diff --git a/podaac/podaac.py b/podaac/podaac.py
index d2a54fa..9f5be18 100644
--- a/podaac/podaac.py
+++ b/podaac/podaac.py
@@ -14,11 +14,13 @@
 
 import requests
 from future.moves.urllib.parse import urlparse, urlencode
-from future.moves.urllib.request import urlopen
+from future.moves.urllib.request import urlopen, urlretrieve
 from future.moves.urllib.error import HTTPError
 from future.moves.http.client import HTTPConnection
 import os
+import zipfile
 import json
+import time
 import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
 
 URL = 'http://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/ws/'
@@ -470,7 +472,7 @@ def granule_preview(self, dataset_id='', image_variable='', path=''):
 
         return image
 
-    def granule_subset(self, input_file_path):
+    def granule_subset(self, input_file_path, path=''):
         '''Subset Granule service allows users to Submit subset jobs. \
         Use of this service should be preceded by a Granule Search in \
         order to identify and generate a list of granules to be subsetted.
@@ -479,8 +481,12 @@ def granule_subset(self, input_file_path):
         the request that you want to send to PO.DAAC
         :type input_file_path: :mod:`string`
 
-        :returns: a token on successful request reception. This can be \
-        further used to check the status of the request.
+        :param path: path to a directory where you want the subsetted \
+        dataset to be stored.
+        :type path: :mod:`string`
+
+        :returns: a zip file downloaded and extracted in the destination\
+        directory path provided.
 
         '''
         data = open(input_file_path, 'r+')
@@ -501,7 +507,32 @@ def granule_subset(self, input_file_path):
         token = result['token']
         conn.close()
 
-        return token
+        flag = 0
+        while(flag == 0):
+            url = url = self.URL + "subset/status?token=" + token
+            subset_response = requests.get(url).text
+            subset_response_json = json.loads(subset_response)
+            status = subset_response_json['status']
+            if (status == "done"):
+                flag = 1
+            if (status == "error"):
+                raise Exception(
+                    "Unexpected error occured for the subset job you have requested")
+            time.sleep(1)
+
+        print("Done! downloading the dataset zip .....")
+        download_url = subset_response_json['resultURLs'][0]
+        split = download_url.split('/')
+        length = len(split)
+        zip_file_name = split[length-1]
+        if path == '':
+            path = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), zip_file_name)
+        else:
+            path = path + zip_file_name
+        response = urlretrieve(download_url, path)
+        zip_content = zipfile.ZipFile(path)
+        zip_content.extractall()
+        os.remove(path)
 
     def subset_status(self, token=''):
         '''Subset Granule Status service allows users to check the status \
@@ -562,10 +593,10 @@ def extract_l4_granule(self, dataset_id='', path=''):
             else:
                 path = path + '/' + granule_name
             data = urlopen(url)
-            granule = open(path, 'wb')
-            granule.write(data.read())
             if data.info()['content-type'] == 'text/plain':
                 raise Exception("Unexpected Error Occured")
+            granule = open(path, 'wb')
+            granule.write(data.read())
 
         except Exception:
             raise
diff --git a/podaac/tests/podaac_test.py b/podaac/tests/podaac_test.py
index 2ab3b4b..47f6c1e 100644
--- a/podaac/tests/podaac_test.py
+++ b/podaac/tests/podaac_test.py
@@ -145,10 +145,14 @@ def test_granule_preview(self):
 
     # test case for the function granule_subset
     def test_granule_subset(self):
-        path = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)) + "/test.json"
-        subset_token = self.podaac.granule_subset(input_file_path=path)
-
-        assert subset_token != ''
+        path1 = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)) + "/test.json"
+        path2 = os.path.abspath(__file__)
+        self.podaac.granule_subset(input_file_path=path1, path=path2)
+
+        assert os.path.isfile(
+            './subsetted-ascat_20160409_113000_metopa_49153_eps_o_250_2401_ovw.l2.nc') == True
+        os.remove(
+            './subsetted-ascat_20160409_113000_metopa_49153_eps_o_250_2401_ovw.l2.nc')
 
     # test case for the function subset_status
     def test_subset_status(self):