If you‘re an avid online shopper, you‘ve probably come across special deals on Amazon for products listed as "Woot". But what exactly is Woot, and how does it fit into the Amazon ecosystem?
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll explain everything you need to know about Woot – from its origins and business model to product selection, shipping policies, integration with Amazon, and more. Read on to learn whether Woot offers worthwhile deals or just marketing gimmicks.
A Brief History of Woot
Woot was founded in 2004 as a daily deals ecommerce site that offered just one discounted product per day, revealed at midnight. This limited inventory created a race among shoppers to grab the deal before it sold out.
In 2010, Amazon acquired Woot for $110 million. Woot began expanding its inventory from a single daily deal to multiple products across various categories.
Some key events in Woot‘s evolution after being bought by Amazon:
- 2011 – Woot integrates with Amazon accounts and offers Prime members free shipping
- 2013 – Woot ends popular "Bag of Crap" mystery bags to focus on core business
- 2015 – Some Woot staff relocated to Amazon HQ in Seattle
- 2016 – Woot stops publishing detailed sales stats on its blog
- 2017 – Woot ends its wine deals, shifting focus to other categories
Over the years, Woot has faced some criticism over these changes made under Amazon, especially the reduced transparency and shifting away from popular products like wine and Bags of Crap. However, the Amazon acquisition has helped Woot scale and continue appealing to deal-seekers.
What Is Woot and How Does It Work?
Woot is an ecommerce site owned by Amazon that specializes in offering deep discounts and limited-time deals across a variety of product categories.
It differs from Amazon in a few key ways:
- Limited inventory: Woot only has a certain stock of each discounted item. Once it sells out, the deal ends.
- Constantly changing deals: Woot‘s homepage highlights different deals every day, so the selection is always changing.
- Deeper discounts: Items on Woot can be priced 50-90% off retail thanks to the limited nature of the deals.
- Focus on overstock/refurbished: Woot sells excess inventory and refurbished items from manufacturers.
The constant flux of deals creates a treasure hunt-like atmosphere for bargain hunters who check back often for new deals. However, you have to act fast before popular items sell out.
Woot leverages Amazon‘s infrastructure, so you can use the same Amazon login and shipping/payment information. Prime members get free shipping on Woot. However, Woot has separate return policies and customer service than the core Amazon site.
What Products Does Woot Sell?
In its early days, Woot focused on offloading surplus electronics. But it has since expanded into multiple categories:
- Electronics: Refurbished phones, tablets, speakers, headphones, smart home devices
- Home & Garden: Furniture, kitchenware, home decor, vacuums, outdoor equipment
- Shirts: Discounted graphic t-shirts and apparel
- Computers: Laptops, monitors, routers, software, tech accessories
- Tools: Power tools, hand tools, tool storage solutions
- Sports & Toys: Outdoor games, drones, scooters, STEM toys
- Wine: Woot used to sell wine but no longer offers wine deals
Within each category, the available deals rotate frequently. For example, one day may feature smartphone accessories and the next could highlight power tools. Limited edition shirts are among the most popular items.
Woot also sometimes offers mystery "Bag of Crap" deals, where you get a random assortment of items for a fixed price. However, Bags o‘ Crap have become less common after the Amazon acquisition.
Why Is Woot So Cheap?
Woot is able to offer such steep discounts because it buys overstock, open box, refurbished, and clearance inventory in bulk that manufacturers and retailers are unable to sell at full price.
For example, if a cell phone company releases a new model, they may sell their surplus old model inventory to Woot at a greatly reduced wholesale cost instead of continuing to market it at retail prices.
Woot turns around and sells these products in limited deals at 50-90% off retail prices. Even after accounting for operations and shipping costs, Woot can turn a profit on these fire sale deals thanks to the rock bottom wholesale pricing.
This limited inventory and overstock-focused model allows Woot to keep prices low. However, it means you may not always find the exact item you want in stock.
How New or Refurbished Are Woot Products?
Woot sells a mix of brand new and refurbished items:
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New: Some products are completely brand new – for example, excess inventory of a new tool or electronics item that the manufacturer couldn‘t sell.
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Refurbished: Many electronics on Woot are professionally refurbished to like-new condition. The product is thoroughly tested and inspected.
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Open box: Some returned items that are still in good condition are resold by Woot as open box deals, like shirts or shoes.
Woot provides condition details on each product page so you can buy with confidence. Plus, products branded as refurbished come with a 90-day Woot warranty.
Unique Woot Features: Bag of Crap, Woot-Off
Part of Woot‘s appeal to deal-hunters comes from its unique features:
Bag of Crap: Woot used to sell "Bag of Crap", a blind bag of random items for $5-$10. You never knew what you would get. These mystery bags have become more sporadic but still offer surprise deals.
Woot-Off: During these limited-time sales, Woot adds new deals throughout the day. Shoppers have to keep checking back for new batches of Woot-Off deals.
BOC (Bags of Crap): Specialdeal events where they bring back Bag of Crap mystery bags for ~24 hours. Limited quantities available.
Sellout.Woot: Woot also operates Sellout.Woot, a site where businesses and individuals can post items for auction to Woot‘s audience. Everything from used cameras to surplus snacks get listed.
These unique features like Blind Bags and BOCs have declined since the Amazon acquisition but occasionally come back to drive engagement.
Woot‘s Integration with Amazon
Since Amazon owns Woot, the sites are closely integrated:
- You can sign in to Woot with your Amazon account credentials.
