Frequently Asked Questions

What is the point of Dealhack?

Our goal is to help our users find cool stuff and save money shopping online. We work hard to provide real value and create a site that is fun to use.

Most of the deals that we highlight involve coupons, markdowns, rebates, free shipping or some other type of discount. However, sometimes we showcase products just because we really love them or think that our users will be happy to learn about them.

For more tips on getting the most out of Dealhack, be sure to check out the new user's guide.

How does Dealhack make money?

We have affiliate accounts with many, but not all, of the merchants that we feature on the site. No one pays us to post their products; however, we do get a referral fee if you click through on a deal link and purchase a product from one of the merchants that we have an affiliate account with.

We also accept some paid advertising on Dealhack. When deciding what types of ads to run, our primary concern is that they don't interfere with your use and enjoyment of the site. That's why we won't allow any obnoxious or intrusive ads on our site.

Do you download spyware onto my computer?

No. Never.

What's a cookie? How and why does Dealhack use them?

Cookies are small bits of text data that web browsers store based on requests from web servers. Dealhack's cookie allows us to recognize if you have visited before and to optimize your use of the site. Some of the advertisers or merchants that we link to also place cookies on your computer. The primary reason for doing so is to allow them to track our referral of you to their site.

For more information on our use of cookies, see our privacy policy.

How do I use coupon codes?

When you are viewing a deal and you click on the "go" button, a new web browser will open and load the specific page on the merchant's site where you can find the highlighted deal. The original browser will remain open so that you can reference any instructions including how to complete your checkout from the merchant's site and what coupon code to enter.

Whenever possible, we will set up the link so that the coupon code is automatically entered when you get to the checkout process. However, sometimes this cannot be done. Most merchants ask for a coupon or promotional code as part of the checkout process before you finalize the transaction, so please look for this box when checking out. If you do not see the code automatically entered, then please enter it at that time. If the site does not have a box to enter a coupon or promotional code, but they do have a comment field, please enter "coupon code" followed by the specific code shown on Dealhack for that merchant.

If the merchant's site does not accept the coupon, it has probably expired. Some merchants include both an expiration date as well as a termination tied to the total number of uses for a particular coupon code. Given the dynamic rate of change on the Web, we are not able to monitor when coupons reach their use limit.

Please check back with Dealhack frequently. Sometimes, we have a comparable coupon available when an old one expires.

When I enter the coupon code, the merchant says that it is invalid. What should I do?

If it is a coupon code you have to enter yourself, please check carefully to see that you have accurately input the code given on our site. If so, the coupon has most likely expired by reaching the limited number of uses specified by the merchant.

As indicated above, we can not monitor when each coupon reaches its use limit. However, please look for updated coupon codes for that same merchant on Dealhack. Often, we obtain new coupon codes from merchants when their old ones expire.

What else do I need to know about coupon codes?

Many online coupons are set up by the merchants as single use per account, email address, delivery address or credit card. Some are only for first-time buyers at a given store.

Since many coupons expire quickly, please check back with Dealhack often to see if there is anything new available for that store. Frequently, you will find other coupon offers for the same merchant.

I purchased a product through your site and it hasn't arrived. What should I do?

Please keep in mind that we highlight deals that we think will be of interest to our users. However, we do not have any control over the merchant who is actually selling the products. Therefore, you will have to contact that company directly.

We endeavor to only make referrals to reputable companies. Therefore, if you encounter unreasonable problems and you wish to tell us about them, you may contact us. If we hear about significant problems at any of the merchants, we will certainly stop making referrals to them.

What do the RSS and Atom Feed buttons on the site mean?

We are committed to making Dealhack your most useful shopping tool so we provide multiple ways for you to learn about the our deals and coupons. In addition to viewing Dealhack in a web browser like you are now, you can use applications called aggregators or news readers.

When using an aggregator, you will "subscribe" to content by pointing the application to the URL of the feed which is represented by the buttons on our site. Each aggregator program is a little different so you should follow the application instructions for subscribing.

Many newer web browsers like Firefox also understand how to read and process RSS or Atom Feeds so you can have your browser collect the latest updates from Dealhack and read them on your favorites list. There is also more information on how to subscribe to our content in the new user's guide.

I can't find something I saw a while ago on your site. What should I do?

We make deals accessible in as many ways as possible. There is a search function in the upper right portion of our home page. Also, see the archives listed in the far right column on the home page. You can also scroll through older postings by the type of deal or by searching among all deals.

How does search work on your site?

The search box can be found in the upper right corner of our home page and most of the other pages throughout the site. When you enter specific words in the box and press the "search" button, our server will return a list of deals and other written content pertaining to the terms specified in your query. However, we do not include results from deals that have expired or that we know are no longer active.