dariusfresh wrote:if i'm running through a receiver, and then into the tv, this shouldn't be a problem, right? sorry, i'm kind of an a/v luddite.

As long as the receiver can decode DTS. I dont know why you wouldnt just play from the receiver. But if you have multiple devices then it might become tricky.

All HDMI cables from my devices (PS3, XBOX360 & HTPC) go to the TV and then a single Optical to my A/V. But apparently it doesnt even allow pass through! Bummer

Reading all the posts about bad packaging makes me nervous to see what SEKO has in store.

Got my 47" a few days ago, but like everyone else that has wooted, the shipping and packaging was horrendous! The TV was delivered upside down, which damaged the edges of the TV the base and the back: scratches all over the place. The remote and the glasses were thrown in as an after thought and were not packed securely. But overriding all the rest; it works! Should I return it?

jeremiahj wrote:I'd love for a Woot rep to chime in and explain this better...

I don't know, that smart-ass panda meme was pretty helpful. Seriously Woot, you've been asleep at the wheel on this deal.

This is unbelievable, I am actually dreading taking delivery of a new TV. #firstworldproblems

I am getting more and more nervous about this purchase. This will be my first flat screen TV( yes, I still have the old big kind).

Questions:
if you have to return the TV, do we have to pay shipping?

For those of you who have gotten the tv and have it up and working, are you happy with it?

Mine has not come yet nor have a gotten a call to schedule delivery. Thanks

yeah, i'm getting really nervous. i have every intention of making the delivery guy wait and refusing delivery if it isn't up to snuff.

Woot, what happened to you? Why add more products when managing and providing proper service with the existing chunks is turning into this?

I need a TV, but not a headache, so I'll be looking elsewhere and don't think I'll be back.

mkingiup wrote:Woot, what happened to you? Why add more products when managing and providing proper service with the existing chunks is turning into this?

I need a TV, but not a headache, so I'll be looking elsewhere and don't think I'll be back.

this.
i would've thought you'd have your sources for products vetted a little better by now.

jeremiahj wrote:So, I have the TV. But this purchase certainly did not go the way I had expected.

Poor tracking notification:

After ~5 days without any tracking information update to my woot account, I contacted Woot support and received a reasonably prompt response. I was provided a waybill number and a tracking website to plug it into (feel free to check my previous post for exact details of the response).

Poor updates/communication:

The tracking details never actually updated -- it always read that it was in transit to hub. I called the carrier Monday and was told it was not in their warehouse but they expected it later that afternoon (sweet!). I was assured I would be contacted just as soon as they had it in hand in order to schedule delivery. The entire week passed with no tracking update or contact back. It was a busy week for me, so fine. Maybe they too are really busy or it arrived late. I did try contacting them via e-mail and phone once each during the week but never got new information and the e-mail went ignored response.

Do it yourself delivery:

I called them twice on Friday to confirm if the TV was in. my first call was right around noon -- I was told the TV was there but it was too late to schedule delivery. The agent was unclear as to how long it had been there, but I would need to wait until next Monday for someone to even call just to schedule a delivery date. Not wanting to wait another 4 - 5 days I offered to pick it up from them and save them the trouble. to this they said 'no problem', and that 'someone would call me to confirm it was ready to be picked up'. I waited till 5:35...called their office and got a recording that they closed @ 5:30 (really?!). I decide that I am not taking no for an answer anymore. I tracked down their after hours number and got a warehouse agent in the local hub to answer my call. After a small conversation he said I was welcome to come pick it up, which after 50 minutes of traffic and rain I did just that. Not how I wanted to spend Friday, but sometimes you just gotta do stuff you don't wanna.

I feel for the other Wooters out there waiting to get theirs:

Why do I feel for you? Because I saw the mess that was headed your way. After signing a delivery receipt the warehouse guy opened the bay door to reveal the utter mess that was my package (and yours too). He urged me to inspect the package since these arrived in such terrible condition (it was easy since the box flaps were hanging open from the lack of tape to secure them). He also pointed out that several of the boxes were totally crushed and figured there was no way the TVs could have survived. One of the ruined boxes had even fallen over and the TV had just slid right out onto the ground. My TV had literally no packing material or support. There was a bit of clear film over the TV edges (nothing on the screen) and there were some random cardboard bits flopping around with the remote, manual and stand. Given the location of my TV on the pallet I figure I was 'lucky' because my box was sandwiched between several other wooters TVs (thanks for letting me use your TV as packing support for mine).

