Jon651 wrote:(Begin sarcastic rant in 3... 2... 1... NOW!)

So let me see if I'm getting this straight...

There are some folks here in Woot-land who are returning their Xoom tablets, even though:
1. Woot has not broken any promises or agreements with them;
2. They have not received a defective unit;
3. Some have refused delivery even though they haven't even seen if their units are amongst those affected (and the odds are they aren't);
4. Woot! informed everyone of a problem just as soon as they possibly could;
5. Woot! took ownership of the problem immediately;
6. As a sign of good faith Woot! is permitting any customer to return their unit directly to them against their stated policy and past practices;
7. They are accepting large-scale, unquestioned returns for no other reason than "buyer's remorse", which is probably a first for them; and
8. Several of the "returners" are bragging that they are going to spend their money elsewhere on a deal that they learned about here on Woot's very own discussion board.

Ok, now I get it. Woot! could have easily kept it all quiet, let everyone twist in the wind for a few extra days, solved the issue behind the scenes and not given literally everyone the option to return their purchase regardless of reason or cause. Frankly, there's quite a few companies out there that would have done just that. If you're sending back your Xoom for no good reason then that is nothing more than taking advantage of a company that is trying very hard to make things right for the few people who had a legit problem.

If anyone can recall just how this thread started out, one of the big questions that got asked several times was something along the lines of "I wonder why there are so many refurbs/returns of this device out there for Woot! to sell?".

I guess now we know why...

(...aaaand - DONE!)

Cheers - Jon651

My thoughts almost exactly...

If a company doesn't own up and only considers its own interests it is labeled as being unfair and generally a "bad" company. If a company does step up and take responsibility, goes out of its way to help its customers and even allows returns that explicitly go against their terms and rules, then that company gets taken advantage of.

Kind of like a "Damned if you do, damned if you don't scenario."

This was my first time with woot!, and after seeing how everything was handled, I, personally, am very impressed and will definitely be coming back.

edboston wrote:Actually, it's not because of "buyer's remorse" they are allowing them to be returned.

Woot is allowing people to return them becuase there was an unforseen issue and they are trying to make it right. Many Wooters are returning their Xooms because of buyers remorse, fueled partly by the perception that the coupon deal at Staples is somehow better.

I will admit that I am returning my unit without checking it not because I have buyer remorse, but because of the uncertainty of receiving a defective unit and having to wait even longer for it to be replaced with a working unit.

Apparently you have missed an important detail. The issue that is driving this situation is not defective units. It is units with the wrong version of software installed. If you went to BestBuy and bought a laptop that was supposed to have Windows 7 installed, but you got it home and found that it had Vista installed instead, I doubt you would take it back to BestBuy and tell them you got a defective laptop. You would tell them you got the wrong software. The Xooms in question in this forum have the wrong version of software. They have a demo version of Honeycomb 3.0.1 that was intended for stores, not for consumers. They work perfectly fine for a HC 3.0.1 tablet. I have one and installed the Netflix app last night. It worked perfectly. I have not encountered any issues with my "demo" version tablet other than the fact that it will not update to 3.1 or 3.2. I'm using it until Woot and Motorola have their plans worked out.

If you want to return your purchase, fine, but please understand that if you return a non-demo unit you ARE taking advantage of the kindness of Woot.

It's best to have all the facts before jumping to conclusions. There are lots of knee jerk reactions going on here (IMHO).

Jon651 wrote:(Begin sarcastic rant in 3... 2... 1... NOW!)

So let me see if I'm getting this straight...

There are some folks here in Woot-land who are returning their Xoom tablets, even though:
1. Woot has not broken any promises or agreements with them;
2. They have not received a defective unit;
3. Some have refused delivery even though they haven't even seen if their units are amongst those affected (and the odds are they aren't);
4. Woot! informed everyone of a problem just as soon as they possibly could;
5. Woot! took ownership of the problem immediately;
6. As a sign of good faith Woot! is permitting any customer to return their unit directly to them against their stated policy and past practices;
7. They are accepting large-scale, unquestioned returns for no other reason than "buyer's remorse", which is probably a first for them; and
8. Several of the "returners" are bragging that they are going to spend their money elsewhere on a deal that they learned about here on Woot's very own discussion board.

