AW/DELL Ordering Advice - How to save $$$

Some of it, the first 3 years were only lightly discounted, the 4th year was free.

 

can you tell me the EXACT price that you paid for everything? co'z i'm really amaze with the discount that you got.

 

$2842 for everything including the warranty.

It actually isn't that amazing, just a normal 21ish% discount. Heck, I was just debating emailing your rep with my price to see if he could beat it. You got closer to a 25% discount.

How did it go down when they offered you a discount not to cancel? How long did you wait after ordering? Had it already entered production? I am tempted to try that, because I really want another $100-$200 off, but don't really want to cancel and try to re-order, I need the machine as soon as possible.

 

I'm in the same boat. I'd love to call in and try and cancel my order in the hopes they they offer me money to keep it... but I need this laptop ASAP and I can't afford the off chance that they call my bluff and cancel the order

 

Yea, I am considering trying it, say something like "Oh I have decided to downgrade the ram to save a bit of money" or something similar, see if they bite and just give me the discount to not cancel it. I don't know how fast the cancel happens though, would be a bummer to say that and then hear "Ok sir, your order is cancelled, have a nice day" with no chance to back out.

 

tough. could really happen that way if u got rep that doesn't care.

 

Spoiler

omg, what a great savings.. really, i'm impressed

 

I rebuilt my system and it comes to like 1700ish now. Anyway i could get this for like 1300?

It is only the m14x but i got the SSD drive, the memory upgrade, the i7 processor but only the first lvl one.

Also got a mouse and a bag.

If i can get it down to 1300ish ill pull the trigger no problem. But that is absolutely my budget and i can NOT go a dollar higher. And that's not even me trying to haggle, that is me being 100% honest.

 

haha. i think this is kinda risky. this is the 3rd time i did this. the second one fails LOL. when they proceed to cancelling just say "Oh I change my mind can you not cancel it anymore, I just realize I really wanted it. HAHA"

If you want try calling just to get the 1 day shipping I'll be calling later co'z i can't wait till 18th and exchange the lappy and WAIT again.

just wait for it to be uncancellable like 4-5 days after you place the order.

yes. It's tough just like the guy I talked to who seems like he doesn't really care at all.
Me: Hi. I just want to cancel my order.
Guy: Sure, Maam let me just get the order number.
Guy: let me just check out your order and hold on for a sec.
after 2 mins.
Me: can i still cancel my order?
Guy: yes, and i'm proceeding to cancelling it now.
Me: oh, ok.
Guy: do i have your permission to cancel your order?
Me: oh. yeah.

He doesn't even offer me anything for me to keep the system.

 

im mad i missed out on this deal i was watching and was going to offer then boom it sold lol.

eBay - New & used electronics, cars, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods & more at low prices

 

Man that sucks... Is that seller selling any others?

 

no. he upgraded to m18x.

 

Have you tried the Dell Outlet... they have some refurb M17x R3's that seem very upgradeable. Some of them are well under the 2K price range.

 

yeah been all over it. the lowest m17x r3 i saw was for 1050 with 6870m card after taxes was like 1131 or something but i didnt bite

then i saw 6990m one but screen res was 900p with taxes that came out to 1371 or so and i didnt bite either lol.

laptop is on back burner now. I ordered samsung s27a950d 27inch 3d monitor. Got it in today and enjoying it. 120hz really makes a difference in fps games for sure. Its pretty much cheating since your able to respond faster to whats going on screen.

if you want to spend 2k you can get this
http://www.ebay.com/itm/17075695538...AX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649#ht_825wt_1396

just saw 6990m 2670 750gb hd 1080p @ the outlet for 1409 someone grabbed it right before i could add it to cart. thats another problem. so many resellers and buyers shopping the outlet. gotta be fast!

 

I already got mine for 2080 I'm happy with that, to be honest. If I drop some money down the road it'll be for 2 more years of warranty service.

 

Do you know the update cycle? Everytime I refresh (so far, randomly), there is never anything new...

