Mystery Box of Electronics

Deal Chatter Electronics
2681

With a BoC, you pay $5, which most of us can afford to throw away once in a while. Woot says nothing about what is in the box, or what it’s MSRP is. You expect three crappy items and a bag. For $5, nobody is really disappointed.

For a $50 electronics mystery box, you expect something a little nicer than a $5 BoC, especially after Woot hints at a $199 MSRP.

Woot never promised the boxes would all come with iPads, but it’s fair to expect serviceable electronic items rather than broken helicopters, previously opened headsets, or cracked screen protectors – especially if the possible items were never described as refurbished or open-box items.

People will accept random, but for $50, they won’t accept crap.

In this case, it looks like Woot’s third party vendor took advantage of an opportunity to clear out a warehouse full of unsellable crap that’s only loosely electronic. There were no big surprises, no ‘letters’, and the variety between boxes was pretty minimal. No wonder people feel taken!

2682

[QUOTE=marcl, post:2680, topic:476701]
Really!, I mean no business can afford to do something outrageous like make their customers happy or be honest in their advertising! Think about it, if they actually told you what they were selling, you wouldn’t buy it, so how could they get your money? Everyone should just accept whatever defective, broken, unusable junk the company sent them and be happy! In fact everyone should send woot extra money for getting what they got!
[/quote]

Really? You’re going to try to say that misleading advertising is acceptable?!?

In a free enterprise system, it’s not the business that decides how items are sold (Unless your happy with communism?).

2683

[QUOTE=danport, post:2682, topic:476701]
Really? You’re going to try to say that misleading advertising is acceptable?!?

In a free enterprise system, it’s not the business that decides how items are sold (Unless your happy with communism?).
[/quote]

Um, perhaps I should have used the /sarcasm tag to make more clear that this is sarcasm …

2684

The casual sexism is a really nice topper to your post, real classy.

2685

Kind of glad I bought this shirt though, fit the occasion:

2686

Still nothing from TT or anyone else at Woot. I wonder if now that it’s all said and done they’re just done dealing with it.

2687

I can see how one might come to this theory from the progression of items received. But there’s no excuse for this. Woot or their partner should have set an “in stock” quantity of mystery boxes, and the sale should have sold out once that quantity was hit.

2688

Got my 6lbs box:

LG Gruve wireless headphones
Ace sori Bluetooth neckband headset 900 series
Ace sori GlassVault tempered glass protector for iPhone 5/5s/5c.
IFocus body AND brain - 2 CD kits for child training

I have no kids so the iFocus stuff isn’t much use for me.

I have an iPhone 6 with glass protector so the 5 glass protector is no use for me

The wireless headphones are cool but I don’t use them very much.

The Bluetooth headband - barely use my jaw bone so this is little use for me.

For $50 it was a nice game to play.

1 Like
2689

[QUOTE=jihan3, post:2687, topic:476701]
I can see how one might come to this theory from the progression of items received. But there’s no excuse for this. Woot or their partner should have set an “in stock” quantity of mystery boxes, and the sale should have sold out once that quantity was hit.
[/quote]

From the looks of things, Woot! got in bed with a small-time trash collector who completely screwed the pooch. This outfit, “dbimagine.com” has a website that consists of the owner’s business card and nothing else. Seems that should have at least set off someone’s spidey sense there in Carrollton.

I am pretty sure that Woot! is done worrying about this. If you want any further satisfaction you’ll have to take it up with your credit card company.

2690

[QUOTE=andreaserben, post:2622, topic:476701]
ThunderThighs: After over 2600 posts… I think there is quite a number of us here who are expecting some type of statement from Woot regarding this. Quite some of us feel that Woot exploited the brand-trust we had in them, quite some with years of loyalty and quite some revenue with Woot. Some of us were more drastic and used language that they feel scammed.

