Dell, confusing noobs like me with their huge amount of possible configurations and seemingly erratic pricing

I've never shopped with Dell before and I hear lots of good things being said about their Inspiron 1520, 6400 and the Vostro 1500 and so I go to their website and find that they have multiple configurations of these models with each set-up having different offers and specs etc. and then each of these set-ups can then be customized.

You can get each of the Inspiron 1520's that I looked at to the exact same spec however the thing that really confuses me is how when you do this they all end up at different prices... for the exact same laptop!

I have made this thread (if anyone has anything more to add there that would be greatly appreciated ) about what laptop I should buy, and I'm currently on the Dell laptop deciding which one to go for and have just spent the last hour or so configuring the laptops I'm interested in to try and get the best deal... for the exact same laptop from the same store.

It's a good thing I have fiddled around a bit on their site, otherwise I would've just gone for a pre-made laptop that suits my needs without thinking I can customize a cheaper one upto/beyond that spec and actually save a considerable amount of money. Very odd.

Has anyone else found this or is it just me? I'm using the Dell UK website.

 

Yeah, I can't totally disagree with you.

Maybe not so much about the different configuration options, but it does seem like the prices of those configuration options fluctuate an awful lot (one day a particular option is free, the next it costs an extra $80, etc.).

 

They have raised prices on some things like the color choice..but apparantly have dropped it on others..because I just went and configured my exact same specs from when i ordered 3 weeks ago and it still came out to the same price.

 

It's funny how different perspectives change everything. For me, the different-prices-for-different-configuration-methods (and coupon usage) is kind of an exciting thing, sort of like a scavenger hunt for the best deal. I mean, if everything led to the exact same price each day, then there'd be no incentive to look for a better deal right? The neat thing is that time spent and patience in looking for a deal with Dell is quite often rewarded from what I've seen. Wow, do I sound like a twisted ?@$! with too much time on my hands or what, lol.

 

Yeah, I think that is a cool part of it, and I imagine that's why Dell does it - you get a feeling like you've found an especially good deal with some combination of coupons and instant savings on particular components.

And perhaps that's part of the point of raising the prices on some components later; so as a consumer, you think that you might not be able to get this particular deal again easily, and you're inclined to make a purchase before you lose out.

-Zadillo

 

I'm not quite so optimistic about Dell's intentions, there. I'd say the main reason they do it is to squeeze every last penny out of the poor fools who simply buy a preconfigured one from them, or configure their own on the home site without using coupons or anything.

 

Yeah I sort of agree with that, but then it makes me worried too when on the same site the same laptop can differ in price by £150 or something... it makes me less willing to take the plunge incase I'm missing something and could find a much better deal.

But I always check for coupons and discounts, I find this website to be rather good for that kind of thing.

I have decided that I'm going to go for the Inspiron 1520 over the 6400 and the various Vostros models I was looking at, so that has helped me save time looking for deals/best configs.

Also Dell prey on my lack of self-control, I have a budget of around £700 but then I go and upgrade without even thinking about it with the "it's only an extra £20, I've spent this much so that's not going to make much difference" shopping philosophy I tend to have. I often end up adding a couple of hundred quid to the price, then have a heart attack when I look at my shopping basket.

 

I've purchased several Dell's over the years and I find it difficult to pick which one is best for me. I'm being presumptuous and Dell knows it's business, BUT I believe it would be far better for Dell to offer up the best laptop it can make in a 13.3, 15.4 and 17 inch model. Offer all the different processor choices et al as they do now, but do away with the inspiron, vostro and precision lines. It would be less confusing for the customers and it would mean fewer productions lines and far fewer parts for Dell. Then they could concentrate on delivering the product, which they are failing at now.

 

I agree with that, the hardest thing for me was choosing between the Vostro and Inspiron range as the specs and prices are rather similar on some models, there is no real need for it really... I guess it's to give the illusion of more choice when really they're just more configurations of existing laptops.

I also don't like how they've thrown in the Inspiron 1521 with all the various 1520's, it just overwhelms me with choice even though they all look pretty much the same, bar some difference in price.

 

A very good point HFB. It's the poor sods who buy straight from Dell without using coupons that really get taken.

I've noticed, time and again, that I can create a pretty useful system (from Dell) for around $1k (here in the U.S) before tax, using coupons, but as soon as I include warranty upgrades & protection, my "savings" essentially go out the window.

It's almost as if the profit margin on these soft services cross-subsidize the various hardware options.

And yet, with a notebook, I'm not prepared to buy without, at minimum, a warranty upgrade.

 

I don't really think it would help them deliver products.
I agree that dell's style of online purchasing is fun on occasion, but when you get down to order I just stop looking completely because i would spend another week trying to save $10 after upgrading everything for just an extra $15, ten times.

 

Just out of interest, do the coupons on this site (where the price is all in $'s) work on the UK Dell site? Because I've not been able to find any coupons in £'s anywhere and I'm just wondering if all these deals are US-exclusive.

There is a box to enter the coupon number though, when ordering.

 

Agreed completely. I've owned several Dells, and it looks like I'm about to own another, but I have to hold my nose a little when I buy from them. More importantly, I would *NEVER* allow a friend or family member to buy from Dell without checking their order myself first top make sure they weren't getting screwed.