 

Welp, I called in and tried the cancel trick, got another $50 off. It's not much, but heck, every little bit helps.

 

40 minutes on the hour.
so 540 640 740 840 etc...

 

grats. now you can enjoy paying it off

 

I appear to now have the M17x for 1409 on hold that you mentioned earlier. Did you still want it?

Edit - you went off line -- Releasing

 

Heh, that won't be a problem, technically I could just pay cash, but Dell actually prefers if I use DPA, I have no problem using their money interest free for 12 months.

Anyway, I looked at the Outlet deals, when I had looked before there weren't any Alienwares. I just happened to look at a 40 minute interval and I found:
Processor Processor: Intel Core i7-2760QM Processor (2.4 GHz,w/Turbo Boost,6MB Cache)
Operating System Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium
Base Alienware M17x R3 Laptop
Hard Disk Drive 500 GB SATA II Hard Drive (7200 RPM)
Memory 16 GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz (4X4GB)
Media Bay 8X DVD +/- RW Drive
Video 2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon HD 6990M
System Color Soft Touch Stealth Black
Laptop Screen 17.3 inch Wide FHD (1920 x 1080 60Hz) WLED Display
Laptop Battery 9 Cell Battery
Network Interface Card Killer Wireless-N 1103 a/g/n 3x3 MIMO
Bluetooth Wireless Dell Wireless 375 Bluetooth Module
Hardware Upgrade 210W/240W switchable Slim 3P A/C Adapter
125V Power Cord

For: $1699

That is a pretty legit deal. It doesn't have Blu-ray or an SSD, and it uses the ATI card rather than the Nvidia, but it is very close to my config. I got mine for $2250 including SSD and BR with the 580M. It looks like getting a refurb would save me maybe $300-$400ish (depending on how much buying my own SSD costs, I know I couldnt get a 256 for $150 which is what dell is charging)? I mean that is really quite good, especially since you can get a warranty. If I was tight on funds I would camp the outlet site until I got what I wanted.

Interestingly I have never seen a 580M on the outlet. I wonder if Dell is swapping 580M cards out of the refurbs and using them in new units, since there is a shortage right now. I can't imagine no 580M machines get returned.

 

I think Dell is definitely stripping the 580m's out of the outlet laptops. They are probably more valuable to Dell that way. It's disturbing because how do you know you're getting a *new* 580m and not one that was pulled from a return.

 

nah i seen plenty of 580m ppl just pick it up super fast, its insane. you have to be on time and quick. I been watching outlet for a week i've seen 580m 120hz 3d bundle with 2820 cpu for 2169 with raid 750gb hd., some other 580m with crappy screens god knows why.

one i saw and i was so tempted but by the time i tried to put it in cart it was gone m18x 2920 dual 580m for 2100 something. that was crazy good i thought but I was hesitant since i didnt want to spend that much

 

thanks for lookin out bro.

 

Processor: Intel Core i7 2820QM 2.3GHz (3.4GHz w/Turbo Boost, 8MB Cache)
Genuine Windows 7 Ultimate
Alienware M17x R3 Laptop
750 GB SATA Hard Drive (7200RPM)
750 GB SATA Hard Drive (7200RPM)
8 GB DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz (4 DIMMs)
6X Blu-ray Disc (BD) Combo (Reads BD and Writes to DVD/CD)
2GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M
Killer 1103 MIMO - 1080p
2039 plus tax just came up at delloutlet after taxes its 2161.34

 

In reality though, why would it matter? It is a totally internal part, and you could never tell a used one from a new one. Heck, I wouldn't mind getting one that had already been used and abused, personally I am hoping my GPU dies in 2-3 years so I will get a new one under warranty, and with any luck Dell wont have the 580M and I will get a free upgrade.

I don't like that deal nearly as much, last generation processor, slower ram, and for me personally the hard drive is useless since I want an SSD.

