thumperchick wrote:I doubt that. I believe that woot has a deal with SmartPost. Every box they ship is $5. If you know that going in, there's no point in crying foul. So yeah, technically someone is making money off the shipping of keychains - but it ain't woot. Also, that helps offset the cost of shipping TVs and disco balls. I'd much rather have $5 shipping for everything than pay per pound or item shipping - it adds up fast!

Huh? This is so hard. I don't understand.

All hail Vermont, West-by-god Virginia, and Mississippi: apparently they aren't buying the monkey. Not a bit of it!

TBIRDLVR wrote:But it's more than it costs them. They could charge say $2.50
It's not right.

It's not wrong.

It just is.

madaradio wrote:the cost of shipping is worked into the price of the item for sale. The standard $5 shipping is a clever but arbitrary number set so that you think you're getting a deal when you buy a TV or woot branded fridge.

What does this all really mean?

TBIRDLVR wrote:Huh? This is so hard. I don't understand.

Obviously... ;P

tmacpa69 wrote:It's not wrong.

It just is.

Are you saying it's illegal?

TBIRDLVR wrote:What does this all really mean?

They average all the shipping costs and add $1.
= Profit

TBIRDLVR wrote:But it's more than it costs them. They could charge say $2.50
It's not right.

And the warehouse guys who pick, pack and ship this stuff work for free?

You'll be hard pressed to find a company that charges JUST what they pay...

And again, explain the $5 shippingon the flat screens? Shold woot charge what they pay for that too? Can't have it both ways my friend...

sdbcmr wrote:All hail Vermont, West-by-god Virginia, and Mississippi: apparently they aren't buying the monkey. Not a bit of it!

I think that says something.

Or not.

Really, now. What qualifies as a quality post?
My mailbox is a cedar post and I find it of the utmost quality.

TBIRDLVR wrote:Are you saying it's illegal?

no that is just the way Woot is, deal with it!

TBIRDLVR wrote:What does this all really mean?

What it really means is smile and nod, back away, and then tell R2-D2 that it must be your lot in life, that you seem to be made to suffer $5 shipping on everything.

Ah, these Monkey's ain't refurbished, are they?

TBIRDLVR wrote:Are you saying it's illegal?

Maybe.

Maybe not.

Let's ask Kenneth

noahsmybro wrote:I've got a commnet for the Keepers of Woot, regarding the Box of Cobwebs.

I've never successfully purchased a Box of Cobwebs and not for lack of trying. Over the last couple of years I've read many threads and seen many posts where users discuss different strategies or techniques they used to score a Box of Cobwebs and it all seems to me like urban legend.

Often, people state that they can use Firefox to get through, but not IE. Or they can use Chrome, but not Firefox. Etc, etc.....

You, Woot-staff, have servers. The servers surely produce logfiles. The server admins can access those logs, and very likely have log-analysis software as well.

I'd be curious to see a report that shows what percentage of Box of Cobwebs orders is purchased by which browser-user. If that could somehow be adjusted (weighted) to compensate for the percentage of site visitors using each browser, so much the better, but I'm no statistician and that is getting too complicated for me, so I wouldn't really expect you guys to do it either.

Still, I'd be interested to see such a report, and see if the idea that using a specific browser affects the opportunity to score a Box of Cobwebs is really all just a bunch of hooey.

Thanks,
Steve

This was my second Woot-off and my first successful Box of Cobwebs I'm sorry that you didn't get one, but I was able to get one today on an EDGE connection on my iPhone. There are many things you can do to improve your chances:

1) Be available from about 1pm to 5pm on Woot-off days.
2) Make sure you have your account and payment information all setup correctly (test this by clicking "I Want One!" on any Woot item, if you get to an order page with everything except your CC 3-digit code filled out you're good)
2) Run Wootalyzer, set it to make an alarm go off when a Box of Cobwebs comes up.
3) Occasionally check Woot anyway during Wootoffs.
4) When you see a Box of Cobwebs don't panic.
5) Click the "I Want One!" button.
6) If you're lucky, you'll get through by now. If you aren't, keep trying, do NOT reload/retry an attempt to get through until your browser tells you the server cannot be reached or until you get an error.
7) Most Box of Cobwebs#39;s sell out within 15 minutes; if it's been 25-30 minutes and you're still without an order page, it's game over.


EDIT: If anything, Woot should add a captcha to the order page, even if just for Bags of Crap, there are people who still buy them with auto-buyers and bots (which I believe is just against the spirit of the Wootoff).

madaradio wrote:the cost of shipping is worked into the price of the item for sale. The standard $5 shipping is a clever but arbitrary number set so that you think you're getting a deal when you buy a TV or woot branded fridge.

Can you explain this for us regular folk?

PghRiverRat wrote:Yes, mine does. So I spank my monkey.

Now you are not the one that bought the surveillance camera for the boys in the pool are you???

TBIRDLVR wrote:This is so hard.

"That's what she said"

it's still the monkey?????

Somebody buy this crap....

sdbcmr wrote:All hail Vermont, West-by-god Virginia, and Mississippi: apparently they aren't buying the monkey. Not a bit of it!

And Delaware -- it's small, but it's still dark, too. And I remain convinced that there aren't any Wooters in the non-contiguous states -- don't think I've ever seen them lit up.

TBIRDLVR wrote:Can you explain this for us regular folk?

Trolling is fun for all ages.

klmwb7 wrote:no that is just the way Woot is, deal with it!

Maybe we should write a letter to the owner?

lildetroitmama wrote:it's still the monkey?????

Somebody buy this crap....

*This Just In*

Its over.

noahsmybro wrote:I've got a commnet for the Keepers of Woot, regarding the Box of Cobwebs.

