Amazon, one of the largest retailers in the U.S., acquired Woot in 2010 to facilitate its customers with a range of great discount deals and daily clearance sales.
So if you’re a regular Amazon.com customer and like to shop clearance sales, you may be wondering – what is Amazon’s Woot, and how does it work? Here is everything I’ve discovered through my research!
What Is Amazon Woot?
Woot is an online retailer known for liquidating surplus and refurbished products by providing limited-time discounts on electronics, apparel, and other goods. Woot is also owned by Amazon.com, so Prime members qualify for special benefits such as free shipping.
If you want to learn more about whether Woot allows customers to return items, how it benefits Amazon customers, and much more, keep on reading!
When Was Woot Founded?
The company started serving customers in 2004 and has headquarters in Carrollton, Texas.
In the early years, it only offered a single item each day, and a new featured product would appear on the homepage at midnight.
Only shoppers who stayed up late had the best chance to buy items before they ran out. Today, however, customers browse a much larger selection of goods.
Amazon acquired Woot.com in 2010, according to TechCrunch, and introduced a number of significant changes, some of which were controversial.
As part of these changes, the company added Prime member benefits, offered fewer BOCs, and stopped publishing detailed statistics on sales.
A small portion of the Woot staff now works in Seattle, where Amazon is based.
Is Woot Legit?
While the Better Business Bureau gives Woot an A+ rating, 60 customers have complained to the organization in the past three years.
Many of the complaints involve problems with the quality or condition of electronic products. Additionally, over 400 Sitejabber users have rated Woot, giving it an average of 2.82 stars.
However, since Woot is owned by Amazon, Woot is a legitimate company, even though there are mixed reviews.
How Does Woot Work With Amazon?
Woot is partially integrated with Amazon.com’s e-commerce system, so you can use the same account to access both websites and have Amazon handle product fulfillment.
Additionally, unlike other customers, Amazon Prime subscribers don’t have to pay for shipping to locations in the United States for items bought on Woot.
What Does Woot Sell?
Although it’s famous for selling clothing and electronics, Woot offers a little bit of everything.
For example, it carries furnishings, mattresses, footwear, toys, as well as tools ranging from flashlights to ozone generators.
However, don’t expect to find the same exact items every month since the selection changes from day to day. Unfortunately, Woot stopped selling discounted wine in 2017.
Where Does Woot Get Its Products?
It’s not always clear where Woot gets its products from, but some of the items come from manufacturers like Gunnar Optiks and FILA.
For example, a computer brand might turn to Woot when it wants to sell off discontinued models.
Purchased items are shipped to customers by Woot, Amazon, or third-party vendors.
Are Woot Products New?
A large portion of Woot merchandise is entirely brand new, whereas other items, such as certain computers and mobile phones, have been refurbished to like-new condition.
Other than that, the company also sells “open box” shirts at a discounted price.
These are products that were returned because they didn’t fit or otherwise failed to meet customer expectations.
What Is A Woot Bag Of Crap?
A Bag o’ Crap, or BOC, is a set of three completely random products sold by Woot for $10.
According to customer experiences, these items have included such things as books, toys, batteries, plastic containers, blankets, and kitchen utensils.
However, some lucky buyers receive more valuable merchandise, such as high-end watches or premium headphones.
Does Woot Accept Amazon Gift Cards?
Although you can make purchases with Amazon Payments, Woot.com won’t let you pay with a gift card, use a PayPal account, or mail checks to the company.
Instead, the only other options are to pay via MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and American Express credit and debit cards.
What Is The Woot App?
The Woot App enables you to conveniently browse Woot products on a mobile device.
Additionally, it provides exclusive discounts and lets you sign up for instant alerts when new BOCs and offers become available.
To get started, download the Android version at Google Play or the iOS edition at Apple’s App Store.
Why Is Woot So Cheap?
Woot is so cheap because it relies on a high volume of sales to compensate for the relatively low-profit margins on many items.
Shoppers also need to pay for shipping or Prime memberships, so the prices don’t have to cover delivery costs.
Along with that, Woot doesn’t offer generous return policies or customer support as some traditional retailers provide.
Does Woot Do Black Friday Sales?
Woot’s website introduces numerous special deals on the day after Thanksgiving.
For example, it discounted all shirt products by 35 percent in 2017 as part of a Black Friday Sale.
Woot also marked the occasion by cutting Dyson vacuum prices, holding multiple Woot-Offs, and selling 2,500 Bags o’ Crap.
What Is A Woot-Off?
During a Woot-Off, orange lights flash on the homepage, and newly discounted goods appear twice every hour.
It’s often possible to buy BOCs during these sales as well, but keep in mind that the quantity is always limited.
Note that you cannot cancel orders from Woot-Offs, and Amazon Prime members still qualify for free shipping.
How Do I Cancel A Woot Order?
If you buy something on Woot by accident, you have 120 minutes to cancel the order.
You’ll find a button marked “Cancel” on the Stuff You Bought page to do that, but take note that you can’t undo a purchase if you choose expedited delivery.
This is because the Woot staff begins packing expedited orders very soon after you buy the merchandise.
Can I Return Items Purchased On Woot?
Woot accepts returns for some items, but several exceptions and conditions still apply.
After an item arrives at your doorstep, you have 30 days to send it back. If the product was defective or suffered shipping damage, return postage is going to be free.
You can start the process by logging in to your Woot account and going to Stuff You Bought to select the item and follow the prompts to return it.
Note that restocking fees may apply if the merchandise wasn’t returned because of defects or damage.
Additionally, you’ll need to contact Woot before returning certain kinds of products, such as clothing, mattresses, items delivered by freight trucks, and anything that costs less than $20.
If a freight carrier ships your Woot order, a $50 fee will apply to any return.
Although Woot does not let customers send back Bags o’ Crap or return any food items, you are allowed to request a replacement or refund if you’re not satisfied.
Does Woot Have Free Shipping?
Woot currently adds a $6 shipping fee to most orders unless the buyer has an Amazon Prime membership.
However, shirt purchases include free delivery throughout the United States. Extra charges apply if you add optional overnight, two-day, or international shipping.
How Do I Track My Woot Order?
It’s usually possible to view delivery tracking information by referring to an email message that Woot sends when it ships your item.
Alternatively, you can log in and visit the Stuff You Bought area on its website. Note that the company normally does not provide tracking details on shirts shipped outside of the U.S.
How Does Woot Make Money?
Woot charges low prices because it often sells surplus items rather than the latest retail merchandise, functioning as an outlet store in many ways.
Other companies want to free up space in their stores and warehouses, so they supply these goods to Woot at a steep discount, allowing it to make profits by selling them at low prices.
How Do I Contact Woot?
Woot appears to prefer using email for communication, so you can find its staff email addresses on the website or fill out a contact form.
Another option is to call Woot and speak to a representative during business hours. Unfortunately, the company doesn’t have a toll-free phone number.
Does Woot Ship To Hawaii?
Hawaiian and Alaskan customers can only order shirts from Woot, and all other products must ship to addresses in the continental U.S.
Note that while it does not cost extra to buy a shirt in Hawaii, shoppers outside of the United States incur a $10 shipping fee.
To know more, you can also read our posts on buying phones on Amazon, Amazon Protection Plan, and Amazon warehouse deals.
Conclusion: What Is Amazon’s Woot?
Woot is an Amazon subsidiary that carries discounted apparel, housewares, tools, and electronic gadgets. It regularly offers deals that only last for a limited time or until the inventory runs out. This online retailer specializes in selling refurbished, discontinued, and surplus goods.