Ok, now I get it. Woot! could have easily kept it all quiet, let everyone twist in the wind for a few extra days, solved the issue behind the scenes and not given literally everyone the option to return their purchase regardless of reason or cause. Frankly, there's quite a few companies out there that would have done just that. If you're sending back your Xoom for no good reason then that is nothing more than taking advantage of a company that is trying very hard to make things right for the few people who had a legit problem.

If anyone can recall just how this thread started out, one of the big questions that got asked several times was something along the lines of "I wonder why there are so many refurbs/returns of this device out there for Woot! to sell?".

I guess now we know why...

(...aaaand - DONE!)

Cheers - Jon651

+1

mungrin wrote:Ahhh man. I'm so upset now. Everything was perfect but the front camera takes pictures with a line near the middle that won't dissappear. I've cleaned the lense and everything and this line won't dissappear!!!!! I don't want to send it back and I will rarely ever use the front camera but I paid for a working Xoom and that's what I expected. What should I do?

Unfortunately I found the problem with mine when I went to charge it. The charge status LED doesn't light up. That in and of itself is not a big deal because the screen tells you that it is charging. The bigger problem is that it seems to charge for a little while and then stop. If I touch the plug that goes into the XOOM, the screen comes back on and says charging. It will actually charge for a little while because the charge percentage goes up. Coming back to it a while later shows that it stopped at some point. Touching the plug makes the screen light up and say that it is charging. Not sure if this a problem with the power supply or the XOOM itself.

In any case, I think I will opt for the Woot RMA. I don't think I want to get a Motorola refurbished unit as they don't seem to have very good quality control. They don't seem to always actually fix the problem that the unit was returned for.

n4mrc wrote:Apparently you have missed an important detail. The issue that is driving this situation is not defective units. It is units with the wrong version of software installed. If you went to BestBuy and bought a laptop that was supposed to have Windows 7 installed, but you got it home and found that it had Vista installed instead, I doubt you would take it back to BestBuy and tell them you got a defective laptop. You would tell them you got the wrong software. The Xooms in question in this forum have the wrong version of software. They have a demo version of Honeycomb 3.0.1 that was intended for stores, not for consumers. They work perfectly fine for a HC 3.0.1 tablet. I have one and installed the Netflix app last night. It worked perfectly. I have not encountered any issues with my "demo" version tablet other than the fact that it will not update to 3.1 or 3.2. I'm using it until Woot and Motorola have their plans worked out.

If you want to return your purchase, fine, but please understand that if you return a non-demo unit you ARE taking advantage of the kindness of Woot.

It's best to have all the facts before jumping to conclusions. There are lots of knee jerk reactions going on here (IMHO).

Totally agree! My Demo version xoom is also just fine until the replacement plan is worked out..

rv6abob wrote:Unfortunately I found the problem with mine when I went to charge it. The charge status LED doesn't light up. That in and of itself is not a big deal because the screen tells you that it is charging. The bigger problem is that it seems to charge for a little while and then stop. If I touch the plug that goes into the XOOM, the screen comes back on and says charging. It will actually charge for a little while because the charge percentage goes up. Coming back to it a while later shows that it stopped at some point. Touching the plug makes the screen light up and say that it is charging. Not sure if this a problem with the power supply or the XOOM itself.

In any case, I think I will opt for the Woot RMA. I don't think I want to get a Motorola refurbished unit as they don't seem to have very good quality control. They don't seem to always actually fix the problem that the unit was returned for.

FYI: I read somewhere that the charging LED does not stay on when the Xoom is powered on, even if the screen is blank or the Xoom is in standby, however it does light up and stay on if the Xoom is powered off. I've been charging my Xoom (demo version) and my son's Xoom (non-demo version) and both behave the same with regard to the charging LED. If I power it off and plug it in, the LED stays on. I think it turns green when the charge is compete. You might try powering it off and plugging it in for a while to see of the LED stays on that way. If it does not then you may have a flaky plug. If it does stay on while the Xoom is powered off, you may just be tweaking the power connection just enough when you wiggle the connector that it loses and regains the connection and wakes the unit.

BTW: The one thing I dislike about the Xoom is this really tiny, frail power connector and the fact that it is placed at the bottom center of the device. What were they thinking? I went into BestBuy to check one out and the power connector was bent, probably because people had been holding it against their belly which, after a time, bent the connector. I unplug the power before I use it for that reason. A more substantial connector and a better placement would be a big improvement.

I finally received my xoom today after impatiently waiting and refreshing the fedex page every few hours... the demo-unit-scare did worry me, but after turning on the device, it updated! I now have a perfectly fine, working xoom. My first woot, although nerve-racking, was a success.