My Final Take:

The company that was responsible for packaging these televisions did an absolutely terrible, awful, crap job. Any carrier with any sense would have flat out refused to take on any responsibilities for these. There is no way that packaging would protect the contents inside. A single band of tape across the top was never going to hold 70+ pounds of electronics inside either. Also, despite being insanely slow on shipping and updates, I feel bad for the carrier. Having worked in the logistics industry (indirectly) I expect that they are gonna get dinged for the damages when people start filing claims against their damaged televisions. I don't blame Woot much at all on this, but with that said, maybe Woot should ensure the products they sell are delivered to their customers on time and not broken. The buck stops with Woot, fair or not.

Inspect BEFORE you sign for it, make the guy wait if you have to.

Thanks for the great, informative post. Ultimately, Woot is responsible for making it right. But how much is yours and our time worth to follow up (telephone time and emails) on warranty items which should not have taken place from the beginning? Retailers who sell these items have a choice of who delivers their items; there are good companies and there are bad. Woot chose a bad one.

Without consumers sharing their post-arrival condition of a product, each of us would be on our own.

Wooters - this is something to consider when ordering items which are expensive and bulky. Not to mention, your time dealing with a broken item is worth something too.

jeremiahj wrote:I'd love for a Woot rep to chime in and explain this better...

In their absence I'll happily offer a few suggestions:

First off, insist on inspecting the television for visual damage before signing for it. If you are not comfortable with the physical condition, tell him that you don't want to accept the shipment. It's sucks for everyone but it's the safest way to keep you out of some pain later trying to get it replaced, etc. Signing for it technically relieves the shipper of any liability and means you will have to work with Woot for a replacement. In the end you might get stuck in a loop where they ask you to file a claim with the carrier and the carrier says 'you signed for it, tough cookies'. I've worked arond the logistics business long enough to know this happens A LOT.

Also, I would document the television as you unbox it. I didn't have this luxury when I picked mine up for various environmental reasons -- but just a few pictures of how it was packaged might go a long way towards any issues that crop up later.

Finally, relax. Woot is a great company and they will very likely make things right if you explain and document. There is a 90 day (LG) warranty behind it. And if you are feeling shaky about post-90 day failures, then drop the 99 - 149 bucks on the extended warranty. Personally I am on the fence right now on the extended warranty -- given the terrible shape the box was in I feel like I am being forced to buy it as protection against damage that happened in transit. Feelsbadman.

jeremiahj, thank you for the suggestions. as you mentioned, it would be nice if a woot rep would chime in on these issues. it's pretty sad that the best information we've gotten throughout this ordeal has been from each other, rather than from woot. frankly, it makes me doubt that woot really is a great company. i do realize there's a 90 day LG warranty, and don't worry, i've already sprung for the extended square trade warranty. so no problem there. the problem is, a warrantly typically protects from defects in workmanship. as in, the tv works for a little while, then breaks down for some reason. but the problems we're talking about here are not defects in workmanship. they're damage caused by poor packaging/shipping. to me, the real bottom line is that we didn't buy the tv from LG, we didn't buy it from the shipper, we bought it from woot. if it arrives ok, then has problems down the road, those are problems for which the warranty is intended. but if it doesn't arrive in good condition, then that problem rests squarely with woot. and it's woot's responsibility to make it right, or refund our money.

ThunderThighs wrote:Customer service is closely monitoring the situation with these LG TVs. Packaging on refurbished items is almost always not original manufacturer's.  The packaging on these TVs sounds like it's not stellar for sure, but so far, only 2 customers have contacted us with shipping damage that affected the TV.  

If you receive a TV that doesn't work out of the box, contact service@woot.com. Any warranty service issues after that should be directed to LG per the 90 day warranty.

Hope that helps.

