Last week, Woot asked Consumerist readers what it should do about a customer who was irate that their black iPod came with white headphones, despite the fact that Apple does not make them. The post was notable for several reasons. One, I think it might have been the fist time we posted a complaint from a company. Two, with over 477 comments, I think we broke a new comment record on a single post. After carefully evaluating your responses, Woot has said they’ll offer Millard a full refund and send a box with a pre-paid shipping label to send the iPod back in. This is acceptable to me. As I’ve said in the past, it’s all about the money. Once you have your money back as a customer, there’s nothing to complain about.
PREVIOUSLY: Woot Customer Demands Non-Existent Black iPod Headphones
(Photo: bbatsell)
More From Consumerist
-
Waffle Joint Blames Groupon’s “Shocking Business Practices” For Its Demise After Only 3 Months
-
Hotels.com Books Me Into Non-Existent Hotel, Doesn’t Really See It As A Problem
-
Fifth Third Bank E-Mails Me Every Day. I'm Not A Customer
-
PokerStars Settles Online Gambling Lawsuit For $731 Million & Buys Its Rival To Boot
-
Expedia Books Me Into 4 Hotels I Can’t Stay In
I’ve had legitimate gripes with companies, where the issue has been their fault or a shared responsibility, and I write very short, very pleasant e-mails asking for my money back, and I never get it. Even if I’ve returned the product, they’ll still charge a re-stoking fee, shipping, and cancel whatever discount I bought it on. I guess if I’m belligerent like Millard, they’ll finally pony up?
I wonder if the little princess already has her music on said Ipod. I bet she won’t want to give it up if she’s already loaded it with Jonas Brothers. And you KNOW she knows Ipods only come with white ear buds(should have enlightened her dad).
I agree that the customer was wholly, without exception, totally and completely asinine here. What a snotty brat, and I don’t mean the kid. Setting an example of “me-ism” like that for a child is disgusting – sounds like a baby who never grew up had his/her own baby.
But I voted for the refund, because I wonder whether, after getting SUCH an incredible deal on the ipod, the customer will actually put his money where his mouth is. It’s one thing to complain a lot to try to get a freebie (i.e. new headpones – and by the way, I have $12 black Sony earbuds bought to replace Apple’s because I find them so uncomfortable), but at the end of the day, will he think the good deal on the ipod is worth it?
I am glad to see Woot getting positive PR and kudos for this – it was a great way to handle a ridiculous complaint, and showed more humanity, reasonable consideration and politeness than this idiot customer deserved.
Woot may have not taken the road a lot of us wanted them to take (IE, the “Let me tell your where to ‘process your return’ method”), but here’s the thing: none of us are going to be LESS likely to shop at Woot because they were too nice to this loser.
I want to praise Woot for coming to Consumerist for advice to deal with a customer who is being unrealistic or unreasonable.
I think if the shoe was on the other foot, the customer told us that Woot was being a jerk and saying “get bent”, etc, we’d be all over Woot for treating the customer horribly.
The fact that Woot is offering a refund and eating the cost to have the ipod returned is above and beyond.
Congrats again to Woot! I’ll be checking out your store soon.
Woot is defined by being hip with great customer service, so even though they take a bath on the shipping, this generates loyalty with their other customers. Obviously if one person abuses this they should decline to sell to them, again.
I’m just wondering if the customer knows that there were at least 477 people out there who consider him at least a total douchebag.
I tip my hat off to Woot for doing a nice thing for the customer, even if the customer was out of line.
Hopefully the customer will still purchase from Woot and not just spread around nasty false statements against them.
Perhaps a link to this article included with the pre-paid shipping box?
this moron will probably complain that the return box isn’t the right color!
Woot is amazing.
If I had money, I’d spend it with them.
In response to will Woot reference this, they already have, everyone must have missed this past Saturday’s sellout woot, where you had the choice of white or black earphones. Straight from their blog, here is part of the write-up:
“very headset that we sell from Icemat seems to be
Effectively blocking background noise that people seem to bring
Not a bowling ball they are smaller, got a mic goes near your mouth
This is like the tenth time that we’ve had them on sellout now
We’ve been looking for a buyer who wants to hear some mp3s
Looking for a buyer, we’ve got black if black you need
If you open up your ears, they’re in-ear and they’ll fit in
If you buy them
We will even ship them”
I’m fine with what Woot did. That said, I don’t think “Once you have your money back as a customer, there’s nothing to complain about” is always true.
