Between flights, hotels, and a full itinerary of activities, booking a vacation can cost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. One woman booked a mystery vacation offer on Groupon for just $186 to save money and is hoping it’s legit.
In a video with over 757,000 views, TikToker Rou (@roofayduh) shows her receipt for the “Groupon Mystery Getaway” she booked with a friend.
She explains that the package includes flights and hotels to a mystery domestic or international location. Buyers find out where they’re setting off to about 72 hours after purchasing the Groupon package.
“We’re so nervous because we don’t know if it’s a scam or not,” she says. “A vacation for $186 just sounds insane.”
The TikToker speculates that the trip could be “too good to be true” or poorly planned.
Where Did The Groupon Send Her?
In a follow-up video, Rou says that the travel agent called her 72 hours later as promised and revealed that they picked Atlanta. However, Rou refused because she and her friend had already went there.
Then, the agent offered Ft. Lauderdale and Orlando. The TikToker ultimately chose Orlando.
“It’s still really fun, and I am excited, but I was hoping for something different. I was hoping for like Utah. I was hoping for Cali,” she says. “It is what it is.”
In an additional follow-up video, the TikToker explains that there are a few extra costs buyers should be aware of. She says the agent let her know that there was a $20 per night hotel fee and that there could be an “airport fee” for certain locations.
She shares that she will be taking the trip in mid-July.
Are Groupon Mystery Vacations Legit?
On the r/Frugal subreddit, other vacationers looking to book a trip on a budget shared their experience with the low price Groupon package. Many said they were able to take fancy international trips for cheap.
“My friends and I went on a 10 day trip to Turkey with groupon, flight and hotel as well as many tours were included. I thought it was an amazing deal, honestly,” one commenter shared. “We were in kind of an off season for Turkey, so we got upgraded at both the hotels we stayed at.”
However, some travelers said the cheap price comes with many expensive caveats, which may make planning and booking your own vacation worth it.
“I used a Groupon getaway for my honeymoon. 5 nights in an amazing resort. We still had to pay tax + tips, which were expensive,” another wrote. “However, once we got to the resort the food was ungodly expensive, and as the resort was up the side of a mountain and isolated, it was hard to get anything else to eat.”
Commenters on the viral TikTok also weighed in with their own experiences. They shared split opinions on whether the cheap vacation is worth it.
“I got Atlanta. Great flight and room. Little disappointing (location) but still had a blast!” one viewer said.
“Omg. This was such a nightmare. I’m all about going on a vacation it any destination. This was so horrible. Check your flights and the fine print. Do not recommend,” another countered.
“I did it two weeks ago and got Orlando,” a third added.
@roofayduh I can’t believe we did this lol #fyp #mysterygetaway #groupontravel #grouponmysteryvacation #cheaptravel
BroBible reached out to Rou via email and TikTok direct message and to Groupon via email for further comment. We will update the story when they reply.