Our buyers will be working with our vendors to improve the packing and shipment protection on these larger TVs as well as shipping tracking and notification.

thanks thunderthighs. what is woot's stance on acceptance or refusal of the delivery, if there is obvious physical damage to the tv? should we accept the shipment anyway, then contact woot customer service, or refuse shipment... and then contact woot customer service?

How to Initiate a Damaged Call Tag.

If your TV was damaged like mine was and Fedex delivered it, after contacting woot, here's what you need to do to return it.

1) Call Fedex at 1.800.463.3339 and request a DAMAGED CALL TAG.

2) Have your Fedex Tracking number handy.

3) If they ask you for an account number look under the bar code on the shipping label: there will be 3 sets of numbers the middle set of numbers is the account number reference.

4) You need to send the Damaged Call Tag number to Woot.

That's it. The only problem is that they will pick it up some time between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm.
Good Luck!


[Mod: these TVs were shipped via Seko so don't call FedEx. We're contacting Seko to find out their procedure. ]

Adding my shipping experience.

They arrived late. When they opened the truck, the TV was loose in the back laying on it's side. The TV was also fairly loose inside the box but it looked ok so I signed for it. When I set it flat to remove the stand and hook up the wall mounting hardware I noticed the TV wasn't sitting right. The top of the TV is bent from being on its side and only being supported at the corners. There is a good half inch gap at the center.

Besides now having a curved TV, the picture is awesome. I haven't found any dead pixels and everything else seems to work fine so I'll probably keep it.

garyw81 wrote:That's a bummer. Keep us updated with the process.

I'm a little nervous about mine coming next week.

so...i tried to contact lg about the discolored spots on my screen using the warranty info that was provided with the tv (marsha blankenship's contact info), but the phone number goes to a voice mail box that is full. so i emailed her, but i haven't heard anything back yet. i also emailed woot to let them know i tried to contact lg.

does everybody else have marsha's contact info, too? i sure hope her voicemail and email aren't filled from complaints of messed up tvs like mine...

Dont mean to detract from the current coversation, but it appears I am one of the lucky ones in this. Set-up my 47" this evening and so far looks amazing. Up and running in 5 minutes out of the box and simply gorgeous picture. No signs of any wear or damage that I can see, and looks basically brand new.

Will keep an eye out for any issues, but as of right now, I am a very happy camper. Thanks Woot!

Received my tv a 47inch and although the packaging was not great it appears the tv did not sustain damage. Awesome tv with great features , had a little problem setting up with my harmony 550 and dish networks 922 but got there in the end and all are working with the remote. The resolution on the tv is fantastic and I thought my Sony xbr LCD was good, this far exceeds my expectations.

ThunderThighs wrote:Have info now on how to return the TV if necessary (e.g. physical damage). You should go ahead and accept the delivery and then contact service@woot.com. They'll arrange with Seko for the return.

thanks for staying on top of that, and coming through with the info, thunderthighs. my 55" is scheduled for delivery tomorrow, and i'm really hoping everything's ok.

Well, I drove to SEKO today and pickup up my new 55 inch tv. I have to say, as a first time Woot purchaser, I am very disappointed in this whole ordeal. I won't go into the shipping/tracking issues, as that has been well covered by others.

Like others, my tv was packed in a flimsy cardboard box with next to nothing inside to protect it from damage. The one strip of tape on the top and bottom was even coming undone. The worker at SEKO laughed at how poorly packaged this was and mentioned that he assumed it was furniture, since no one bothered to label the box or even take 2 seconds to mark it as fragile.

I did not have time to set up or carefully inspect it for damage yet. I'll be shocked if there is no damage.

I will say this, if it is damaged, even with what looks like superficial damage, it is going back, unless Woot is willing to refund some money so I can purchase a Squaretrade warranty.

If I wouldn't by a damaged TV off the shelves in a store for this price, why would I buy it from Woot at this price? Plus, with the intricate electronics in these things, do I really want to take a chance on a 900 dollar tv that has been bouncing around loose in a box for 2 weeks?

I really think Woot needs to offer those of us who bought these televisions warrantys that are longer than 90 days. That is about the only thing at this point that would convince me not to avoid Woot in the future.

