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

Okay.. ordered mine finally
couldn't get the antivirus taken off.. but managed to get some discount further
even.. the shipping is supposed to be free... but he deduced the price from main thing to make it equal (proof that he can do anything )
I think i am happy .. got good experience with dell.
Also purchased a 50$ External dvd drive with this...
===
224-9555 1 Alienware M11x, Cosmic Black
313-9589 1 Intel Core2 Duo SU7300 1.3GHz (3MB Cache, 800MHz FSB)
317-8954 1 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1066MHz
421-1591 1 Alienhead 3D
320-9963 1 11.6-inch WideHD 1366x768 (720p) WLED
320-9857 1 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 335M
342-8744 1 500GB SATAII 7,200RPM
330-9552 1 Personalized Nameplate
330-6106 1 Personalized Nameplate Trigger
313-8792 1 AlienFX Color, Quasar Blue
421-8558 1 Alienware Command Center Software for Alienware M11x
421-1400 1 Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English
420-9691 1 DataSafe Local BackUp 2.0 Basic
420-6436 1 PC-Restore, Dim/Insp
421-0092 1 DELL-DOWNLOAD-FLAG
421-1573 1 Alienhead 3D
313-9856 1 Integrated 10/100 Network Interface Card
410-1883 1 ADOBE READER 9.0 MULTI- LANGUAGE
313-9958 1 Integrated High-Definition Surround Sound Audio (5.1)
430-3796 1 M11x Wireless INFO MOD
330-6348 1 Automatic Updates: On
330-8995 1 1.3 Megapixel Webcam
410-0204 1 McAfee VirusScan Plus - 15-Month Subscription
950-3337 1 1 Year Limited Warranty
908-3647 1 Dell Hardware Warranty Plus On-Site Service, Initial Year
922-7060 1 Third Party At Home Service, 24x7 Technical Support, Initial Year
950-9797 1 No Warranty, Year 2 and 3
421-1721 1 Soft Contracts,Banktec Care,Alienware
994-3730 1 Warranty Support,Initial Year
430-8555 1 Optional Bluetooth Module, 2.1+ Enhanced Data Rate
430-3773 1 No Internal WWAN Antenna Installed
421-1360 1 Steam and Portal Factory Installed
421-1359 1 World of Warcraft Preinstall Edition
330-5090 1 Thank You for Purchasing AlienWare
*
Subtotal: $784.00
Shipping and Handling: $16.00
Sales Tax: $53.71
Total: $853.71

 

Wow this is a pretty amazing deal. You saved like $250 here?

How long did you "work" on the rep?

 

he he
patience worked for me Its like the initial coupon stacking discount for me.. I donno what he did and how he achieved to get tht price.. but so happy.
Estimated delivery time in march end.
Just gotto wait till u get a good rep ...

 

props! nice dealz!

 

How did you get that deal? All the reps that I got a hold of were trying to upspec the hell out of the machine, and they kept saying "Let me ask my manager and kept me on the phone for almost an hour. They also tried to sell me the same external DVD drive for $100...which is more than what it's listed for on the website.

Needless to say, I didn't make the order today. Will try again tommorw.

 

Hey,
Check out what I wrote earlier...
Even I faced the same.. I got a good deal after a while and this is the best1
Both the good deals came from americans.. i guess they have more flexibility and they dont have to rely more on manager(all tht Philippian guys/gals heavily rely on manager) for every question.. they say "hold on sir,"... 15min pause or tht stupid music and then "I apologize for the delay" and this is infinite loop.. in such case u better tell em to connect to thier manager directly and talk. Or just hang up and try again.
for the last deal which got.. he never spoke to his manager.. not even once.
Dont buy External DVD from dell... Amazon got the same for 50$ with free shipping. So, nothing fancy unless u try to haggle it n get it for free..
But its weird that this last rep said he cannot breakdown my config.. As for antivirus is concerned. He said its free.. :|

=================
@unreal25
took a while to get tht deal.. Friday ,saturday m monday with same rep to get to that price..(spent the whole week to get to diff reps)
Slow modifications... he said he cud give more discount on the standard EPP .. so i agreed..
It turned out to be cheaper than what I was building earlier and got better config. Almost whole upgraded m11x for min price they kept for the basic edition.

