Woot crap bags have literally broken the internet. Well, at least they’ve broken Woot.com. Seriously, whenever new crap bags (or bag o’ crap if you prefer a name that sounds like the unluckiest leprechaun to exist) are released traffic increases so much that sometimes the Woot servers crash.
These bags are highly coveted and incredibly difficult to get your hands on. They typically sell out within the hour and are so popular that Woot had to place limitations on how much and how often you can buy them. Many wooters even view the bags of crap as a highlight of major Woot events. After all, they’re sold by Woot (aka Amazon’s deals site) so they’ve gotta be a good deal, right? Well, the answer is a bit more complex.
So what’s the deal with Woot crap bags? Are they worth the time, money, and effort it takes to get one? And how do you even grab one? I’ve scoured the internet for answers and found the lowdown on Woot crap bags. Read on for the best tips and tricks for scoring a bag of crap and a thorough rundown of the rules, limitations, and potential goodies.
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Woot Crap Bags are essentially blind bags of random products.
Woot’s Bag o’ Crap is different in that you don’t know at all what to expect. There’s absolutely no guarantee other than there will be a total of three items, more or less. You can see what other people ended up with by checking r/woot on Reddit or the Woot forum. My personal favorite is this thread on Reddit. It’s 12 years old, but the laughs are timeless.
But at the end of the day, it’s all a matter of luck. Cross your fingers and hope you don’t end up like the guy who just received one solitary shoe. (Well, unless you want just one shoe. I’m not judging). Basically, you’re paying $16 (including shipping if you don’t have Amazon Prime) for the chance to maybe get something cool. But more than likely, you’ll get some junk.
If you do want a Bag o’ Crap, there are some limitations.
Anyone who has browsed Woot can tell you the site is chaotic, to say the least. But, there are some basic guidelines that you should be aware of. Because there is a limited supply of this crap, there are restrictions on how many items you can buy and when.
When it comes to Woot crap bags, the site says you can only buy one every 31 days (although technically it’s on that 32nd day you’re able to get one). And before you try to circumvent that, just know they check for folks using different emails to order multiple bags — and will cancel your order if you try that.
Additionally, Woot crap bags only ship in the continental U.S. Sorry, Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and the rest of the world.
Trying to get your hands on a Woot crap bag? Prepare to wait in line.
As I mentioned earlier, these things are so popular that the Woot server actually crashes when they become available. In order to manage site traffic, there’s a first-come-first-served queue called the “Vestibule of Patience”. (I’m not kidding, that’s actually the name.) Not everyone in the queue will be allowed to purchase a bag, and you might be waiting for quite a while, so be warned.
Even if you do make it through the Vestibule, some orders may go through only for staff to realize that they don’t have enough inventory. In that case, they’ll cancel. Try not to get your hopes up because situations like that aren’t uncommon. There’s a reason one of the items listed in the bag is “abject disappointment”.
There is no predictable schedule for when new crap bags will release.
There is only so much you can do to prepare since there isn’t a set release date or time for the restock. Though shoppers have identified some trends that indicate a crap bag might be dropping soon, like everything else there’s no guarantee.
So when should you check for new crap? Usually during Woot Offs — rare special sales where a series of surprise deals are launched every 30 minutes throughout the day — or holidays. Some wooters say that you can anticipate the new bags around the end of the event. Some say to download the Woot app and keep an eye out for notifications containing the initials “BOC”. Others say to check at midnight on holidays. Just like with the contents, a lot of the process comes down to luck of the draw.
So is the Woot crap bag worth it?
It all comes down to what you’re looking to get out of it. If you want a good deal on stuff you need or use on the daily, then it is absolutely not worth it. While some folks claim to have won a laptop or T.V., many others get broken items and general trash. There’s no guarantee the items will be even a tiny bit useful or worth your money.
On the other hand, if you have an extra $16 lying around and absolutely no expectations it could be a lot of fun. There’s something about trying your luck, just for the experience. That’s where the magic lies. It’s not about the items inside, it’s about the mystery. It’s about going into it blindly and laughing when you get the most random and irrelevant tchotchkes known to man. If that’s your jam, then go for it!
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