I'm already feeling screwed, and I haven't even received my tv yet (local hub still doesn't have it). Hearing about all these issues people are having is making me nauseous. 900 bucks is A LOT of money to me. If anything is wrong with mine in the slightest, it's getting sent straight back and i'm just gonna bite the bullet and pay full price for peace of mind and professional handling of my order.

Apparently TV wont be at my house till WEDNESDAY! Over 2 weeks of waiting and I still don't have a good feeling to receive this.

It's not all bad, apparently. My 55" was just delivered. There's a few scuffs on the bezel that wipe right off, but no damage/bent screen/bezel scratches to speak of. It wasn't packed the best but I've definitely seen worse - there was cardboard at the edges and back to keep the screen from bouncing around too much. I won't be able to fire it up until tonight, but I'll post an update then if there's any issues.

nocktherock2010 wrote:Apparently TV wont be at my house till WEDNESDAY! Over 2 weeks of waiting and I still don't have a good feeling to receive this.

I'm guessing I'm in the same situation. I haven't heard a thing from SEKO and the site says it should be delivered today. I called them today to see what's up and they told me to call back tomorrow if no one contacts me later today.

Being in the dark about a $900 purchase for two weeks is not something I consider reasonable. Unless the TV arrives in immaculate condition, the TV will be returned and this will be my last woot purchase. I understand it is probably tricky to ship such a large item, but I'm also guessing just about everyone who purchased the $900 55inch wouldn't have complained too much to pay $50-$100
to have it professionally packaged and delivered. The TVs sold out in hours. I'm sure they still would have sold out at a slightly higher price point, just not as quick.

Called Seko Philadelphia 610-237-1244 today noon and was told it arrived today but is in the processing statge. They will release TV after 3pm. Pick up between 3-8pm. Or they will deliver after 12 noon on tuesday. Call them to verify. I'm picking mine up today.

If anyone is looking for the SEKO number for Atlanta it is 404-362-0500. Mine is being delivered between 1-5 pm.

on my way to pick mine up. wish me luck!

Called the Baltimore office (410-379-2200). If your shipment came through Baltimore (BWI), it arrived today, delivery down in North and Central VA will be tomorrow (Tuesday 7/24) between noon and 5PM. Hooray for 14 days without really knowing where my $905 has been!

I asked if the person saw the condition of the boxes, and he said there were about 50 that came through Baltimore, on pallets of 4 strapped together. Confirmed it was just blank brown boxes.

The good thing is that after giving him my order number, he recognized it was from Woot! and understood that it was probably electronics, so here's to hoping they treat them with a little more care on the last leg. My nerves can't take too much more of this.

My 55" tv is sitting 530 miles from me at Seko in Dallas /Ft. worth. Seko will turn of over to another carrier (Estes Express) tomorrow for delivery sometime after Wednesday. Seko has a St. Louis office where I likely would have been glad to make the pick up. Seko DFW said the package arrived at their location Friday. Ridiculous that after 2 weeks I am still 2-4 days from delivery. Also none of this update came via woot.

Just got mine delivered by Seko about an hour ago. Blank brown box, not in bad shape at all. Everything was included, TV was in plastic and although not packed like a store bought TV, it was certainly packed well enough that there was no damage at all. Hope that eases a few minds.

Since it doesn't appear anyone has posted their full experience so far (up to and including receiving tv AND testing it) I thought I would give everyone some updates (at least how things are going for me so far).

Tracking:

I ordered the 55' at about 2:23AM Eastern time. I emailed Woot 7/17 3:21PM asking about tracking information and they replied at 7:14PM same day informing me it was drop shipped and I would receive tracking information soon. 4 hours later I got an email saying my order had shipped.

Shipping:

Sekos site had an AWB date of 7/16 from Carrolton, TX but said the airport was LAX which really confused me. I'm not sure if they drove it from TX to LA and then flew it to Indianapolis or what, but it didn't get to Indy until 7/20. Scheduled a drop off time for Today (7/23) between 1-5PM. They arrived at 11:50AM.

