’ve had 6 transactions with them but I haven’t had any problems with them so far. I always get my vouchers at once after paying for them probably because I usually pay via Paypal or Credit Card so it’s more automated on their part, but, I’ve also had my fair share of problems with the deals I purchased from them in the past.

Good Deal #1

The Merchant: LEGEND OF INDIA

The Deal: Pay PHP200 for PHP500 worth of food

Vouchers Bought: 2

Claimed/Used: February 2011

My boyfriend and I went to have dinner at Legend of India a few days after Valentines’ Day. I did not have any problems making a reservation. When we got there, we were greeted by polite and friendly food servers. The place was not packed and we were actually the only customers that night until another group came. The food was okay (I especially loved the Manchow Soup. It was spicy but good!) The price was also fair. We exceeded the PHP1,000 limit of the vouchers we had so we had to pay the excess. For my first deal from Ensogo, it wasn’t such a bad experience.

Good Deal #2

The Merchant: FruiQuet

The Deal: Pay PHP325 for a Sunny Tropics fruit bouquet worth PHP650

Vouchers Bought: 1

Claimed/Used: March 2011

Bought this voucher specifically for my mom’s birthday. I thought that a fruit bouquet delivered right at her office will be a pleasant birthday surprise. Guess what? I was right. I used the voucher when I placed my order online though I had to spend for the delivery fee and the add-ons such as a picture message card and a small jar of chocolate fondue (which was okay because it was explicitly stated that delivery fee is not included in the promo). Imagine the look at my mom’s face when the delivery man arrived. Not only was she pleased to see a bouquet for her, but she was even more thrilled to receive a unique kind of bouquet. I was happy with the outcome of this deal. But my mom was even happier.

Good Deal #3

The Merchant: Kartini Spa

The Deal: PHP 1,500 for a Complete Mother’s Day Package which includes a 90-minute Body Scrub with Massage and 30-minute foot spa, plus a 45-minute Special Facial with Collagen Mask Treatment.

Vouchers Bought: 1

Claimed/Used: August 2011

Bought this for mom for Mother’s Day. Unfortunately, we were both out-of-town on Mother’s Day and she had a function to attend to the week after. It was pushed back until it became my Pre-boards Thank You gift to my mom in August! LOL. Anyway, booking for my mom’s treat was not a hassle and my mom was pampered and treated to a nice scrub, body massage and facial. She said the whole experience was nice. I don’t know if I got a really good deal for just 1,500 but if it made my mom happy, then I probably did.

Good Deal #4

The Merchant: Chocolat Deep Dark Chocolate Cakes

The Deal: Only PHP320 for a 9” Round Whole Death by Tablea Chocolate Cake worth PHP640.

Vouchers Bought: 1

Claimed/Used: August 2011

We were supposed to use this as a Mother’s Day present for my beau’s mom but because we were both out-of-town on Mother’s Day, we were not able to claim the voucher at once. I ended up claiming the cake a few days short before it was to expire. The voucher took a few days before it arrived in my account as we paid via Banco De Oro deposit. Aside from that, confirming my pick-up and getting it at their Mall of Asia branch was not a hassle. My mom and brothers loved it. I am not a big fan of dark chocolate so I didn’t enjoy it much. Hehe. It was a good deal nonetheless.

To be continued…

The old adage goes this way: Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. These days, however, this saying no longer holds true because beauty is now apparently in the eyes of the cosmetic surgeon – and more importantly, in the pocket of the beholder.

Now, excuse me while I check out besteyelashenhancer.net.

Angel Locsin is one of those rumored to have gone breast augmentation surgery. Seen here is a photo of darling Angel as featured in Chizmosa Lounge in an article in 2009.

I’ve heard horror stories of how long the queue in getting an NBI clearance can be. Looking back, I remember how jampacked the NBI Main Office in Taft Avenue can be early in the morning when it’s filled with people eager to get their clearances. And that’s day in and day out. To decongest the main office, NBI has put up satellite offices in malls all over the Metro Manila solely for the purpose of getting an NBI clearance. But even at these satellite branches, the lines can get really long and getting that much-needed NBI clearance a pain in the ass (literally from waiting. =P) Thanks to a dear friend, Rob, who got his a few months back, I learned about the hidden satellite branch at Robinson’s Place Otis. “Hidden” because it’s not as easily accessible compared to the other branches such as in Ever Gotesco Commonwealth and Robinson’s Place Ermita (and it’s not near heroin detox rehab treatment centers). Just to illustrate how quick and hassle-free I got my clearance: I arrived at 10:45 and finished by 1 pm. That’s just 2 hours and 15 minutes compared to a whole day spent for processing your NBI clearance in most branches! It was even better for Rob who got in at 9:30 and finished the whole process in 1 hour and 30 minutes back in September. =P

To get to Robinson’s Place Otis and you’re coming from Taft Ave., you have to alight at U.N. Avenue and I believe you can take a tricycle which will take you to the mall. Don’t take a pedicab as I’ve heard they can charge you as much as 60 pesos for a one-way trip! If you’re coming from QC, take the LRT Purple Line, alight at Pureza station and take a jeep to Mendiola. As soon as they’ve crossed the stoplight (which is across SaveMore on your left and Mercury Drugstore on the right), alight at Wendy’s and walk on the same side of this fastfood chain going towards Nagtahan Bridge. You’ll pass by De Ocampo Memorial Hospital (a small hospital). A few more steps and you’ll reach a terminal for Paco-bound jeepneys. Pay the 8 pesos fare at the table on the side and you’re good to go.

When I got to Robinson’s Place Otis, there were about 100 or so people in the queue. That’s short enough since one woman narrated there were 500 people in line at another NBI clearance center she went to earlier that morning (Remember, it was only 10:45).

Bring with you a valid ID, some money and a black ballpen. An NBI clearance for local employment and other ordinary purposes will cost you 115 pesos. It may be higher depending on the purpose of the NBI clearance. Sounds great right?