Mine is supposed to arrive today. Is it easier just to refuse delivery? Sorry if that's been covered, but its tough to miss in 24 pages!!

buffalo66th wrote:Mine is supposed to arrive today. Is it easier just to refuse delivery? Sorry if that's been covered, but its tough to miss in 24 pages!!

It looks like the affected percentage is small. This post has some good information.

awells527 wrote:It looks like the affected percentage is small. This post has some good information.

Thanks, but at this point between the Staples deal and hassle, I just want to know if the easiest thing for Woot is to have me refuse the delivery or accept it and request an RMA?

deannicholas wrote:While waiting for my possibly messed up xoom, wondering if I should go for the galaxy tab 10 from staples for 399. Which is better according to those in the know?

i have the galaxy tab...returning it due to lack of esy expandabilty....screen and size/weight kick butt...its too bad they dont have an sd card slot!

buffalo66th wrote:Thanks, but at this point between the Staples deal and hassle, I just want to know if the easiest thing for Woot is to have me refuse the delivery or accept it and request an RMA?

What hassle? You don't even know if you received a bad unit or not. Sounds like someone is making excuses.

Returning because of a bad unit = legitimate
Returning because of Staples special = buyer's remorse

Why not wait and see if your unit's bad or not?


...but you answer your question - yes, you can refuse the shipment from what I've seen in the other posts.

n4mrc wrote:FYI: I read somewhere that the charging LED does not stay on when the Xoom is powered on, even if the screen is blank or the Xoom is in standby, however it does light up and stay on if the Xoom is powered off. I've been charging my Xoom (demo version) and my son's Xoom (non-demo version) and both behave the same with regard to the charging LED. If I power it off and plug it in, the LED stays on. I think it turns green when the charge is compete. You might try powering it off and plugging it in for a while to see of the LED stays on that way. If it does not then you may have a flaky plug. If it does stay on while the Xoom is powered off, you may just be tweaking the power connection just enough when you wiggle the connector that it loses and regains the connection and wakes the unit.

BTW: The one thing I dislike about the Xoom is this really tiny, frail power connector and the fact that it is placed at the bottom center of the device. What were they thinking? I went into BestBuy to check one out and the power connector was bent, probably because people had been holding it against their belly which, after a time, bent the connector. I unplug the power before I use it for that reason. A more substantial connector and a better placement would be a big improvement.

You are correct. The charging LED should only light when all the way powered off and you are charging. Mine doesn't light then either. Not a big deal. I have found a solution of putting a book under the plug when charging that tweeks the plug such that it seems to keep good contact. As you point out, this looks to be more of a design issue than a refurb issue. I might just keep this.

n4mrc wrote:Apparently you have missed an important detail. The issue that is driving this situation is not defective units. It is units with the wrong version of software installed. If you went to BestBuy and bought a laptop that was supposed to have Windows 7 installed, but you got it home and found that it had Vista installed instead, I doubt you would take it back to BestBuy and tell them you got a defective laptop.

If when I got it home, I found it had the wrong version on it and it wouldn't let me update it, yes, I would take it back saying it was defective. Defective can be cause by hardware or software. In this case, with the Xooms in questions, it is a software problem but one that will require the unit to be shipped back to be repaired.

n4mrc wrote:If you want to return your purchase, fine, but please understand that if you return a non-demo unit you ARE taking advantage of the kindness of Woot.

It's best to have all the facts before jumping to conclusions. There are lots of knee jerk reactions going on here (IMHO).

Yes, I am taking advantage of an offer Woot freely made to everyone. But I am not taking advantage *of* them. I didn't demand they make that offer. They admit that because of the problems, they are willing to take them back. This goodwill action on their part, helps make up for the black eye that Motorola gave them. It is because of Woot's action that I will purchase from them again in the future.

I waited until I got all the facts before I made my choice. This wasn't a knee jerk reaction.

n4mrc wrote:
Maybe it's not a big deal for you, but are you aware that the Acer is a 16GB tablet and the Xoom via Woot is 32GB? I think I also read a post here that it is still at 3.0 although another source says it just got 3.1. Xoom is at 3.2 now.

Ya, just noticed the 16GB and 32GB difference. I think I'll stick with this Xoom if it isn't a demo model.

It's scheduled to arrive today and FedEx just came to deliver another item. Thought it was my Xoom.

