Laptops - How to configure at Dell mimimum "from" price?

[JJ]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

On Dell's web site, they show each model of laptop with a "from" $X
price. How do you actually go about configuring a machine to price
out at that amount?

I realize those displayed prices include the mail-in-rebate. Even
then I can't come close to stripping a machine down and getting it
anywhere near the minimum price shown.

What am I missing?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

By selecting the preconfigured unit that starts at that price.
For instance I have a newer catalog in front of me. It shows a I 1150
starting at 799.00 this is for that base machine with a 2.4 celeron, XP
home, 14.1 XGA display, 256 meg shared ram, 20 gig HD, 8X DVD,
Integrated graphics, no wireless, 8 cell batt, internal modem,
Productivity pack and 1 year warranty. (Value code 6F879-D80407)
If you enter that value code on Dell.com it should show that system.
ANYTHING you add to it will raise the price, unless you subtract
something else. For instance they show a 2.6 Celeron for 25.00 more, or
a mobile P4@ 2.66 for 150.00 more, wireless options are 39.00 or 59.00
and memory goes from 75.00 to 1550.00 more and then you can add Hard
drives, other media drives, different screens, different graphics. BUT
the 799.00 ONLY applies to that base model. For all of them you need to
add shipping (unless it is a free shipping offer) and tax.

--
Steve Williams
Near Cooperstown NY


"JJ" <NOSPAM@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:cdd3705moprho6mnliuqesvv4j2rpa0irq@4ax.com...
> On Dell's web site, they show each model of laptop with a "from" $X
> price. How do you actually go about configuring a machine to price
> out at that amount?
>
> I realize those displayed prices include the mail-in-rebate. Even
> then I can't come close to stripping a machine down and getting it
> anywhere near the minimum price shown.
>
> What am I missing?
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

That also applies to the desktop models. You click on "continue" and
the price goes up by $300 to $500.

If you find out, please post it back here.

Thanks

Tom S.

JJ wrote:
> On Dell's web site, they show each model of laptop with a "from" $X
> price. How do you actually go about configuring a machine to price
> out at that amount?
>
> I realize those displayed prices include the mail-in-rebate. Even
> then I can't come close to stripping a machine down and getting it
> anywhere near the minimum price shown.
>
> What am I missing?
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

yeah, you'd think it would be easy huh? you gotta bump around the web site
for a while until you discover the magic link sequence. i finally
discovered it but i'm not going to tell you because you need to work and
explore and grind your teeth until you finally find it. if they really
wanted you to buy the cheap configs they would have made finding them
easier. beginning to get the picture? it'll be good experience and help
prepare you to navigate dells equally bad phone system, tech support and
customer disservice.

"JJ" <NOSPAM@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:cdd3705moprho6mnliuqesvv4j2rpa0irq@4ax.com...
> On Dell's web site, they show each model of laptop with a "from" $X
> price. How do you actually go about configuring a machine to price
> out at that amount?
>
> I realize those displayed prices include the mail-in-rebate. Even
> then I can't come close to stripping a machine down and getting it
> anywhere near the minimum price shown.
>
> What am I missing?
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

"BobbyJoe" <BJ@qwerty.com> wrote in message
news:duydnTF-F5MFYOzd4p2dnA@comcast.com...
> yeah, you'd think it would be easy huh? you gotta bump around the web
site
> for a while until you discover the magic link sequence. i finally
> discovered it but i'm not going to tell you because you need to work and
> explore and grind your teeth until you finally find it. if they really
> wanted you to buy the cheap configs they would have made finding them
> easier. beginning to get the picture? it'll be good experience and help
> prepare you to navigate dells equally bad phone system, tech support and
> customer disservice.
>

<snip>

Do you EVER get tired of being wrong? Did your mother have any children that
lived?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

if you are navigating the menus and pull up the listing of all models and
then select the green 'choose modelname' button then you are presented with
two more green buttons, 'customize it' and 'recommended solutions'. if you
choose customize it you get the 'starting at' priced system. if you choose
'recommended system' you get something else... but you can usually configure
even the 'recommended' system back down to the price of the 'starting at'
price if you review each item and select the lowest priced option... and
keep in mind that there is more than one screen full of options to review
and that sometimes when you select a 'recommended' system it eliminate some
of the options that you could select if you had started out with the
'customize it' button.

"JJ" <NOSPAM@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:cdd3705moprho6mnliuqesvv4j2rpa0irq@4ax.com...
> On Dell's web site, they show each model of laptop with a "from" $X
> price. How do you actually go about configuring a machine to price
> out at that amount?
>
> I realize those displayed prices include the mail-in-rebate. Even
> then I can't come close to stripping a machine down and getting it
> anywhere near the minimum price shown.
>
> What am I missing?
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

> What am I missing?

Possibly the warranty option - in the UK at least, a 1 yr collect and
return service knocks £99 off the price (~$170)

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[JJ]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

On Mon, 5 Apr 2004 23:39:38 +0100, Colin Wilson <void@btinternet.com>
wrote:

>> What am I missing?
>
>Possibly the warranty option - in the UK at least, a 1 yr collect and
>return service knocks £99 off the price (~$170)

I think you could be onto something. I recall in the past not being
able to reduce the price until you get to the point of selecting the
warranty option, which doesn't show up in the standard configuration
screens.