In what is probably the second-worst consumer complaint we’ve received, Millard is mad at deal-a-day site Woot because he bought a black iPod from them and it came with white headphones. He demands black headphones. Woot needs your help in solving this consumer crisis.
Millard does not care that Apple only makes white ones (unless you’re getting special U2 iPods, which this wasn’t). Now he wants Woot to pay for the black headphones he was “forced” to buy so they would match. It was very important to both him and his daughter, for whom the iPod was a birthday gift, that the headphones and iPod matched.
Woot.com was actually the ones who forwarded over the email exchange to us. They’re hoping that Consumerist readers can offer advice on how they should react to the situation. At the bottom of the exchange posted below is a poll where you can write your tips and vote on other others’. Woot has promised to take them under advisement.
“From: MillardR
To: Service; Woot Member Services
Subject: Error in color ….
Hello,
I received the item I ordered, but the ear piece was shipped to me in “white” rather than in “black” to match my black iPod.
Can you help?
Millard R
–
Woot Member Services wrote:
Millard,
Apparently the people at Apple are not fashion-sensitive because those ear pieces only come in white. We apologize for this but unfortunately there isn’t much we can do for you in this case.
-Rutherford
–
From: MillardR
To: Service; Woot Member Services
Subject: Re: Error in color ….
Hello Rutherford,
I never knew that this piece was going to come this way, and if you ask me (your customer) I fell that Woot should inform their customers of this type of detail issue. Well … it now cost me an additional $29.00 to purchase a black set of ear plugs (that are for sale) to match the IPOD that I purchased from Woot in Black. How is this fair
to me …. the customer that feels he was mislead?
I hope you can do something to off-set my additional expense.
Best regards,
Millard R
–
Woot Member Services wrote:
I’m not sure how you felt mislead. The picture shows white earbuds. As a matter of fact, I looked back at other iPods that we sold and ALL the earbuds were white.
Rutherford
–
From: Millard R
To: Woot : Service
Hello Rutherford,
I’m really surprised to see that you’re (WOOT) is taking this stance against one if its customers. The reason I felt mislead is because I was asked to select between “White” or “Black”, and I was under the assumption that, again “White” meant totally “White” and that “Black meant totally Black”. It never mentioned that only to IPOD itself
would be affected by the color, and that the other accessories would be shipped in a standard White color.
That’s like purchasing a new car in the color of your choice (Blue) and when you finally take it home and you open the hood or truck … its pink in color. Well when you call your sales person and report your finding, the customer support person states that it only comes in that color. Well if you were never told this information, would you feel mislead just because you never opened these areas to check for your self. Well … I feel mislead, and so did my little daughter that received it item from us for her birthday!!!
Please review your customer satisfaction policy to see if there is any language within that takes care of your customer … under this type of circumstance.
Please advise,
Millard R.”
(Photo: bbatsell)
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Where’s the option “Tell customer to go buy some neutrogena face wash” ??
I work retail and had almost the exact same experiance recently. A lady complained a purse was damaged [when it clearly was not] and demanded a discount. Our policy is not to do that, so the manager dealing with her politely ecxaplined that and refused. She ended up complaining to my DM and got a $25 gift card out of her. It would have been easier to just give her 10% off in the store to shut her up. Basically, if you just refund the $29 fo, it’ll shut him up and get him off your ass. It’s just less of a headache in the long run.
Hasn’t this person seen an ipod ad? It has always shown white earphones, look at any ipod owner and they most likely have white earphones. They should write to Steve Jobs or Apple, it’s their product not Woot.
“Contrary to what people may say, there’s no upper limit to stupidity.” Stephen Colbert
It’s a tough one… he/she obviously feels misled. You can’t say they don’t… if a customer feels misled then they feel misled. He/She was wrong to assume and should have researched what he/she was buying but in the end the store should just let him/her send the item back and maybe even give a coupon for good measure and be done with it. You don’t need to lose a customer, and it will build up his/her confindence on future purchases with your company.
Ignorance is bliss, unless your the customer service representative dealing with it.
———————————
If ignorance is bliss and patience is a virtue you can get through life pretty happy if your stupid and don’t mind hanging out.
This is utter tripe. I work at a big box electronics retailer and we get these people from time to time. They always have unreasonable demands and flip their sh*t when they don’t get their way.
I think people just want moral victories, especially bullies.
My first reaction was to say, he can take a hike, my second reaction was to just offer the return, but if they really want to demonstrate above and beyond customer relations, they could refund him the 30 bucks for the headphones. This might open the door for people to abuse their generosity however.
29.00 dollars for a set of ear buds? I’m sorry but a 5 dollar back of ear buds is fine for a kid who will most likely lose or destroy them. Woot should not be resonsable for paying for a set of skull candy ear buds. STAND YOUR GROUND!
