Different prices for different colours? Why?

Hi, this is my first post so if I'm doing anything wrong, sorry (and let me know).

This is a pricing issue so I'll convert the Malaysian prices to USD.

I was customizing a Studio 15 on the Dell Malaysia website when I noticed something I thought as strange and a little unfair. Under "colour options", the Mike Ming/Derek Welch designs cost $70, and the Product RED ones were $90. This is fine by me and most people - you're paying for the art.

For solid colour options, Jet Black was free. All the other colours (Plum Purple, Spring Green, etc.) were $20, except Flamingo Pink which was $60 - that's nearly the same as the art ones! What gives? I read on the forums that pink is one of the cheaper colours in India. Does Dell sell the solid colours at different prices in all their online stores?

 

All non-standard color options (basically everything but Black) costs extra, no matter where. It's like that in the US, Canada, and anywhere else.

 

Part of the answer is below

And the reasoning for this is money, most people are willing to pay for pink>black etc

 

I get that people would pay more for a colour that isn't black (I'd pay more for the purple, which I love). But to make pink cost three times as much as the other solids is a little too much for most Malaysians, I should think. Might as well get a light shade like green and paint it or skin it. We're total cheapskates.

Some of the proceeds from sales of Promise Pink in the US go to a breast cancer charity, but that isn't the case here. Which is a shame because I'd totally buy it if the profits went to charity.

 

Also id mention project red, goes to the aids thing as well so of course supporting that isnt free.

The reason the cheap ones arent free like the default color black is more todo with the cost of carrying extra colors that dont make it into retail models and they can get stuck with or are only doing short runs of at a time which costs more if done out of house.

 

part of it is to do with economies of scale. whatever sells more will be cheaper to procure for them.

 

They still make a HUGE profit on it though... maybe 10% goes to Aids. I remember the Ipod (Red)... only $20 went to Aids.... on a $380 ipod.... It was stupid.

Anyways... Colours are just a big way for Dell to make more money.

 

Still doesnt negate doing it for free would cost them money, and doing it for 5 bucks just wouldnt be worth it to them. Either you want everything in black or you want to pay for choices. There is no such thing as middle ground were talking real world business practices.

 

Absolutely, it's a pretty brilliant idea from the viewpoint of a business. When they first began offering the Inspiron models in color choices, I read that the cost was less than $2 for any color change. So even if they only were charging $20 for the option, that's $18 profit- 1000% profit margin!

No doubt the cost is much lower than that now. And they get $40 a pop on most models...I like the black just fine! I especially like the Black Chainlink on the Inspiron 1555- it gives the entire thing a totally unique look!

 

^Agreed. I'm in love with my new Studio 1555's Black Chainlink pattern.