It is great that you talk about defective items and reporting them. I feel the issue is more systematic.
From wrong expectations (given the brand context of Woot), bad packaging, bad shipping, to broken items, worthless items, repeated items, 4 year-old MSRPs, …
At this point there is quite a crowd here who expects some type of statement from Woot before they/we weigh their options. Does Woot intend to “make it right” or does Woot really believe “it is alright what we did”?

Personally I would expect Woot to come forward finally and get ahead of this instead of staying mum and reactive.
[/quote]

Also +1. NOWHERE FREAKING NEAR worth $58 let alone the ridiculous $199 quoted MSRP. Not one usable or resellable item in the box.

2691

Wow, more comments than the “Great Debacle of 07”.

37" TV

2692

Since Woot asked me to provide feedback:

My box was one of the ones which was delayed (and I was given a shipping refund, which was good, I think). I ordered it on Sept. 9 with everyone else and it arrived on Sept 22.

I had to leave for a trip early on Sept 23, so I didn’t get a chance to try everything, nor do I have the contents to refer to at this moment. I got the box with the gaming headset, the mini helicopter, and the Musiclites bulb+transmitter. I think there might have been a screen protector as well.

The only thing I got to try out was the Musiclites bulb. I unscrewed the bulb of a working lamp in my house and screwed in the Musiclites bulb. When turned on, it made a low buzzing noise and immediately tripped my circuit breaker. …I was loath to try it again.

I don’t have an iDevice so I don’t know if I can get it to work as anything other than a lightbulb anyway.

Like others, I had consoled myself that at least I’d get a pair of very good quality headphones, but not being a gamer I’m less excited about the ones I received. I’m going to give them a chance, however. Maybe I can give away or sell the screen protector, and maybe I’ll get lucky and the helicopter will work, but that doesn’t seem to be the case for many people.

I think I did OK, but it’s not something I would have chosen to spend my money on. That’s not the mystery boxes work, however, and I realize that. I agree with others about Woot’s reputation and its effect on expectations. I do think that if most of my box is broken (as may be the case, with the messages about helicopters so far and my experience with the circuit-tripping lightbulb), that Woot should issue some sort of refund. Multiple people have pointed out that this is not a BOC; but conversely, not-crap means the mystery items actually need to be in working condition.

To be honest, I think I would have been more satisfied (I mean, if everything in my box worked) if I hadn’t known what was likely headed my way. After the first few days, there was little to no mystery about the whole thing–I think the “building excitement!” model of getting people to post their hauls is good if the hauls are actually very different or at least some of them are exceptionally good. Most people did not feel this was the case, so it led to a decrease of excitement even on the part of those of us who were inclined to be optimistic, and increased disappointment in general.

I’ve been following Woot! with some excitement since the very first days, when I was still in high school–so this would have been early 2004 (or late 2003? had they started yet?)–I remember some USB posable desk fan as the first Woot I saw. I actually worked up the nerve to make my first Woot! purchase, the Bandolier of Carrots II, in (IIRC) September 2004. I don’t purchase often, but I have been looking almost-daily for a long, long time.

Well, I’ll give the remaining items a shot when I get back from my trip. My gut assessment is that I’m not super excited about it, though. Sorry!

2693

It seems I am one of the lucky ones who received a truly random mystery box. It contained nothing that I would ever have bought myself nor anything I can regift. But I would say this is what I expected for the mystery box. The “value” is greater than I payed. Thanks Woot!

5 lb box

I agree with many of the suggestions to improve this next round;

  • There is a difference between electronics and accessories. Be a bit more clear with

  • If possible, let buyers choose from Android and iDevice products.

2241×3984 610 KB

2694

Not sure what your point is here. You didn’t buy a box but provide your own opinion and invite discussion. To what end? Who are you? Do you work for Woot?

This discussion was for people to express their opinions on this offering. So they did. What you think of it is fine. For you. Others feel differently and their feelings are just as legit as anyone else’s. My sister got a junk box of stuff, most of which does not work. That’s BS.