 

3 to 4 months its ivy bridge and 7000 series ati cards

 

Hi guys! I'm a new poster but I've been lurking for quite a while on these forums. Lots of helpful info here!

I have a quick question that may sound silly, but just wanted to get clarification. How is the 25% off target that many talk about for the discount on Alienware systems calculated. Is it off the regular retail price of the laptop, or is it 25% off the discounted price taking any promotions (such as the SSD/RAM promotions going on now) into account first and then 25% more? I'm assuming it's 25% off the regular retail price but wanted to be certain.

I appreciate clarification of this question. Thanks in advance!

 

Sadly, the first reviews of the 7000 28nm desktop cards don't seem that incredible. Looks like an expensive incremental upgrade to me. Hard to say what Ivy Bridge will really do, at this point CPU performance is such a non-issue it hardly feels worth delaying a purchase for it. Plus, in 3-4 months you will only be 3-4 months away from X and Y upgrade (28 nm Nvidia cards, new SSD controllers, etc).

You take the 25% off the regular retail price. This means any offers you get are part of your overall discount. If you can hit 20-21% you did good, the best deals are in the 25-26% range, but they are harder to get and depend a lot on your config.

 

Thanks for that info and the rapid reply. Do you guys normally price the warranty in there also, or is that something when you call you add separately? In other words, can you expect approx the same percentage saving off the warranty as off the hardware?

 

some ppl get added years on top of what they bought. dont think they discount just the warranty by itself.

i.e you get one year complete care but if you haggle maybe they throw in another year for free etc. but in general 25% plus 2% from EPP/MPP and another 3% from DPA is prob the max you can discount but even then that would be hard to do

 

Your warranty gets added to your retail price and so it is considered in your overall discount. However, you may want to calculate your machine discount and overall discount as separate things.

If I take my percentage discount of my computer only I get over 25%. With my warranty my entire order was discounted 21ish%. I got a 4th year free with the warranty but it still adds to the cost and was not discounted as much as the PC. They seem to be less willing to discount the warranty, but will give you years free. Thus, if you really want 2 year I would add 1 year and try for another free, if you already have 2 years added they will not discount it, but would likely give a 3rd free.

 

Just purchased the M18x with the help from katkatorts27's sale rep. We were able to do the whole thing by email. I had a 25% off coupon, but I was having difficulty applying it to what I wanted (IE, a 'base' / more flexible configuration vs a higher-end inflexible configuration). He applied it to a base model for me, and all was well. A flat 25% off. Thanks!
Nebula Red Anodized Aluminum
Intel Core i7 2760QM 2.4GHz (3.5GHz w/Turbo Boost, 6MB Cache)
4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz 2DIMMS
Dual 2GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M NVIDIA SLI Enabled
500GB 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit Service Pack 1, English, w/Media
Slot-Load Dual Layer DVD Burner, DVD+-RW, CD-RW
Internal High-Definition 5.1 Surround Sound Audio
Intel Advanced-N 6200 a/g/n 2x2 MIMO Technology
Bluetooth 3.0

With 3 years worth of complete-care:

$2,432 after tax

 

grats i saw you ask for coupon on slickdeals, i guess you got one. everytime i respond to a pm with someone that has one, he / she sold it by the time they get back to me.
so you weren't able to use the 50 off 999 code or get 3% dpa off as well? what was the retail price? cause i tried to configure it the same and you seem to have gotten more than 25% but good regardless. glad you got it. now only if i can find the 25% coupon. The same rep told me to call him but I didn't have time today, plus I didn't want to haggle without a coupon... lol.

 

Nah, the price you see should be less than 25% after tax. I did not even attempt to get the 50 off 999, and I got 2% for DPA instead of 3%. In the end, after my state tax, it was really only 20% off.

I wasn't very consistent with what I want (I was having internal conflicts as to what processor to get), and I was just basically glad that he allowed me to apply it to a base configuration.