Packaging:

The box was a complete disaster. There were several holes, one of the bottom sides were ripped open completely, a seam was torn halfway down, and only 1 flap was taped on top. The box had 2 thin pieces of cardboard meant to go on top and bottom of tv, and 2 thick pieces meant to keep it centered in the large box, however, none of these were in places and the tv was completely loose, glasses case smashed (luckily glasses had fallen out and weren't damaged) and the accessory bag was open and missing the composite and component adapter cables.

Physical condition:

The TV was in much better condition than I imagined it would be after seeing the box. The back left speaker housing had been damaged slightly (mainly dings and bends), the trim in front has about 4 or 5 scratches (showing white/silver in the middle of the black trim) about the size of the head of a pen. The bottom left of the trim had a piece completely broken off (about 1 sq inch in size) and the base of the TV (not installed) had several scuffs and scratches on the visible surface.

Performance condition:

After installing the base and setting it up I immediately noticed 3 areas on the screen that were darker than the rest. In the very center there was a dark spot (still visible, it just lowered the brightness there by about half) about the size of a golf ball. On the left side there were 2 identical areas about the size of a salt shaker with the same problem. I tried wiping these areas with the included microfiber cloth, but they're part of the TV. Upon further inspection of the left side I noticed about 4 areas with pixels that were almost completely white (even on a completely black screen). LG's site says any bright pixels and it will be serviced.

What Next:

I emailed Woot asking what they recommend I do because of both shipping issues AND defects at 4:15 today (7/23). As I get more and more information I will keep everyone on here posted so maybe if you have any of these issues, you'll have an idea of what to do and what to expect. I have faith Woot won't let us down and will do whatever they can to make this right for everyone.

eagles7277 wrote:Just got mine delivered by Seko about an hour ago. Blank brown box, not in bad shape at all. Everything was included, TV was in plastic and although not packed like a store bought TV, it was certainly packed well enough that there was no damage at all. Hope that eases a few minds.

same here. packaging was not nearly as bad, and in as bad a shape, as i had expected after some of the horror stories. i've unpacked the tv, and physically, it looks immaculate. i haven't fired it up yet and put it through it's paces. but after all the tension over just the delivery of the tv, i wanted to jump on and try to hopefully ease a few minds as well. now time to get this bad boy fired up and see what it can do. i'm hoping its performance is as nice a surprise as its physical condition was.

Below is my email I just sent to woot support:

"This said est. delivery date of today. It was not delivered today and the tracking was last updated on the 14th. I called the shipping company and was on hold for 10 minutes before their answering system asked to leave a message. I then called another number and all they could tell me is that they did not get it in yet. They have no idea where it is and no tracking information. This is horrible.

I have read the forums and this shipping company seems to be inadequate not only in delivery, but in packaging. Please review my account and see that I have purchased thousands of dollars of products from you. This needs to be resolved or this will be my last transaction."

This is woots response:
"I'm sorry that SEKO doesn't update their tracking as often as the major carrier might.
At this point we can only advise that you allow more time for either the tracking to update of the package to arrive."

How is this helpful at all? Buying from you for years woot...This is a huge disappointment.

A1CEarl wrote:Since it doesn't appear anyone has posted their full experience so far (up to and including receiving tv AND testing it) I thought I would give everyone some updates (at least how things are going for me so far).

Tracking:

I ordered the 55' at about 2:23AM Eastern time. I emailed Woot 7/17 3:21PM asking about tracking information and they replied at 7:14PM same day informing me it was drop shipped and I would receive tracking information soon. 4 hours later I got an email saying my order had shipped.

Shipping:

Sekos site had an AWB date of 7/16 from Carrolton, TX but said the airport was LAX which really confused me. I'm not sure if they drove it from TX to LA and then flew it to Indianapolis or what, but it didn't get to Indy until 7/20. Scheduled a drop off time for Today (7/23) between 1-5PM. They arrived at 11:50AM.

Packaging:

The box was a complete disaster. There were several holes, one of the bottom sides were ripped open completely, a seam was torn halfway down, and only 1 flap was taped on top. The box had 2 thin pieces of cardboard meant to go on top and bottom of tv, and 2 thick pieces meant to keep it centered in the large box, however, none of these were in places and the tv was completely loose, glasses case smashed (luckily glasses had fallen out and weren't damaged) and the accessory bag was open and missing the composite and component adapter cables.