My one is on delivery vehicle .. waiting curiously what I am going to receive.. I am optimistic to get a NON-DEMO version.. East Bay, CA

edboston wrote:Yes, I am taking advantage of an offer Woot freely made to everyone. But I am not taking advantage *of* them. I didn't demand they make that offer. They admit that because of the problems, they are willing to take them back. This goodwill action on their part, helps make up for the black eye that Motorola gave them. It is because of Woot's action that I will purchase from them again in the future.

I waited until I got all the facts before I made my choice. This wasn't a knee jerk reaction.

+ 1 for consumer choice
- 1 for posters telling me what we should do with our purchases

rv6abob wrote:Unfortunately I found the problem with mine when I went to charge it. The charge status LED doesn't light up. That in and of itself is not a big deal because the screen tells you that it is charging. The bigger problem is that it seems to charge for a little while and then stop. If I touch the plug that goes into the XOOM, the screen comes back on and says charging. It will actually charge for a little while because the charge percentage goes up. Coming back to it a while later shows that it stopped at some point. Touching the plug makes the screen light up and say that it is charging. Not sure if this a problem with the power supply or the XOOM itself.

Crap, mine does the same thing. I was hoping this was a problem with me or my outlets. D'oh. Maybe we're just doing something wrong? Mine charged 80% - 83%, stopped, then went 83% - 90% and stopped, now it won't charge.

buffalo66th wrote:+ 1 for consumer choice
- 1 for posters telling me what we should do with our purchases

Would you please quote the post where I told anyone what they should do with their purchase? I have critiqued people's comments, hopefully in a reasonable way, which you are free to either agree or disagree with. I have expressed my opinion about those who have decided to send back units that they have not even checked out, which, considering all the facts, I think is unreasonable on their part. That's not the same as telling them what they should do or claiming that the Woot offer does not apply to them. I believe I even said "if you want to return your unit, fine...". I'm pretty sure I never told anyone what they SHOULD do, but if you can find a post where I did, please share and I will stand corrected.

n4mrc wrote:Would you please quote the post where I told anyone what they should do with their purchase? I have critiqued people's comments, hopefully in a reasonable way, which you are free to either agree or disagree with. I have expressed my opinion about those who have decided to send back units that they have not even checked out, which, considering all the facts, I think is unreasonable on their part. That's not the same as telling them what they should do or claiming that the Woot offer does not apply to them. I believe I even said "if you want to return your unit, fine...". I'm pretty sure I never told anyone what they SHOULD do, but if you can find a post where I did, please share and I will stand corrected.

I said "others" not you specifically. My post was not directed at "you". I apologize that (due to my reply) it seemed that way!

I do apologize for not keeping a closer track on this, but what again was the software number for the BAD/DEMO software? My Xoom is waiting at home for me and I hope to know so if I have the demo I can get it replaced right away.
Thanks.

Got mine today and couldn't be happier! Thanks Woot! I know this one seemed to be a struggle, but I got it within a reasonable amount of time and I didn't have any real problems besides for my own impatience.

dobneyit wrote:I do apologize for not keeping a closer track on this, but what again was the software number for the BAD/DEMO software? My Xoom is waiting at home for me and I hope to know so if I have the demo I can get it replaced right away.
Thanks.

This post has some good information.

ibuy4woot wrote:
{...clipped...}
SO, I suggest that when you do receive your Xoom, fire it up, go to "Apps" (upper right corner of screen), click on "Settings" (lower left icon), then click "About Tablet" (bottom tab of left column). If you see "Build H.6.2-21-demo" you have a bad unit. If you see any other "build" version, you are the proud owner of a fully functioning Motorola Xoom tablet. Again, we will take care of all wooters that hae the 'Demo" version.

I just got mine and I love it! It came with HC 3.1, non-demo. Thank you so much woot!

awells527 wrote:

Many Thanks, Wells.

domthewop wrote:Crap, mine does the same thing. I was hoping this was a problem with me or my outlets. D'oh. Maybe we're just doing something wrong? Mine charged 80% - 83%, stopped, then went 83% - 90% and stopped, now it won't charge.

Yeah, I put a little sideways pressure on the plug that goes into the Xoom and it charged all the way up. Might be my plug is too small. I have that same problem in other areas, but we digress.

I think I'm going to get one of those Motorola Docks. That appears to use the contacts on the bottom of the Xoom and not the little power connector gizmo.

