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DoorChannel · private group purchases

One neighbor organizes a group purchase. Local companies bid for all of it.

A private group purchase buys the same service for many nearby homes at once, like a season of weekly lawn mowing. A neighbor organizes it and sets a price target. If the winning bid meets that target, the price locks for every home. If not, no one pays anything.

Two kinds of group buying run on DoorChannel. This page covers the second.
Store credit offersRun by DoorChannelHow they work →Private group purchasesRun by an organizerThis page
What you buyStore credit at brands you already buy from, like $100 of credit for $80.A specific service or item for your home, like a season of weekly mowing.
Who negotiatesA person at DoorChannel negotiates with each brand.The organizer, a named neighbor. They set the price target and settle the final price. DoorChannel is the platform they run it on.
Who can joinAnyone. Brand pages are public.Invited homes only. Campaign pages are private.
How it clearsThe brand signs one discount for the whole group.Local companies bid, and the winning bid has to meet the organizer's target.
How it clears

Sign-ups first, then one round of sealed bids.

  1. The organizer sets the termsThe service, the group size, the price target, and what joining takes: a card authorization or just a name at your address. The organizer joins on the same terms as everyone else.
    Campaign terms
    ServiceWeekly lawn mowing
    SeasonMay to October
    Group size50 homes
    Price target$55.00 per cut or less
    To joinCard authorization
    DROrganized by Dana Reyes41 Maple St · joins on the same terms
  2. Neighbors sign upIn a card-backed group, each home authorizes one visit's price to show it is in. Nothing is held or charged. In a simple group, joining is a name and an address. Companies can see which kind of group they are bidding on, and card-backed groups usually get lower bids.
    Sign-ups
    38 of 50 homes
    Your authorization$55.00 · one visit
    Charged today$0
    If the campaign ends without a deal, every authorization is canceled.
  3. Approved companies send sealed bidsOnce the group is full, each company on the campaign's approved list sends one bid for the whole group. No company sees another company's number. Serving many homes on the same streets costs less, and the bids usually show it.
    Bids · 3 approved companies
    GreenLine Lawn CareBid in · sealed
    Maple & Moss LandscapingBid in · sealed
    TurfPro ServicesNo bid yet
    Bids stay sealed until the round closes on Apr 18. No company sees another company’s number.
  4. The price locks, or the campaign endsIf the best bid meets the target, the organizer settles the price with that company and it locks for every home for the whole season. If no bid meets the target, the campaign ends and any authorizations are canceled within 24 hours.
    GreenLine bids $52.50 per cut. That meets the $55.00 target, so the price locks for all 50 homes, for the whole season.
    No bid meets the target. The campaign ends, and every authorization is canceled within 24 hours.
What keeps it honest

The same rules on every campaign.

  • Only vetted, approved companies can bid: state license, certificate of insurance, and references. The winner comes from that list, and you can see the list before you sign up.
  • Your name, address, and contact info stay hidden while bidding is open. The winning company gets the addresses after the price locks, and only to do the work. No solicitors.
  • Billing runs per completed visit at the locked price. Skipped visits cost nothing, and the price cannot rise for the whole season.
  • If the winning company quits mid-season, the group moves to the runner-up at the same price. That is written into the winning contract.
  • The winning company pays DoorChannel a flat fee per home. Neighbors never pay DoorChannel anything.
Getting in

You need an invitation.

Campaign pages are private. They do not show up in search, and there is no public list of them. You get in one of two ways.

Someone sends you the linkThe organizer or a neighbor sends you the campaign link by email, text, or a letter in your mailbox. The link opens the page for you.
A campaign invites your addressOrganizers can open a campaign to every home in an area. Confirm your address on DoorChannel, and any campaign open to it is waiting for you in Your groups.