Yuupon, a new flash-sales site for travel, sounds like Groupon, but claims to be more flexible than other flash sales sites.
Yuupon claims the travel dates it offers for its middle-market hotel and condo stays are more open-ended than on other sites, and it is also offering customers the option of full cash refunds within eight days of purchase.
Here's how it works: If you purchase a travel deal, your credit card gets charged once enough people buy the deal, and you'll receive an email with a link to your PDF voucher.
To redeem the voucher, you call the hotel reservation number listed on the voucher.
However, if you change your mind about the purchase, you can email Yuupon within eight days for a full cash refund. And, you can get a credit toward a future trip if you cancel after eight days but before the voucher expires.
The degree of flexibility of travel dates depends on the deal supplier.
A condo stay on the site March 27 in Gulf Shores, Ala., included blackout dates and travel as late as May 27, 2011.
Yuupon's founder is Mary Song, who launched Rent101.com, which was sold to Austin Ventures in 2005 and became one of HomeAway's founding sites. Song is the president and CEO of Propel Media.
Unlike other flash sales sites for travel such as Jetsetter and Voyage Privé, Yuupon is not a private sales site. In other words, you don't need an email invitation to get in.