How do they do it?

Ok, I am shopping for a dell notebook. I go to Dell's site and configure. I apply coupon, the biggest one available. Everything works. Then I go to ebay and find same laptop for like $500 less. Tons of them in fact. Do these guys on ebay have some kind of trick the way they get their configurations ordered from Dell? Because I tried and failed to even match their prices by going to Dell's site. And they have to put a markup on that too so where the heck are they getting those prices?

I know those are not industrial resellers cuz they have their laptops stacked in a corner in their kitchens on the pictures.

 

I have no idea...
They could be refurbished units though that they buy in mass on the cheap.
You can have access to certified refurbs, new orders that were cancelled, or cosmetically blemished equipment by going to Dell Outlet.
Good Luck!

 

not referbs, they are brand new units. here is an example:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6845317714

or do search on e1705

maxxed out E1705 for $2699+shipping

go to dell and try to configure same config for that money.

If I can't find where they get those prices I'll just buy off ebay.

 

From what I understand, a lot of these ebay folks will take cheap aftermarket parts (memory, hard drive, etc) and place them in the dells, and then sell the dell memory etc seperately for a profit. They then reseal and repackage them in the dell box and sell them as "new"... They can probably technically get away with calling them new as they have not really been "used", but they were taken apart and salvaged for their higher quality parts. I've tried asking a couple big sellers who have really low prices on ebay if they replace any of the stock dell components with aftermarket parts, and I never got a response from them. If they specifically say no, and you make sure its done thru official ebay communication, they are then obligated to sell you the original dell parts, and if you go and open up the laptop you can ensure they did. But it doesn't seem worth the hassle to me. There are some sellers who clearly state in their product description that they don't do this, but you will notice their prices are a little higher too. Still, their prices are a little better than what dell direct offers.

 

I always assumed they bought loads of laptops when $750 coupons hit.

 

yup, I entirely agree - it is a bit of a mystery.

For instance I've seen a place compudirect.com which looks pretty good and legit - you can pick brand made notebooks for a fair amount less. The prices on the Dell website can fluctuate a lot and are always a bit higher than can otherwise be found but at least you know its coming from a valid source I suppose. Anyone else have thoughts?