The solution is simple… Point to the last 10 years of iPod advertising featuring, EXCLUSIVELY, white headphones.
iPods have always only come with white headphones. It’s the customers fault for not realizing this.
A company should not be required to pay to compensate for the complete and utter stupidity displayed by its customer. Woot should send a link to amazon to buy black spray paint.
Just use the white headphones they looks perfectly fine and stylish too! Let steve Jobs sleep in peace he only has another year or so left on him and he still has to design the new Mac pro, Mac mini and Imac also a new iphone would be nice! And the macbook tablet should be created! they are just headphones which dont last that long either anyway! And if you didnt realise thats an old ipod i think just take ur product and be quiet I would love for the new macbooks to have a little monitor under the touchpad and for the macbook to be totally aluminium but we cant get everything we want it seems so….. Life sucks im afraid! Oh yeah btw! If you realy want black headphones I would either spray them black or buy a new pair which are 3 times better and cost half the price like Sony or Sennheiser or Just try spread a rumour about new black ipod headphones and Maybe Steve Jobs might say “Well black headphones that might sound like a good idea” but in a perfect world that would never happen because the white headphones have a really cool look and Apple like to stick out from other mp3s. Hope you find your new headphones bad and have to buy a new pair of ipod ones which are guess what WHITE not BLACK!!!!
Simon
Sounds RACIST to me!
j/k
The guys analogy about the blue car is ridiculous. My car is white on the outside but it’s pretty thoroughly black & grey under the trunk AND the hood. I’m pretty sure they’re all that way and I’m pretty sure no one has ever sued a car manufacturer or dealer for misleading them about the color of the guts of the vehicle.
Another reason why this is ridiculous, black ear buds can be purchased for less than $30 (on sale or not) so paying him back for his purchase could set a really bad precedent. Who’s stopping him or anyone else from buying a $199 set of Sennheiser headphones and then demanding that WOOT pay for it?
Also, wasn’t there a moment in time when people were buying iPod white earbuds and using them with their non-iPod mp3 players (or CD players, even) so it would appear as though they were iPod owners? I thought everyone knew that iPod headphones are white. All of them.
Sure, WOOT should have probably specified iPod = black, headphones = white just like McDonald’s now has to legally specify coffee = hot, but if the photo wasn’t misleading I don’t think they have any responsibility to give in to his demands.
I agree with the majority of almost everyone here.
The pain in the ass customer should get absolutely jack squat. They’re only doing this out of a false sense of entitlement.
The onus falls on the CONSUMER to research the product, not the company to tell you every single detail and make sure that you memorize them.
Too bad, so sad. Sorry buddy, white earbuds for you.
…”The reason I felt mislead is because I was asked to select between “White” or “Black”, and I was under the ASSUMPTION that, again “White” meant totally “White” and that “Black meant totally Black”.”
Millard is Racist.
20 Obama remarks but…must not ….offend.
stupidity is not a crime, nor is it necessary to do anything for people who are acting stupid, however, if public image is at stake, it may be neccessary (sadly) to oblige stupidity, then legislate decisions and bylaws against such a happenance so there will be no valid complaints. However, is this stupidity, or oversight, or perhaps just attempting to get more than you payed for?
I personally feel that absolutely nothing should be done on the part of Woot. If the person wishes, they can take their issue up with Apple, who for 7 years, has manufactured iPod’s in the exact same way: iPod with White Headphones, with the exception of the U2 Edition iPod which comes with Black headphones.
This is one of those times when Woot was just not in the wrong. I’ve purchased items from Woot before and hold their Customer Service in high regard. This just seems to be a clear cut case of “Bad Consumer”.
@Papa Midnight: On another note, if he wants black headphones, Sony manufactures them for $49.99. Skullcandy manufactures it’s “Ink’d” line which goes for anywhere from $10.99 to $21.99 depending on where you buy, and by the way, they come in Black.
What if Woot refunded Millard’s money, sent him a new one for free, took down the site, and had the webmaster shot, would that be satisfactory?
Good grief this guy needs to get a life. It’s hardly Woot’s fault if Apple only makes WHITE headphones.
Seems like woot learned thier lesson with this one.
[www.woot.com]
The photos of products on Woot! are there specifically to show the customer what they will be receiving. The customer admits that getting black headphones was an assumption, that fact alone should close this case. It seems that the mass of American consumers have replaced common sense with some idea of entitlement and irresponisibility when it comes to purchasing things.
I commend Woot.com for at least turning to the people to try and figure out the best solution for this customer. That being said… ARE YOU KIDDING ME? The Ipod came out in October of 2001, and has NEVER had anything but white earbuds packaged with it.
As an owner of my own retail store I try to practice the highest customer service, and use a business model designed to put the customer first… But as a retailer, I also refuse to let myself be walked on by people who refuse to take accountability for their lack of information. I agree with other posters who think they should return the product through normal means, and disallow this individual to purchase from woot.com in the future.