 

Hey Guys
is it possible to get DPA if you are based in the Ireland UK region?
thanks

 

@redhidus: That is a very good deal.

How many different reps you needed to talk before you met the right one?

 

Just got quoted for EPP +$50 off.
It basically has the SU7300, 500 GB HDD, 4 GB RAM and antivirus. Exactly like redhidius' setup, but I'm paying $231 more

Either that or 2% off a non EPP system.

:/
Think I should haggle some more?

 

I spoke with more than 10 reps(or even more :| )... maybe its some kind of config mistake or i got lucky I was actually asking for free upgrade to 320Gb hd from 120Gb... he said he ll try. Then he sent me the quote. I was in Gym so i told him to call again on the next day (sotht i can see the quote) it. To my shock.. he gave me 500Gb :O
I didnt talk abt harddisk again
-i started with another quote i got for $869 120Gb n without AV..

 

whats the number you guys call to talk about nbd?

 

Thing is... dont compare with other deals over here.
My priority was:
EPP config - HDD to 120 -Antivirus +10% EPP discount + 50$ +3% DPA..
That's achievable.

Tell them that a friend of urs recently bought m11x from epp with tht config just by talkin to rep. So dont tell its not possible.
If he insists on proff (most reps ll know..and wont ask) .. pm me.
If they are frustrating u.. ur last thing before hangin up is "connect me to ur manager" and talk with him... mostly they wont connect to manager but they ll get down.

===========
Note: I bought my previous laptop and other accessories like 1TB HD on the same Dell account.. which i think helped a bit.

 

I got the same quote and deal. I asked for more and the Sales rep said she cannot give me double discounts

 

Hey guys, am i supposed to call my sales rep for the nbd or what?

 

Yes... call ur rep
(check the main topic.. how to approach )

 

if we got a coupon after we ordered, can we still use it?

 

no youd have to cancel and reorder but if you keep the same rep im sure it wont be a problem

 

I just got a $75 off coupon and I ordered 2 days ago!

 

Call them back! ask the rep to honor it! If anything keep your varification in your email and send it to another rep, have them honor the quote, and cancel your current order and reorder.

 

sorry to ask again, But are DPA accounts only available in the US? or can you get on if you are european based? thanks

 

How do i get Dell to send coupons to my email...do I have to signup somewhere?

 

Ronin, I'm not sure on the answer to your question, but if you call the local dell customer service, and post back with an answer, I will gladly update the Original post with the information for others. Sorry I can't be of further help.

Aftermath91 you can sign up for coupons at:
Employee Purchase Program (EPP) E-Mail Subscription Center

Dell Home and Home Office Subscription Center.

EDIT: Original post updated with the above links. thanks Aftermath91 for the excellent question promting me to do the research. +1

 

thanx for the links. So can anyone use the EPP coupons or are there some special requirements?

 

EPP is reserved for students, and people who work for companies that have an EPP contract with Dell. They also include family members of people who work for companies in the EPP program. I think as far as the coupons are concerned, anyone can use them. If your unsure, just give the code to the sales rep and don't bother discussing the EPP thing, unless your calling the EPP line. They should honor it either way.

 

Alright I give up on getting a lower price.
My config:

224-9556 1 Alienware M11x, Lunar Shadow
No Internal WWAN Antenna Installed
313-9589 1 Intel Core2 Duo SU7300 1.3GHz (3MB Cache, 800MHz FSB)
317-8954 1 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1066MHz
421-1591 1 Alienhead 3D
320-9887 1 11.6-inch WideHD 1366x768 (720p) WLED
320-9857 1 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 335M
342-8744 1 500GB SATAII 7,200RPM
313-8795 1 AlienFX Color, Nova Yellow
421-8558 1 Alienware Command Center Software for Alienware M11x
421-1400 1 Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English
420-9691 1 DataSafe Local BackUp 2.0 Basic
420-6436 1 PC-Restore, Dim/Insp
421-0092 1 DELL-DOWNLOAD-FLAG
421-1573 1 Alienhead 3D
313-9856 1 Integrated 10/100 Network Interface Card
410-1883 1 ADOBE READER 9.0 MULTI- LANGUAGE
313-9958 1 Integrated High-Definition Surround Sound Audio (5.1)
430-3796 1 M11x Wireless INFO MOD
330-6348 1 Automatic Updates: On
330-8995 1 1.3 Megapixel Webcam
410-0204 1 McAfee VirusScan Plus - 15-Month Subscription
950-3337 1 1 Year Limited Warranty
908-3647 1 Dell Hardware Warranty Plus On-Site Service, Initial Year
922-7060 1 Third Party At Home Service, 24x7 Technical Support, Initial Year
950-9797 1 No Warranty, Year 2 and 3
421-1721 1 Soft Contracts,Banktec Care,Alienware
994-3730 1 Warranty Support,Initial Year
430-8555 1 Optional Bluetooth Module, 2.1+ Enhanced Data Rate
430-3773 1 No Internal WWAN Antenna Installed
421-1360 1 Steam and Portal Factory Installed
330-9855 1 Standard Nameplate
463-0742 1 Special Pricing Applied
600-0039 1 State Environmental Fee for display less than 15 inches

Game over with a grand score of: $991.95 (subtotal)
Hey at least I got free expedited shipping, and I'm not paying MSRP.


Come to think about it I should have asked for some free stuff!

 

@tears I am sailing in the same boat with you for the discount part and NBD shipping.

 

I just orderd today, and it says "In Production". Here's hoping that I get it within the next 2 weeks.

EDIT: Wrong thread....

 

does anyone else have problems with talking to their original rep? mines is never there, or its always answer machine.

 

IM TRIPPING OUT GUYS O_O when i call to see my "real" order status the machine says order processing, but the dell site says "in production" WHO DO I BELIEVE!?!

 

@Pmode: I had a hard time getting to my original rep too. I simply called the EPP sales number and used option "3". This connected me to a new rep where I explained the situation to the new rep. I mentioned that I left a voicemail and email for my original rep but she never called. On this the new rep said that she will have her call me back within an hour and so she did. Let me know if it helps. You can give me a +rep if it does
Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

 

Okay Since I got a good deal.. i dont want(maybe i cant) to apply the new coupons tht I received 2 days back.
So I am sharing it. I guess it work for multiple accounts..
1. TH7B0N5MN8T4TX -> 50$ off abv 800$ and below 1000$
2. WV04TPT0RS$CB8 -> 75$ off abv 1000$
Maybe try stacking em if u can
And i think it works only for epp guys..

 

B$3P43H746K$SR
TH7B0N5MN8T4TX
50$ off abv 800$ and below 1000$
M3FMJZ4?G4V?WQ
WV04TPT0RS$CB8
75$ off abv 1000$

 

Thanks redhidus number 2 works for epp too. hopefully i can get my order out tomorrow m11x with su7300 4gb ram and 500gb hdd with tax and overnight shipping for 1073.00

 

EPP = free shipping, and the $75 off coupon should knock it down well below that price. Whine and moan for a bit and you should be able to get it for under $1K, and you might get a free shirt for your effort if you ask.

After a week call back for the status, and you should get Next-day shipping/ Expedited for no charge. That's a $70 service for free.

 

Well its 994.00 with the coupon, then it goes up to 1073 with tax and $16 with over night shipping. I will call tomorrow and see if i can get it down and maybe get some accessories with it

 

Hmm.. my deal was agreed if i ll pay for the shipping. As the actual price was split into shipping.(I donno why he said this.. but i agreed anyway as its still an awesome deal)
Today I called to customer care guy and said i ll cancel the order if u charge me with shipping..they agreed to waive it so free next day shipping!!... extra 40$ off (shipping was charged for both dvd burner and laptop separately:24$ +16$) this new sig price is without shipping

 

Wow did you have other coupons? How did you pull less than 900 with dvd burner and bluetooth??

 

nope I just had a 50$ coupon
Rest was all on phone.. plus i got lucky that day.. since they split my final amount into shipping .. now i got additional 40$.. thanks to the dumb help desk guys.
I spent lot of time on this so far

 

Got any tips for what I should say to get the price down?