I've never successfully purchased a Box of Cobwebs and not for lack of trying. Over the last couple of years I've read many threads and seen many posts where users discuss different strategies or techniques they used to score a Box of Cobwebs and it all seems to me like urban legend.

Often, people state that they can use Firefox to get through, but not IE. Or they can use Chrome, but not Firefox. Etc, etc.....

You, Woot-staff, have servers. The servers surely produce logfiles. The server admins can access those logs, and very likely have log-analysis software as well.

I'd be curious to see a report that shows what percentage of Box of Cobwebs orders is purchased by which browser-user. If that could somehow be adjusted (weighted) to compensate for the percentage of site visitors using each browser, so much the better, but I'm no statistician and that is getting too complicated for me, so I wouldn't really expect you guys to do it either.

Still, I'd be interested to see such a report, and see if the idea that using a specific browser affects the opportunity to score a Box of Cobwebs is really all just a bunch of hooey.

Thanks,
Steve

The last time I got a BAG was in '08 and today I had a sure fire way to get one and STILL nothing. I have no idea how anyone got them. I had 3 laptops hardlined to my fiber connection using explorer and firefox and NOTHING. They just all happened to be conveniently hooked up that way. I couldn't even get out of the woot! home screen.

thumperchick wrote:Trolling is fun for all ages.

Yay! I really really like to troll but isn't the shipping cost too high?

sdbcmr wrote:All hail Vermont, West-by-god Virginia, and Mississippi: apparently they aren't buying the monkey. Not a bit of it!

Looks like I'm not the only one in Kansas to pick up some monkeys.. We are doing our part.

With tears in my eyes for not having acquire a Beeznatch on Crack this go around, I suppose I will take the Deadliest Catch board game I received in the last Bikini of Cannons and turn it into a drinking game where I can drown my sorrows...

TBIRDLVR wrote:Can you explain this for us regular folk?

Look at the front page, see how you're drawn in to buying a cheap 99 cent monkey? Most likely these monkeys only cost Woot around 50 cents (maybe even less). Shipping each probably costs only $3 or so.

If the monkeys were $5.99 with free shipping instead of $0.99 + $5, you would be less drawn into the cheap price, even though Woot makes about $2 on each monkey when all is said and done.

Your brain also compares the two prices, while $1 and $5 aren't that far apart, $599 and $5 are. When you are buying a $599 item with $5 shipping the shipping prices seems like a much greater deal than the $5 shipping for the $1 item is a non-deal.

TBIRDLVR wrote:Maybe we should write a letter to the owner?

OK.. Now you're just proving yourself to be:
A) screwing with us
B) incredibly stupid (doubtful- higher than normal IQ for most wooters basee on technical knowledge, etc)
C) a troll

Go away now...

The shipping cost is like the rain... there's nothing you can do about it so you might as just lay there and enjoy it.

I guess thats the end of another great woot off. now I can go to bed.

TBIRDLVR wrote:Yay! I really really like to troll but isn't the shipping cost too high?

You get a +1 for that, 'cause I lol'd

Still not the promised jet ski...

Plus I get boned on the Bison Or Cupcake!

sidelsky18 wrote:Look at the front page, see how you're drawn in to buying a cheap 99 cent monkey? Most likely these monkeys only cost Woot around 50 cents (maybe even less). Shipping each probably costs only $3 or so.

If the monkeys were $5.99 with free shipping instead of $0.99 + $5, you would be less drawn into the cheap price, even though Woot makes about $2 on each monkey when all is said and done.

Your brain also compares the two prices, while $1 and $5 aren't that far apart, $599 and $5 are. When you are buying a $599 item with $5 shipping the shipping prices seems like a much greater deal than the $5 shipping for the $1 item is a non-deal.

If you're trying for that 2nd quality post endorsement, you've missed the mark!!

first woot!

underinsomnia wrote:"That's what she said"

Coincidence! Who said it?

TBIRDLVR wrote:Yay! I really really like to troll but isn't the shipping cost too high?

Nah, I'm good with the $5. I think it's too slow though.

sidelsky18 wrote:This was my second Woot-off and my first successful Box of Cobwebs I'm sorry that you didn't get one, but I was able to get one today on an EDGE connection on my iPhone. There are many things you can do to improve your chances:

1) Be available from about 1pm to 5pm on Woot-off days.
2) Make sure you have your account and payment information all setup correctly (test this by clicking "I Want One!" on any Woot item, if you get to an order page with everything except your CC 3-digit code filled out you're good)
2) Run Wootalyzer, set it to make an alarm go off when a Box of Cobwebs comes up.
3) Occasionally check Woot anyway during Wootoffs.
4) When you see a Box of Cobwebs don't panic.
5) Click the "I Want One!" button. If you don't get to the order page within 30-60 seconds, try putting in "wine." or "kids." right before the "woot" in the address bar.
6) If you're lucky, you'll get through by now. If you aren't, keep trying, do NOT reload/retry an attempt to get through until your browser tells you the server cannot be reached or until you get an error.
7) Most Box of Cobwebs#39;s sell out within 15 minutes; if it's been 25-30 minutes and you're still without an order page, it's game over.


EDIT: If anything, Woot should add a captcha to the order page, even if just for Bags of Crap, there are people who still buy them with auto-buyers and bots (which I believe is just against the spirit of the Wootoff).

You can set Wootalyzer to auto open the buy page.

And don't forget the ceremonial artichoke sacrifice and don't forget to sculpt the lucky idol out of monkey crap and also you have to promise you really do believe Santa, the great pumpkin, the easter bunny actually exist and that you really do know where in the world Carmen Sandiego really is.

My first woot!!!!!!!

ron76053 wrote:The shipping cost is like the rain... there's nothing you can do about it so you might as just lay there and enjoy it.

We found a troll and threw rocks at it...