Just got my XOOM, already had 3.1 installed on it, and updated to 3.2 with ease. I havent seen any of the issues reported here, yet. No freezing, no dead pixels, and no problems with the camera. so far so good, I'll have to play with it over the weekend though.

Just received mine todaday up in Boston. Came with 3.1, updating to 3.2 now. It looks brand new except for the "refurbished by motorola" etching which i could care less about. If anyone asks why i bought refurbished, I'll tell them i saved it from going into a landfill and they are a consumer whore (a little ironic coming from a guy who bought a tablet I know). This is going to be one great toy, thanks Woot and Motorola.

buffalo66th wrote:I said "others" not you specifically. My post was not directed at "you". I apologize that (due to my reply) it seemed that way!

No prob.

I'm really just trying to help, although I might not always come across that way. If/when I have rubbed anyone the wrong way, I also would like to apologize.

Hey everyone. How about a Woot! for agingdragqueen?

She's been working hard to help us with this issue and she's been extremely nice, even when some have directed highly inappropriate comments towards her. I think she deserves a little appreciation.

I, for one, thank you!

Received mine, hooked into work's wifi, and now it is updated to 3.2 (was 3.1). An Apple fanboy at work gave it a spin and noted the Xoom is heavier than the ipad. I showed him the cameras and he started to cry (jk).

Thanks to the WootFolks for keeping us updated with what was happening, and for offering the RMA to everybody. That was particularly risky given the Staples deals, but it does show that Woot means business when they consider customer service.

Full disclosure - I printed out the Staples coupon and checked out the deals... I was tempted, but figured Woot gave me what I agreed to buy, so am keeping this Xoom. That is not a shot by any means on the folks who took advantage of the RMA offer. As @edboston stated, that would simply be "taking advantage of an offer Woot freely made to everyone. But ... not taking advantage *of* them".

n4mrc wrote:No prob.

I'm really just trying to help, although I might not always come across that way. If/when I have rubbed anyone the wrong way, I also would like to apologize.

Well it is 3:30pm and still no information. Woot is awfully quiet today. I wanna play with my XOOM!!!

Just got my Xoom.

Connected to wifi.
Synced with my google account
prompted an update to 3.2 within minutes. Mounted microsd card. W
atching a video on YouTube.
Browsing the net.
Multitasking.
Downloaded Zinio (frustrated that there is no Nat Geographic for Android)
moving on.
Checking email
Google maps
Lost track of time.
I'm really happy. Thanks Woot!

Mine was delivered with 3.0.1 but updated to 3.1 and 3.2 with no problems. Haven't had any time to test it out yet though :-(

Thanks Woot! I appreciate all the communication that occurred!

n4mrc wrote:First, make sure you have enabled installing from unknown sources. Open apps, Settings, Applications. Check Unknown sources. Return to main screen.

When the file download was complete there was a notification next to the clock in the lower left of the screen. If that is still there, touch the notification, then the filename. You should get a popup that will let you install.

If there is no notification, open the browser, touch the menu in the upper right corner, then touch Downloads. You should see the file there. If not, you may need to try downloading it again.

Thanks for the helpful! Looks like I just needed to re-download it. I was able to stream netflix this afternoon.

By the way - love my Xoom, thanks woot!

buffalo66th wrote:Thanks, but at this point between the Staples deal and hassle, I just want to know if the easiest thing for Woot is to have me refuse the delivery or accept it and request an RMA?

The easiest thing is to accept the delivery and enjoy your Xoom. There's a better than 99% chance that it's fine. Mine arrived yesterday and it's really amazing. I couldn't be happier.

It has been asked for by others to no avail, but can the 7-14 Xoom people - like myself - get shipment confirmation? Thanks much.

Got my Xoom today...just as fedex said I would. I do have the build version # H.6.2-21-demo.1301415063. Would like the updated version - so what do I need to do? If you've already mentioned this - I'm sorry - I can't seem to find the reference. The return address is Woot - so I send it back to you? Fedex...USPS...any preference?
Thanks!

baroquon wrote:It has been asked for by others to no avail, but can the 7-14 Xoom people - like myself - get shipment confirmation? Thanks much.

7-14 Xoom people,
Just got an email response from Woot support stating they are working as fast as they can and you be notified when it ships. I am really, really considering the Staples option where I can have a new one in my hands tonight. Wont get my refurb Woot Zoom till next week sometime via some low budget shipping method. If I had ordered a scraming monkey, it would have been here a week ago. Woot, I know it is not your fault but should I have to suffer? Really?