 

Already gave my experiences in this thread.
But the main thread info shud be enough.
My best shot was saying I know a friend who already bought this laptop for So n so dollars. He could remove the antivirus n downgrade HDD to 120Gb and still could apply 10% + 50$..
so by then u shud get this even to urs easily by ur rep. then say ur friend used 100$ off coupon.. but u just missed by 1 week. If he's good he ll lower yours even more...
Plus u can say later after u get some good deal.. I ll purchase this rite now if u can cut some 30$ off now.. or like free upgrade my hdd... pr something like that in the end after u get a good deal.
Dont worry abt free shipping till the end. u can do tht after u confirming ur order. If u worry abt tht in the start those guys ll tht.. "sir we already gave you free shipping.. blah blah..." So leave free next day shipping for later.
-Dont hang up untill u get the quote in ur mail.. if its good deal and need time to think.
-Dont ask for quote untill u feel its a good deal..as tht ll be recorded in ur account and the next rep ll have track of ur current status.
Thats the reason u ll get reps saying similar price to the old quote. Dont be foolish to ask for quote which is similar to the site price.
-If u already did that.. better start with new account and new phone number.. Yes they can get entire history just by ur phone number in ur account. (not dependent on the phone u spoke.. all ur quote orders get be retrived by ur phone num)
-Didnt ask for quote and didnt like the rep u found?? hang up and try again..
-Worried abt minutes?? call from skype...
This are the lessons i learnt in the whole procedure.

 

Thanks Redhidus, looks like some good advice. I was curious about the AV and hard drive. Good to know you can downgrade and still get the discount.

 

Yeah.. tht part was pretty easy for me.. but there are some guys here who says its almost impossible for em to downgrade EPP prebuilt config.
I donno why..
I guess its coz they had the previous crappy quotes saved in their account history and the dell reps are played on em based on that.
Its all guess work.
As the main author said its simple "mind games"
The harder part is to get them down after tht 10% + 50$ off..
Another tip:
Sometimes its better u dont mention 50$ coupon in the start.
Just make em apply 10% off to ur downgraded config ..and just haggle as much as u can... they ll get down to something..
then u say.. "ummmm I think I have a 50$ off coupon.. blah blah"
They shud be able to apply that. So u get ur extra haggling before..
BTW its 75$ coupon now.. I posted em in the previous thread.
U can try to make em stack 50$ coupon on it.. (which is hard)

 

called a few reps already, they all said that if its "in production" then they can't change the shipping or else it'd restart the process? sounds like some bull = /

 

No need to call ur rep...
1-800-247-2076 call to this num.. they ll redirect u epp section and tell them u are not happy with the additional shipping price and they ll waive it.

 

oh, thanks

 

redhidus, thanks for sharing your wisdom and helping others. +1

Great advice too!

 

Gah, just talked to an Alienware Sales Rep. and he said he couldn't give me EPP pricing on my custom-built $849 M11x. I don't want to pay extra to get the $1069 pre-configured EPP version. Should I try calling another sales person, or will I not be able to get my 10% student discount on my own configuration? Help appreciated, my coupons run out tonight at midnight.

 

@DR650SE thnq
yeah.. keep trying.
did u tell him tht ur friend ordered the same config n got 10% discount by talkin with epp rep?? n follow the steps in the main thread.. add some config n tell em to pull it from ur account.
or u may wanna try to config from epp site.. its shud be over 1000$ and then haggle to remove the config u wont need...
==
tht "my friend bought a m11x" trick always worked for me..

 

No luck for me.

Wouldn't do the EPP 10% on a custom.
Had the standard EPP config on my cart but after he removed the AV and large HDD, it went to normal pricing and he discount the 10%.

Told him I'd order then and there if he could, said my friend at work also got it (we do qualify for EPP), but no go.
Best he did for me was an extra $50 off. Hmmm...

 

If u guys want i can give u a rep's contact.. but not sure if he ll give u the same deal. but maybe its worth a try.
PM me if u want his details..
Thts not the rep from whom i bought mine as my rep dont want to give his details. But this guy also offered me some good deal.
(u may need like 10 posts or more to receive pm so check that out..)