The Letterville BullBoard: Buying a laptop, or adventures in the absurd

This is topic Buying a laptop, or adventures in the absurd in forum Old Archives at The Letterville BullBoard.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
http://www.letterville.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php/topic/13/15217.html

Posted by Cam Bortz (Member # 55) on :

I'm looking to buy a laptop, so on Rochon's advice, yesterday I looked at Dell.com, and got a price on a system. Bob then called Dell on my behalf (he has forgot more than I know about this stuff) and got a price on the SAME system for about $150 less. [Smile]

The sales rep then called me (Bob gave him my number), asked if I was ready to buy, then said he had not saved the specs Bob gave him, so we'd have to start over. [Frown]

I though that was lame, and I was busy at the moment, so I said I'd get back to him.

Today I went online and priced the IDENTICAL system, but the price is now $300 HIGHER than the online price yesterday... what the f***? So I called Dell, talk to ANOTHER sales rep, who gives me yet ANOTHER price - lower than today's on-line price, but still $200 higher than YESTERDAY'S online price, and $350 higher than the price the first salesman quoted Bob yesterday. And yes, we are still talking about the exact same system.

Are you still following this sh*t?

Well, salesman # 2 called back. He can take $175 off today's price if I buy RIGHT THIS MINUTE... [Roll Eyes]

well, frankly, no. You're still WAY over the quote from salesman # 1 yesterday, but that wasn't the real reason. I'm making a major purchase here, and this company is playing Let's Make A Deal. What is this, a used car lot? [Dunno]

I've now been given five completely different prices in 24 hours...

wait...wait... this just in! Bob called back; he accessed the Dell site from another source, went through the specs, got the SAME system with more memory, for - gotta love it - $300 less! [Big Grin]

Buy it! Right now, before they change their minds! And yes, this price is almost identical to yesterday's price from Salesman # 1.

Wow, that was trippy... but I have a new Dell laptop on the way, in time for the David Butler workshop in October. [Applause]

Thanks Bob. I owe you big time, pal. [Thanks]

[ September 12, 2003, 04:31 PM: Message edited by: Cam Bortz ]

Posted by Sonny Franks (Member # 588) on :

Sounds like Dell has adopted the airline ticket pricing method. I'll have to admit, though, my sign prices can fluctuate depending on when you call............

Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :

Dell has daily specials that vary from day to day. One day it could be "Save $300".. the next day it could be "Double the RAM at no charge".. or "Get a free digital camera and printer".. all of them require purchase *that* day.

Retail is about impulse buys and making looky-loos into buyers. If the price was changing each day, either their special was changing or there was in fact a slight difference in the options that were specified - maybe even a different warranty, that choice is easy to overlook on their form. I have a system in my wish list at Dell.com and I check the price on it regularly as a means to keep track of computer prices. I havent noticed any price jumps like you have, except when the current special was a cash discount that only lasts a day or two.

Posted by Rick Beisiegel (Member # 3723) on :

It is very possible that somthing small was different about each configuration since the specs were not on a sheet in front of you each time. Regardless, good for you. I love it when a fellow "head" wins the nogociation game. Some day, Mac will catch on. That's how computers are sold

Posted by Cam Bortz (Member # 55) on :

we figured it out... I was in the "business" section and Bob went to "Home Office". The machine I ordered actually has a bigger harddrive and more memory than what was originally priced.

I think I can see the logic. The Business category would atract purchasing agents who have a budget to buy, say, 20 laptops for a sales staff. Since they aren't spending their own money (or the expense is a writeoff) they aren't squeezing nickels like a home business customer.

It wasn't QUITE over though. Bob put the order through for me, and made a mistake on the shipping address, which came up on the order confirmation I got in e-mail. An hour on the phone with Dell - department this, that and the other, a total dog and pony show, to get that straightened out. [Roll Eyes]

What a day. I'm glad I have signs to make instead of dealing with online merchants all day. Its exhausting.

Posted by Mike Pulskamp (Member # 3475) on :

Rick,

Wow, I hope Mac never "Catches on".
Jerking people around to force a snap decision on expensive items is ****ty treatment of the customer. I was going to say that you have come up with just an other thing Mac will not do. (like catch every virus on the net!)

Cam,

Congrats on the new machine I hope it brings you joy and prosperity.

Posted by Amy Brown (Member # 1963) on :

Welcome to the wonderful world of Dell...

Hopefully nothing will ever break. I've had my problems with them this year like you wouldn't believe. Of course, this is my terrible luck. Most seem to really like them.

Good luck!

