The best Woot! deals go to people who show up at the right time, know a real discount when they see one, and are ready to buy. None of it is hard. Here's the whole playbook, with links to the details.
- when most new deals go up
- 12 a.m. Central
- median discount of the deals that sold out first
- 64% off
- the limit on Boxes of Crap
- 1 per 31 days
The playbook
- Look right after midnight Central. That's 1 a.m. Eastern and 10 p.m. Pacific, when most of the day's new deals go up. Check again late in the morning for a smaller second batch. (See when Woot! posts new deals.)
- Go for the steep discounts first. Cheap, deeply discounted deals are the ones that sell out, sometimes within minutes. Most others are still there days later. (See whether Woot! deals sell out fast.)
- Don't trust the crossed-out price blindly. Woot!'s "reference price" isn't necessarily what the item usually sells for. Check the going price elsewhere before you count your savings. (See Woot!'s reference price, explained.)
- Read the condition. New, open box, refurbished, and used are very different deals, and so are their warranties. (See Woot!'s conditions, explained.)
- Turn on the right app notifications. Woot-Off alerts and app-only "Appsclusive" deals are worth hearing about the moment they happen. (See Woot! app notifications.)
- Catch the Woot-Offs. Unannounced, deal-after-deal sales are where the cheapest limited-quantity items, and the Box of Crap, turn up. (See what a Woot-Off is and the Bag of Crap.)
- Sign in with Prime. Prime members get free standard shipping, which can be the difference between a deal and a dud on a cheap item. (See Amazon Prime on Woot!)
- Search instead of scrolling. Woot! has no search box. BetterWoot Search searches every live deal and filters by price, discount, and condition. (See how to search all of Woot!)
- Know the return rules before you buy. Most things can go back within 30 days, but not everything, and returning something that works costs you the return shipping. (See Woot!'s return policy.)
A cheat sheet
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Right after midnight Central | Check the new lineup, steepest discounts first. |
| Late morning, Central | Check again for the daytime batch. |
| A Woot-Off starts | Watch for the deals you want, and the Box of Crap. |
| Before you buy | Check the condition, the warranty line, and the going price elsewhere. |
| Before you check out | Make sure you're signed in with Prime, if you have it. |
| After a deal sells out | Move on. Woot! takes no backorders and has no waiting list. |
What not to bother with
- Waiting for a restock. Woot! doesn't take backorders or notify you when something comes back. If you want it, buy it.
- Coupon hunting. Woot!'s promo codes are occasional, mostly Shirt.Woot sales and app or Prime-only promotions, and they're announced in the forum's Info Desk. (See Woot! promo codes.)
- Rushing the slow movers. Most deals run a week or two and never sell out. Unless it's a steep discount, you have time to compare.
Questions
When is the best time to shop Woot! deals?
Right after midnight Central, when most new deals go up. The best ones can sell out within minutes.
Does Woot! have better deals than Amazon?
Sometimes much better, sometimes not. Woot! sells closeouts, refurbished goods, and limited runs that Amazon doesn't, but its crossed-out price isn't always the going price. Compare before you buy.
How do I find a specific item on Woot! quickly?
Use BetterWoot Search. Woot! has no search box of its own, on the website or in the app.