The higher end models had a mandatory 8GB instead of four and 750GB HDD instead of 500. Upgrading normally cost 200 and 150 respectively, and I'm sure that was automatically calculated into the higher end models - which I did not want.

 

you did well for what you got. i just need a 25% coupon to try to haggle more with coupons, dpa, epp etc... lol. I still might call him up and see what he can do without coupon.

 

Looks like you got an awesome deal. Did you somehow buy or find a coupon from someone online? I tried to get one but with no luck.

Also, you should have tried to get him to apply the memory and SSD sale, $150 for an SSD and $200 for 16 gigs minus a flat 25% would be totally mind blowing (you would see effective savings in excess of 30%).

 

alright. I got a saveology code, but I can't apply it to anything. I get this detail


Get 25% off Select Systems

Expires Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Get 25% off select systems (before tax, shipping and handling). Offer valid 11/10/11 through 1/31/12 11:59 CT. Specifications, availability and terms may change without notice. Taxes, fees, shipping, handling and any applicable restocking charges are extra and vary. Coupon cannot be stacked with site discount, other offers/coupons or promotions (XBOX or Military Appreciation). Only applicable on Inspiron, XPS and Alienware line of systems. Dell cannot be responsible for pricing or other errors, and reserves the right to cancel orders arising from such errors.


Guess I'll call in tomorrow and see whats up.

 

Nice deal! That's a beast!

I looked at the M18x, but the size was a bit of a deal-killer for me.

 

Where did you get a code?

 

Bro that was a great deal! I'm so happy that he was able to help you. cheers to you bro.

RE: I emailed him this morning and he's giving me half off from the 2760QM processor's price co'z i'd be exchanging my beast when it arrive. do ya think this is good? But downgrading the hard drive though.

 

i bought it from someone who bought it from saveology but did not use it. on slickdeals.net. minuus seems to be looking for more codes might be a reseller.

Kat it seems like an ok deal. isnt the upgrade price from 2670 to 2760 150 dollars? so u lose one 500gb hard drive which is like 110 dollar retail value and get better cpu.

I opted for the 2760 as well for VT-x to run vmware

 

Hi all I just purchased an Alienware M17x R3.

I purchased it for £1300.
Was 1700 got 15% off (which came to around 1540) Then I said oh i'm looking at another machine as well. The rep instantly put the price down to £1300, for the spec I thought that was a bargain! What do you guys think!

Should be getting it in 2 weeks or so.

Specs as follows.

Alienware M17xR3 : Base Stealth Black 1
Processor : Intel Core i7 Processor 2670QM (2.20Ghz, 6MB, 4C) 1
Display : 17.3in WideFHD (1920 x 1080) WLED LCD 1
Camera : Integrated 3.0 Mega Pixel HD Camera 1
Ship Accessory : English Docs 1
Resource DVD : Alienware M17xR3 1
Memory : 6144MB (1x2048 + 1x4096) 1333MHz DDR3 Dual Channel 1
Hard Drive : 750GB Serial ATA (7200RPM) 1
Optical Drive : Blu-Ray Disc (DVD+/-RW + BD-ROM) Drive including software 1
Power Supply : Alienware 240W AC Adapter 1
Power Cord : UK 250V 1
Battery : Primary 9-cell 93W/HR LI-ION 1
Carry Case : Not Included 1
Graphics : 2GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M 1
Speakers : Not Included 1
Gaming Software : Steam Gaming forum and download application 1
Wireless : European Intel Wireless LAN 6300 3x3 (802.11a/b/g/n) Card 1
Bluetooth : European Dell Wireless 375 Bluetooth Card 1
Keyboard : Internal UK/Irish Qwerty Keyboard 1
Operating System : English Genuine Windows 7 SP1 Home Premium (64 BIT) 1
Software : Dell Support Center 3.0 1
Software : Datasafe Local 2.0 Basic 1
Avatar : Alienware Logo 1
No Software Anti-Virus 1
TimeZone : (GMT + 00.00) Dublin, Edinburgh, Lisbon, London 1
Name Plate Engraving : Generic 1
One free Dell Expert call to help with your PC queries within 60 days of purchase 1
Standard Service - 1 year of Next Business Day coverage included with your PC 1
No Warranty Upgrade 1
No Accidental Damage Protection 1
Alienware M17x R3 Order - UK 1
Notebook - Freight 1 Unit

 

No, I got my code - I just haven't edited the post on slickdeals.