Posted by Bob Rochon (Member # 30) on :

Hey Cam it just dawned on me what happened!

The other night when I called for the first time the sales guy #1 wouldnt talk to me unless I filled in info, so I gave him all yours untill the town, I didnt know your zipcode so I said ah hell just use mine, so I could get some info.

SO your account was set up initially with my city and zip.

I was thinking about that tonight and I never even entered a city when I calculated the shipping. This whole scenerio was a nightmare.

Dell = Hell so far.

Posted by Rick Sacks (Member # 379) on :

Many corporations lease notebooks and turn them in after a year or two and get new ones. The leasing companies sell them in lots, at auction. Then the companies that buy the lots sell them. They reformat the hard drive and check them out. I have found them at a third or less than the new price. They are easily upgradable. I wonder why a desktop system would sell for a third of the price of a notebook with similar specs. Percieved value perhaps???

Posted by Kissymatina (Member # 2028) on :

Rochon, you're such a butthead. [Wink]

I had an awesome salesman at Dell a month ago.. I gladly would've hooked you guys up with him if you had ASKED. Course, it coulda been that I gave him my sexy voice... just something about that Texan drawl that makes me want to... oh, never mind. [Wink]

Glad you got it straightened out.

Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :

Cam, so what are/were the actual final spec's and price?

Posted by Monte Jumper (Member # 1106) on :

Cam if you adopt that practice in your business you could be the BIG THREE in the following...

1-Your Phone would be ringing off the hook.... Just think how many times you could talk to the same customer.

2-You would control the market...Just think how confused your competion would be trying to figure out how to out bid you!

3-Sales would be at a peak...just a week or so later than you thought beacause...(read one and two).

Which leaves a question...How can anyone be so smart as to putting such a sophisticated piece of equipment together and not have a clue as to how to market it.

Congratulations anyway for getting a "DELL DEAL"

[ September 13, 2003, 08:54 AM: Message edited by: Monte Jumper ]

Posted by TransLab (Member # 470) on :

I've bought a number of Dells over the past few years, and Cam is absolutely right, getting the best deal from dell has become something of an art. Deals from Dell change weekly, sometimes daily, the best shopping tool I've found is the 'saved shopping cart', it gives you 2 weeks to 'think about it' before price expires. You can save as many as you want.

My favorite time to buy Dells if when they roll out their 'double your memory and hard drive free deals' Usually happens just prior to start of school and again in late October early November.

Posted by Joey Madden (Member # 1192) on :

I think Dell is also looking for holes [Smile]

10 years back when I mentioned that I had a Dell, persons told me I had been ripped off and that you couldn't update their products.

Ain't the somtin? I always said that somtin is when ya can hold it with 2 hands and have somtin left over, thats somtin [Smile]

Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :

I've had my Dell laptop for two years now and couldn't be any happier with it, I bought mine factory refurbished direct from Dell.

Not a single hardware or software problem with it, 'cept for the fact it came with WindowsME installed but I actually havent had any problems with that either.

I don't think I'll ever buy a desktop computer again, laptops are just so handy, hardly take up any room and they're more than powerful enough for 95% of computer users out there.

Rick, laptops don't use the same hardware that desktop systems do. Every component including the processor chip is different, built into smaller, more densely populated packages. Cramming the same performance into a much smaller unit is where the cost comes in.
When I bought my laptop, the price was pretty close to what an equivalent desktop machine cost at the time.

Posted by Kenneth Sandlin (Member # 3014) on :

Hey Rick, where'd you find those refurb deals? I may be in the market for a new laptop in the semi-near future (my cra**y) HP's motherboard is conking out...

Kissy, I miss those sexy Texas drawls... I've been displaced for almost five years now [Frown]

How long since you emigrated? [Wink]

Posted by Curtis hammond (Member # 2170) on :

I have a dell to. love it. never broke down and it was a refub as well. I use it all the time either as a dvd player on long trips or for offsite work. It is a fine machine..

REcently my son bought a dell too! I ordered it for him and told them i didn't want a celeron but a full P4.. the salesgirl said OK. Got it for $499 fre shipping. Installed a dvd burner.

The other day they sent me an email to sell me another one. $300 bux and I would've had another 2.4 gig machine.

They good at it.

Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :

Kenneth, I think the drawl in question was the guy from Dell [Razz]

for the sexy part you'll have to locate a copy of "kissy does dallas" [Smile]

(hey... it's just an excerpt of the "how to swing a Dell deal" episode in the Letterville Angels series)

UBB.classic™ 6.7.2