Sometimes bad products cause more damage than the price of the product.
Wow. Woot is awesome. I NEVER, EVER would have sent a box to that customer period. Apple does not make iPod ear buds in black. The simple fact that the product does not exists trumps the fact that the customer did not do his research before purchasing the product. Even a simple glance at the picture on Woot, clearly showing a black iPod with white headphones should be enough to clue you in that you will be receiving white headphones.
By the way, who in their left or right minds would seriously care if the headphones are white? My iPod is black, the ear buds are white, and my life is still moving forward just fine. Blast people making a big stink over what amounts to be nothing. 10-1 his daughter A) didn’t care that the headphones were white, and B) will lose the $29.00 black ones inside a month.
I think Woot is being pretty clever about calling this guy’s bluff. From the sound of it, Millard wanted a free pair of earbuds. Woot was under absolutely no obligation to provide them to him.
My guess is that the iPod box with the prepaid shipping label will not be sent back, and Woot won’t be hearing from Millard again.
Still a jackass!
Most of you people don’t run online or retail stores or you’d understand why Woot is doing the right thing here. Telling him to “get lost” isn’t an option. Unfortunately nowadays you have to cave in to the most idiotic customer requests because if you don’t there’s no guarantee they won’t go on consumerist.com and spread lies, or go to Amazon and spread lies, or start a website that spreads lies, or do anything else to kill your brand name. It happens too often.
I love this resolution. If he wants to throw a fit over his error. I would have been willing to take the small hit on shipping it back and resale the item. And hes of course out the cost of his Headphones bought elsewhere.
Win Win:)
I don’t know why some people are criticizing Woot’s decision here. The guy just saved a bunch of money on an iPod, and he starts complaining about the color of an accessory?
Woot was awesome, their solution is to send the iPod back because he isn’t satisfied. It’s a full refund to the customer, but he loses out on a cheap iPod.
It’s probably the only situation in which you can screw the customer and still get good press. I applaud them.
@knacko: girl*
right?
I’m going to agree with the other outraged consumers on here! Thanks for rewarding stupidity with free return shipping and a full refund, Woot! Today, I am not wooting at all.
Way to go Woot. I’ve always had good customer service from them (well, great actually), so I’m not surprised that they are even being nice to this asshat (props from Kotaku).
They should also send along some crappy headphones in the box from the dollar store with an ‘ipod’ sticked attached to them just for kicks…
Hats off to Woot for going above and beyond, but I think Consumerist should really re-file this under the “bad consumer” tag. What a troll this fella was.
I would hope that if they were going to offer a refund, it would have a liberal “open box charge” on it.
I would have taken it back if he’s within the return policy, but he would pay shipping for it… and provide his own box.
They should have offered him a single bullet in the caliber of his choice with which to make what would probably be the first intelligent decision of his entire life – commit suicide.
I love Woot, but I don’t think that’s a good call. They’re risking one very stupid customer if they tell him to get bent, and if they don’t, they’re showing that if you’re stupid enough, and irritating enough, you can get some money out of them.
Wow, that is incredibly generous of Woot, especially since I really do feel like the customer reacted inappropriately to the situation. Something tells me the guy won’t return the item though, I think he was hoping for a partial refund or some sort of free handout…let’s be honest, how on earth could his daughter’s birthday be ruined because her headphones weren’t black like her iPod?
I heart Woot but I think it’s a bit much. What the should have done is tell him to screw off. An iPod is an iPod. If you want a new iPod with fancy black earphones or whatever the hell it is you want, Woot isn’t for you. They have Best Buy for that.
because the item was a gift, I think this might make Woot look bad (reading comprehension, anyone?). He said that the Ipod was a gift so what Woot should of done is told him that they can either refund the money back, or nothing.
“Once you have your money back as a customer, there’s nothing to complain about.”
Watch him still complain.
3 Cheers for woot for being a consumers best friend… Millard, You dumbass, you should have bought her a zune… or you should have had a V8 (anyone?),… sigh what a dumbass
Ok Woot. Is that iPod up for grabs now? I’ll take it! (seriously – let me know how much, I’ll buy it if its a Classic)
The first mistake this guy made, was to by an iPod to begine with. They’re hardly the best player on the market.
Still, I have three different players, and we have a total of six in the household. Only one of those came with black earbuds, and that’s a small iRiver I got for christmas years ago that I use when working in the yard.