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Don't count your chickens before they hatch. A penny saved is a penny earned. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. All things that Mom used to say are usually right, especially that last one. Further evidence of this truism can be found in the report on September 16, that one Atlanta photographer promoting a deal on Groupon was using stolen photos to promote herself and could not deliver on the terms of the Groupon deal.

According to TechCrunch, what alerted Groupon users to the fact that the deal offered by the photographer was not all it promised, were the sheer numbers. Commenters noted that it seemed unlikely that the photographer could actually perform the number of packages she was offering (amounting to something like 1,000 in a year). Other allegations then surfaced that the Groupon photographer was not actually the owner of the pictures presented on her website.

While these are currently only allegations, it brings to the forefront the issues surrounding services like those provided by Groupon. Groupon is an online coupon type of service that offers discounted deals on goods and services through "collective buying power." As their website explains, Groupon features bargains on things to "do, see, eat, and buy" in cities across the country. By promising businesses a minimum number of customers, Groupon arranges for unusual discounts for their purchasers.

Despite the power of numbers, there are still some deals that are just too good to be true, as in the case of the Atlanta photographer. Regardless of the backing of a recognized site like Groupon, if something appears not quite right or the numbers just don't add up, it pays to do further research. Since most Groupon users are looking for deals in their own area, ask others for recommendations and do some digging around before you pay up.

At this time, TechCrunch reports that the company is currently re-evaluating the photographer's Groupon deal structure after reviewing the comments on the discussion board. The comments have been removed from the site.

Related Resources:

• Online Purchases (FindLaw)
• On balance, is online shopping worth the risk?(FindLaw)
• Avoiding Online Fraud: Six Tips from an Expert (FindLaw's Common Law)