Physical condition:

The TV was in much better condition than I imagined it would be after seeing the box. The back left speaker housing had been damaged slightly (mainly dings and bends), the trim in front has about 4 or 5 scratches (showing white/silver in the middle of the black trim) about the size of the head of a pen. The bottom left of the trim had a piece completely broken off (about 1 sq inch in size) and the base of the TV (not installed) had several scuffs and scratches on the visible surface.

Performance condition:

After installing the base and setting it up I immediately noticed 3 areas on the screen that were darker than the rest. In the very center there was a dark spot (still visible, it just lowered the brightness there by about half) about the size of a golf ball. On the left side there were 2 identical areas about the size of a salt shaker with the same problem. I tried wiping these areas with the included microfiber cloth, but they're part of the TV. Upon further inspection of the left side I noticed about 4 areas with pixels that were almost completely white (even on a completely black screen). LG's site says any bright pixels and it will be serviced.

What Next:

I emailed Woot asking what they recommend I do because of both shipping issues AND defects at 4:15 today (7/23). As I get more and more information I will keep everyone on here posted so maybe if you have any of these issues, you'll have an idea of what to do and what to expect. I have faith Woot won't let us down and will do whatever they can to make this right for everyone.

my screen was messed up too. woot told me to contact lg first and then, if i wasn't happy with the service from the 90 day warranty, woot would issue a prepaid return label for me to return the tv.

when i contacted lg, they told me to fill out the service request form and send it in, and they would try to find me a replacement. if there wasn't one in stock, they told me i could wait until there was.

even though i'm not stoked about the way the tv came in the box and the fact that the picture is screwed up, i feel good about the way that both companies have handled the issues so far.

I got a reply from Woot about the missing parts. They gave me the contact number for their parts supplier, who are going to ship them out at no charge to me. I will let you guys know how it works out. If you are missing the extras, email the service dept, they will hook you up.

tking24 wrote:my screen was messed up too. woot told me to contact lg first and then, if i wasn't happy with the service from the 90 day warranty, woot would issue a prepaid return label for me to return the tv.

when i contacted lg, they told me to fill out the service request form and send it in, and they would try to find me a replacement. if there wasn't one in stock, they told me i could wait until there was.

even though i'm not stoked about the way the tv came in the box and the fact that the picture is screwed up, i feel good about the way that both companies have handled the issues so far.

sadly, my screen is messed up too. a dark spot around the right-center of the screen. pretty annoying. pretty disenchanted with woot right now.

I'm about to set mine up and put it through the paces. Out of curiosity, what is the best way to identify darker spots? Are people using Avila or just eyeballing it?

stanleypup wrote:I'm about to set mine up and put it through the paces. Out of curiosity, what is the best way to identify darker spots? Are people using Avila or just eyeballing it?

personally, i was just eyeballing it. any scene where the sky, or clouds, or light colors in general, passed across the area of the spot, it was clearly visible. at first i thought it was a smudge on the screen. but alas, no amount of cleaning would make it go away.

I'm so unbelievably pissed right now. There are at least 5 noticeably visible goofball sized debts on the back, parts were missing, including screws to mount in on the stand.

But the real kicker is that dark spots would be the least of my problem. Half of the damn screen doesn't display the image but weird lines and colors. The kind of thing you see when a laptop screen goes bad, at least that's the only time I have seen this before.

I have no doubt that this was most likely caused by the poor shipping and packaging. I spent all day yesterday prepping my room, putting together a new tv stand and unhooking my old tv. I had to take off part of the day today to go pick the damn thing up bc SEKO was so difficult to schedule a delivery time, and now this.

Obviously this thing needs to go back, but I'll be damned if I'm going to take more time off of work to ship this thing.

I'll be contacting woot through email tonight. I'm not sure what they can do to make this right. But I have to say, as a first time Woot visitor, this has been just aboutthe worst experience I have had with any major electronic purchase. Lesson learned I guess.