Yes, an informed buyer can get a better deal from Dell than from anywhere else, but Dell isn't putting all those options out there for any purpose other than to squeeze every last penny (as Odin put it) out of the uninformed. Their "smart bargains" and "free upgrades" are designed solely to confuse buyers into spending more for items they don't want (esp. extended warranties) in order to "save" money.

I think the worst thing about Dell is their Dell Preferred Account program. They are ruthlessly predatory in trying to get people to buy using their 20-30% APR cards, and they push them on younger buyers who don't know what they're getting into.

Again, I'm a repeat Dell customer. Dell offers good enough bargains, if you know how to find them and buy using your own credit card, to make it worth giving them my business- but that doesn't mean they're not a fairly scummy company.

 

I think that Dell Coupons are for the USA only.

In the UK, they use "E-Value Codes", which are the pre-defined special offers that appear on the website.

Also, are you sure you want an Inspiron 1520 instead of a Vostro?

The best value Vostro is the 3rd one on this page (E-Value Code: UKBSDONL-N0815003):

http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/4x_vostro_1500?c=uk&cs=ukbsdt1&l=en&s=bsd

I configured this to my requirements, and it came to £825.17 (including VAT & delivery).

(Part of the big saving comes as there is £50+VAT off and free delivery, until 15 Aug).

I configured the Inspiron 1520 to the exact same specification (including black colour), and it came to £1084.68 - i.e. £259.51 extra for the Inspiron 1520!

EXCEPT - that the Vostro 1500 also included a Large Nylon Carry Bag and a Kensington Pilot Mouse Mini (Retractable) - neither of these included in my Inspiron 1520 config - AND came with Vista ULTIMATE edition (instead of the Inspiron's Vista Premium) - so in reality, the Vostro 1500 was £360 - £370 (US $730 - $760) CHEAPER than the *EXACT SAME INSPIRON 1520* config!!! Madness... (but I'm happy I saved so much money).

 

The most important thing with dell is the bottom line. When I purchased my laptop, the coupons were $300. Now they are $325. Better price now? NOPE! The exact laptop confiured the exact same way is now $1307 when I got it for $1152 with a $300 coupon. BE AWARE that this is part of dell's ploy. They know that people will pounce on the next coupon if it is higher than the previous, even though same computer will be MORE with the bigger coupon!

Also, how you configure makes a difference. I configured from the cheapest option, and saved about $155... Maybe the problem here is that dell figured that one out... DAMN YOU DELL!!! Hahahaha...

My advice to you is this- decide on the computer/configuration you want. Then go through the dell page and configure the SAME model/warranty/specs/etc. through as many different routes as possible. You may find that one way is cheaper than another. Also, add the coupons in the cart- they don't just subtract the full amount. Write down the prices, or print the carts out... This way you can compare apples to apples and hopefully get the best price! Of course, you should note how you 'got to' the price so you know how to 'get back' to it.

 

To me it seems it is only the US site that is that complicated ( have played around there sometimes). The EU sites are much less so, and no, no coupons here in Sweden, ever. Only the predefined value codes.
I think I remember the EU consumer laws blocking DELL from doing the same page as in the US. It is just too hard to see what your final price will be, or something.
I do find the Swedish page very easy.

 

I agree completely with the people who say dell is not acting in good faith. I feel that I found a good deal on my 1420, but it took a great deal of time to come to it. For a week I spent a half hour or more pricing on their site and still more here reading. Each day I was able to get the price lower.

Truthfully, they are preying on the uninformed and also leading educated buyers to an issue board gamers call analysis/paralysis, where you get bogged down by all the possible options. If I looked at the site and found I could get my configuration for less that would leave a bad taste in my mouth, and many people have run into this problem.

 

I hate the fact that other people payed $200 less than me for the same thing.

I love the fact that other people payed $500 more than me for the same thing.

Eh, it really is a crapshoot how good of a deal you're getting compared to other combinations and possibilities and coupons and crap, but as long as you save a few hundred over that other brand you should be good.

 

On the Australian Dell Wedsite for the M1330 for example, you have 3 different configuration systems all with a different base price from a cheaper base system to a more "fully spec" expensive system.

Now configuring the the "same" system for all 3 options, and I repeat the same configuration for all systems, and you beef up all systems to the 'MAX', the prices end up as such;

Option 1 = $3980
Option 2 = $3750
Option 3 = $3495

 

Somebody needs to write a sticky that explains how to effectively navigate the Dell phone tree; if such a thing is possible. In addition to configs and pricing that change hourly they have a serious problem w/ the demarcation of their product lines.

I'm a Dell noob. I've purchased from IBM and Compaq before. My very first call to Dell today was a wretched experience. I just wanted to have somebody explain one of the options I was seeing on the order config screen for a Vostro. I end up with an operator who tells me that they only sell Vostros to businesses and that I am going to need to provide my Federal Tax ID # to get somebody to explain the options I'm interested in. I asked why there were thousands of college students buying Vostros every day to which she said something to the effect that they were all buying them through their schools that were registered with Dell or some such nonsense. My sassy operator was compelled to tell me that "I think I know how to do my job!" before throwing me into another holding queue.

I've worked in this industry long enough to expect clueless phone reps and confusing menu options and endless hold times but honestly I was a bit shocked at how bad the initial experience was. I'd actually be a bit pissed off except that it was so bad that it was funny and I'm still sort of chuckling about the whole thing.