Brits won't tuangou; will you?

Beijingers have long been known as excellent bargainers, and tuangou, or group buying, is Internet commerce with a Chinese twist.

Acting on the principle that more units you buy, the cheaper the price should be, Chinese consumers are gathering online in locally and nationally based websites to organize group buys, saving thousands of yuan on big items like cars and home furnishings, and getting ultra-discounted tickets to concerts and tours.

Though tuangou companies have been launched in other countries, including Groupon and Living Social in the UK, they're pale imitations of their Chinese counterparts and they pretty much boil down to daily deals on tooth whitening and cheap nights out to chain restaurants,

It sounds like a great idea to me. Imagine, just locally using Harringay Online or Haringey Freecycle, but I just can't see it happening in most places. Are we just not community minded enough or do we simply lack the Chinese love of bargaining?