As for “there’s probably legal whatever so Woot can’t say anything” excuse me while I die laughing. Woot seems to have changed to a “buyer” and “vendor” model in which a “buyer” from Woot deals with liquidation companies with warehouses of broken headphones, rotted battery helicopters, and shattered screen protectors and finds a way to offload them in quanitity using the Woot name and premium attached to the word Mystery here. That is the shaft to the community and customers that have been loyal people on Woot.

TT is aces. Always has been. She doesn’t own the place and can’t and won’t offer opinions that go against the grain. Totally understandable. But anyone here who thinks that anyone is doing anything other than saying, “Next time we have to offload grimy headphones and broken stuff, we either have to throw in something new and shiny to shut them up or be very clear that most people will get junk but a few will get some worthwhile item.” Then people will jump for the chance to get one of the “great” packages and whining about junk will garner no sympathy.

2695

Did anybody receive the Lens Kit and open it? It has supposedly 3 magnetic lanyards, 3 lenses, metal phone rings…
who has received less lenses and less lanyards?

2696

A Broken (Unspoken) Promise.

Received my box Wednesday which consisted of:

Blue Ant Pump Sportsbuds $38 Amazon
Acesori Pocketcast Bluetooth Receiver $20 Amazon
Nuud Lifeprood Case for Galaxy S III $15.50 Amazon
Trugard Screen Protector for iPhone 5 $10 Amazon

Total Current Sell Price: $83.50
$58 of which is Generally Useful to some degree to most people (bluetooth items)

$25.50 of which is totally useless for the vast majority of people (you would have to own a several years obsolete phone and have no case for it.)

I consider this a broken promise. The unspoken mystery box rule is that in exchange for allowing the vendor to unload stuff they have too much of, they should give you a higher value than their normal “you get to pick your own stuff that is useful” discount.

I consider $58 the real value of what I got for my $55 (I did get a very late shipping refund, thx).

Not happy, will not purchase another Mystery Box.

I bet Woot, instead of losing money or breaking even (what most dealers do with dump excess inventory mystery boxes) made a ton of money from the outside closeout vendor that handled the transaction. Not a good deal for us, prolly a great deal for them.

2697

I think we all made the mistake of thinking a vendor was a friend. Personally I feel embarrassed, but next time I’ll know better. In fact, lets all try to do better next time. This is a business relationship, and their jobs are dependent upon making the most amount of money from us. It’s cool, I just I forgot this time.

I’m sure if you think about it a lot of people commenting here have jobs based upon the same concept.

2698

[QUOTE=GROCH, post:2696, topic:476701]
I bet Woot, instead of losing money or breaking even (what most dealers do with dump excess inventory mystery boxes) made a ton of money from the outside closeout vendor that handled the transaction. Not a good deal for us, prolly a great deal for them.
[/quote]

Prolly a very good deal. This vendor apparently deals in “returns management”, “reverse logistics” (which is usually associated with recycling, scrap disposal and waste management) and liquidations. A junk dealer. Woot! should have known they were selling trash.

2699

[QUOTE=chris4132, post:2693, topic:476701]
It seems I am one of the lucky ones who received a truly random mystery box. It contained nothing that I would ever have bought myself nor anything I can regift. But I would say this is what I expected for the mystery box. The “value” is greater than I payed. Thanks Woot!

5 lb box

I agree with many of the suggestions to improve this next round;

  • There is a difference between electronics and accessories. Be a bit more clear with

  • If possible, let buyers choose from Android and iDevice products.

2241×3984 610 KB

[/quote]

I saw that seal on the box I got too. I though it was odd. Should have told the postal guy to wait, opened it, then I could have returned it! lol (joking)

2700

Another mystery deal hits, this time on Computers.

I’m out. The more I see the deals pop up and the more historical deals I see, it’s clear Woot does this over and over again, and it’s never a positive experience. After so many and to continue doing them, they’re clearly just taking advantage of loyal customers.

I can’t delete my credit card information (how awesome is that), so I get the fun of one last terrible customer service experience to wrap the whole thing up in a bow.