 

So I am still stalking the outlet in case I find a better deal...and its impossible. All the scripters are out in full force. No system can be seen for more than 1 sec before it disappears - impossible for any human to do with the captcha system in place.

 

Well folks! I finally pulled the trigger. I got in touch with Kat's rep who first said he could meet my budget but I'd have to wait until Monday when he was back in the office . . . so I waited 3 days to order and I guess he made some kind of miscalculation or decided he didn't want/couldn't get in my budget. (Told me this via email on Monday after I sent him a message). I was very disappointed and a bit irritated for waiting 3 more days on him so I called in to the EPP site and got a different rep. He couldn't quite make my number, but handed in a free Razer headset and upgraded my shipping at least. Here's the final detail:

225-0536 1 Alienware M17x Soft-Touch, Stealth Black
317-8448 1 Intel Core i7 2760QM 2.4GHz (3.5GHz w/Turbo Boost, 6MB Cache)
317-8465 1 16GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz (4DIMMS)
331-1347 1 Alienware M17x 240W A/C Adapter
320-1933 1 17.3-inch WideFHD1920 x 1080 60Hz WLED
320-1940 1 2GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M
342-2221 1 256GB Solid State Drive
331-1350 1 Custom Nameplate
330-6106 1 Personalized Nameplate Trigger
313-8792 1 AlienFX Color, Quasar Blue
421-4655 1 Alienware Command Center Software, M17X
420-9691 1 DataSafe Local BackUp
420-9956 1 PC Restore
421-0092 1 DELL-DOWNLOAD-FLAG
421-5789 1 Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit Service Pack 1, English, w/Media
410-1883 1 Adobe Acrobat Reader 9.0 Multi-Language
318-0396 1 Slot-Loading Dual Layer Blu-ray Reader (BR-ROM, DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
421-4541 1 Roxio Creator Starter,No Media
421-4550 1 Power DVD 9.6, 3D
318-0424 1 Internal High-Definition 5.1 Surround Sound Audio
430-4330 1 Killer Wireless-N 1103 a/g/n 3x3 MIMO Technology
461-8389 1 NO VIRUS PROTECTION REQUESTED
939-0320 1 Dell Hardware Limited Warranty, Initial Year
939-0340 1 Dell Limited Hardware Warranty Plus In-Home Service After Remote Diagnosis, Initial Year
950-3337 1 1 Year Limited Warranty
950-9797 1 No Warranty, Year 2 and 3
421-1721 1 Soft Contracts Service Hardware Agreement for Alienware
994-3730 1 Warranty Support, Initial Year
430-4022 1 Internal 60GHz WirelessHD Transmitter
421-1360 1 Steam and Portal Factory Installed
421-1359 1 World of Warcraft Preinstall Edition
330-5090 1 Thank You for Purchasing AlienWare
463-0742 1 Special Pricing Applied
*
Subtotal: $2,288.18
Shipping and Handling: $0.00
Sales Tax: $160.17
Total: $2,448.35

Overall, my guy told me I was 25% down from suggested retail. Really not sure how I did but I'm glad to have it done with. Just want a laptop to use on the road already. Special thanks to Kat for sending me to her rep, good guy and I'm sure he's great I probably just caught him on a very busy day!

Best of luck to everyone

~j

 

Congrats! So you ordered from a different rep? if so it's alright. why you didn't go for the advanced warranty?

 

Could you pm me your rep info, I haggled with few but got not a lot done.

 

you should have 5 posts so I can pm you my rep

 

That's indeed good savings.