- Amazon Prime members get free shipping on Woot orders.
- Woot leverages Amazon‘s warehouses and shipping network.
- Your Amazon and Woot order history are linked.
- You can use the same payment methods and shipping address.
However, Woot also operates independently in some ways:
- Woot has its own customer service team and return policies.
- Woot sells different inventory than the Amazon main site.
- Woot focuses on discounted overstock whereas Amazon is a full-price retailer
- Woot has its own branding distinct from Amazon‘s look and feel.
So Woot provides complementary cheap finds to supplement the convenience of your normal Amazon Prime shopping.
What Payment Methods Does Woot Take?
Woot accepts the following payment methods:
- Visa
- Mastercard
- American Express
- Discover
- PayPal via Amazon account
- Woot gift cards
- Amazon gift cards (cannot pay exclusively with gift cards)
You can store payment methods and shipping info from your Amazon account to check out quickly. Woot does not accept checks, money orders or direct wire transfers.
How Much Does Woot Shipping Cost?
Woot offers the following shipping options and costs:
| Shipping Method | Cost |
|---|---|
| Standard Shipping | Starting at $5 for small items; $10+ for larger items |
| Expedited Shipping | $20+ extra depending on item |
| Alaska & Hawaii | $10+ extra for shirts; Don‘t ship most items |
| International Shipping | Not available for most items |
Amazon Prime Shipping
All Prime members get free standard shipping on Woot orders in the continental US. However, Prime does not apply for expedited or international Woot shipping.
Return Shipping
If you need to return an item, you must cover return shipping costs unless the item was defective. Woot provides a prepaid return label with deducted cost.
So standard Woot shipping costs $5 to $10 for most orders. But Amazon Prime members can shop on Woot with free delivery, adding to the value of a Prime subscription.
Order Tracking and Customer Service
You can track your Woot order in two ways:
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Check your Woot order history and select an order to see details.
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Look for a shipping confirmation email from Woot – this will include carrier tracking info.
Many Woot orders ship via UPS or FedEx. However, some smaller items may be fulfilled by USPS without tracking.
For customer service, you can contact Woot via:
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: 972-544-9000
Woot customer service is separate from Amazon and managed by the Woot team, so you need to contact them directly about Woot orders.
Returning and Exchanging Woot Items
Woot has a more limited return policy compared to Amazon:
- You have 30 days from delivery to return most items.
- Some categories like gadgets and computers have a 14-day return window.
- Opened software/media is not returnable but defective items can be replaced.
- You must pay return shipping unless the item is defective/damaged.
To start a Woot return:
- Login to your Woot account.
- Go to Order History and select the item.
- Choose Return Item and print the prepaid return shipping label.
If you missed the return window, you can try contacting Woot support but they are unlikely to accept late returns. Ultimately, check return policies carefully before purchasing.
What Do Customers Say About Woot?
Woot has mixed customer reviews, averaging around 2.5-3 stars:
Pros
- Excellent prices on brand name items
- Fun daily deals and exclusives
- Prime shipping benefits
Cons
- Limited inventory means favorite deals sell out fast
- Some products may be inferior condition to new
- Inconsistent customer support
Satisfaction often depends on expectations. Woot is ideal for deal-focused shoppers who understand its pros/cons.
Negative reviews revolve around subpar product condition, lack of returns, and customer service limitations – which are tradeoffs for the low prices.
How Does Woot Make Money?
Woot makes money in a few ways:
- Bulk wholesale pricing – Woot buys inventory at extremely low wholesale rates from brands/manufacturers.
- High volume sales – The daily flash deals result in lots of sales volume.
- Cheap shipping costs – Woot keeps shipping fees low by using Amazon fulfillment.
- Low returns – The limited return policy reduces costs.
- Advertising – Woot runs display ads from Amazon Advertising.
- Prime subscriptions – Getting Woot users to sign up for Amazon Prime provides recurring subscription revenue.
Despite super cheap pricing for customers, Woot is able to profit from the gap between wholesale rates and retail prices thanks to high sales volume.
The Pros and Cons of Shopping on Woot
Pros
- Incredibly low prices on an array of products
- Fun daily deals model creates bargain hunting thrill
- Free shipping with Amazon Prime membership
- Access to limited edition shirts and other exclusives
Cons
- Very limited stock that sells out extremely fast
- Minimal returns and so-so customer service
- Many items are refurbished or used condition
- Duplicate listings on Amazon for same price
Overall, Woot is worth checking periodically if you want the excitement of finding unbeatable deals on brand name items. Just set proper expectations for inventory limits, condition variability, and deadlines.
The Bottom Line: Is Woot Worth It?
For deal-focused shoppers who act fast, Woot can be a goldmine for serious discounts you won‘t find anywhere else. However, the tradeoff is limited stock, variable condition, and tight return policies.
Shop Woot if you:
- Are obsessed with finding the best deals
- Don‘t mind used/refurbished items
- Can pounce once you see an all-time low price
Avoid Woot if you:
- Demand generous return policies
- Want only brand new condition items
- Dislike items selling out quickly
Check Woot regularly for their daily highlights and use their homepage deal filters to find discounts in your favorite categories. Just read listing details carefully and remember the limitations.
With the right expectations, Woot provides unparalleled access to clearance deals that help you save big on coveted items before inventory sells out. Happy bargain hunting!