“The customer is always right” is from a time when people took the time to learn about the products they were purchasing, and also treated the store and individuals they were purchasing from with respect. That term no longer applies to situations like this.
Was the customer not EQUALLY upset that the data cable was not also black!!! Id be furious – LOL. Seriously though, if you dont know enough about Apple to know their product ‘standards’ then you arent worthy to buy (or even own) an Apple product
“No Millard, what you’re doing is buying a blue car and then getting ridiculously pissy about the fact that the tires are black. Did you really think they’d be blue? Really?”
Woot.com, I am totally with you folks on this one.
It is ultimately up to the CONSUMER to verify what he or she is purchasing. There are thousands of websites out there that can tell you that the earbuds come in white only. Instead of bothering to actually look it up, the purchaser just decided to make an assumption.
It’s not up to companies to take the hit for consumers’ laziness, ignorance, or (in extreme cases) blatant stupidity. I often wonder how inexpensive many items would be for the rest of us if the producers and retailers of goods didn’t have to expend the time and money that they do to deal with these types of situations that are obviously caused by consumer error?
If they’d bothered to look anywhere online, they would have seen that the iPods always ship with white earbuds. It’s just one of those facts of life.
Also, $30 earbuds don’t sound that much better than the $10 ones at Wal*Mart…
Anyone with common sense that has ever heard of an Ipod knows that black headphones don’t exist.
A. Don’t be so ignorant. Learn about something before you buy it.
B. You bought a $250 item for $100. Get over it, go to CVS and buy some KOSS headphones for $1.50. They’ll sound like crap, but at least they’ll be black.
I used to be a supervisor at a dept store and I have dealt with tons of people like this who like to gripe about something ridiculous like this and they expect to be compensated for their own stupidity. I say apologize for their misunderstading the product and offer to take back their iPod. They will probably decide that they actually got a good deal and suddenly the earbud color won’t be an issue anymore. It’s amazing how the issue disappears when you offer to take back their good deal.
Find the cheapest, crappiest black headphones back in the armpit of your warehouse. Send him five pairs. The customer will think he “won” and you’ll have cleared out some crap to make room for more crap!
Millard is your standard idiot consumer. Millard sorry but you are “That guy”
I think it is a bad strategy on part of woot to bring a customer complaint in the public forum. Even though they are 100% right and are not in a position to help a misinformed (not mislead) customer, their action exposes their attitude towards customer service. It is quite common for a buyer to make certain assumptions about the products purchased on the internet and woot needs to be sensitive to customers making incorrect assumptions (unless they are willing to post each and every detail about the product on their website). Again, not to say that woot should do anything about it more than politely point out the facts (and at the most offer a refund). But bringing it in a public forum is a bad idea.
Ban him/her (whatever it is) from ever WOOTING again. In the words of the “Soup Nazi” from “Seinfeld” “No WOOT for you!”
Millard…you’re a total tool. Take your sense of entitlement and move to Canada with it. Also, you could have bought cheaper headphones than $29 if you just wanted them for aesthetics. Just to be sure, you went out and spent too much money on something you didn’t need and you want someone else to pay you for it? No. I don’t feel you’ve been wronged. I’m glad Woot displayed this on the internet this way to make sure everyone that subscribes to Woot knows you’re a total moron. If you could do us a small favor I’d say post a picture of yourself so every business you come in contact with knows they have to explain things to you as if you were two or had the mental capacity of a yard ape.
Ask him to send the iPod back if he’s unsatisfied. Say that you’re sorry that there are no black apple headphones, it’s a common misconception (whether or not it really is)… but unfortunately, it is not physically possible for you to send them black Apple headphones as they do not exist. Give him a few bucks of store credit. (Hell, give’im $50, he’s not going to use it.)
I definitely think woot should send somebody to smack some sense into this guy using a large fish of woot’s choice (i recommend a nice tuna or something)
if you’re going to complain about customer service you should check to see if you’re completely stupid first and if so don’t
Reminds me of my old neighbor who used to get so many viruses on his dell pc that when it stopped working he would bitch at dell till they sent him a new one. funny thing was he would always get one
They are a ‘he’ and not a ‘she.’ It’s clearly a father buying a gift for his daughter. And while most people know that apple makes predomenantly white only accessories, it’s not necessarily easily found. I see how he was misinformed, I mean, really, if I were to ask my father for an all black ipod (I hate ipods, but) I know he would go to great lengths in order to achieve my wishes. So I can see where this guy is coming from. But because he was misinformed rather than mislead, he should be allowed to send back/receive a refund on the entire purchase if he chooses, but there’s no real reason why woot should pay the $29, since you can’t get an ipod anywhere that COMES with black ear buds. My point is I really do see the customer’s side on this; sometimes things obvious to some or less so to others. Woot should take this and the type as an example to actually add more consumer based details to what their selling.