Slashdot Mirror
Same Part, Same Supplier, Different Prices
linuxwrangler writes "Infoworld's "Notes From The Field column this week includes a comment from a reader who found that Dell listed several different prices for the same part. Intrigued, I grabbed the first part number I found (a 512MB memory module #A0193405) and found that the list price is $289.99 which the price offered to "large businesses". Meanwhile, the GSA/DOD contract price is $266.21 while "home users" find the list-price discounted to $275.49 and "small businesses" fare even better with a $246.49 price. InfoWorld contacted Dell who responded, "Each segment sets its own pricing, and consumers are free to pick the one that's cheapest." Buyer beware."
Different pricing strategy is not wrong, but allowing anyone to buy from any section is not so smart. And I can't believe they are actually expecting customers to help themselves, instead of building a site that is smart enough to provide useful information.
I wonder why isn't Dell doing something to control the purchase upon "Add To Cart"? Something like:
"This item is only available to our spend-like-no-tomorrow customers, please enter SLNT code now to add to cart, or select an alternative item from the following..."
Maybe it's a miscommunication between marketing and IT department?
Rock that crushes, Paper & Scissors that don't matter.
It's called Channel Marketing/Pricing and it's been around for years.
If it takes me an hour of research to save $10 I have lost much more than I've gained.
How does the Slashdot Effect happen given that no slashdotters ever RTFA?
Well sorry about the loss of your job...but if your boss disagrees with you and decides to go the other route ---telling him that you will not support his choice is a surefire way to get yourself fired.
Your former boss may have made a bad call - but as his employee you gotta deal with it and when shit hits the fan, he will get in trouble for making the bad call....but by not being a "team player" you open yourself to a world of hurtin (i.e. losing your job)...unless that is what you wanted.
I mod down so you can mod up. Your welcome.
Same can of pop from aisle inside the supermarket = 20 cents.
Unless I'm looking in the wrong place the article actually talks about 256MB modules not 512, but anyways:
"Depending on the link he followed, the 256MB SIMM cost either $88 (Small Business), $99 (Home & Home Office), or $110 (Medium & Large Business)."
Why in the world anyone would ever buy memory from dell continues to confuse me. A 256MB dimm from crucial for a dimension 4600 runs 42.99. A 512 one runs 76.99.
Why pay more than double from dell???
It really does depend on the situation as a whole. If my boss told me to procure new units based on whatever criteria set by whomever, and that I was responsible for said purchase, and then the boss OVERRIDES my decision without prior discussion with me (but is more than glad to discuss it with the vendor...), then I'd say you've got more serious problems at hand. You're being set-up for failure, you can't make the right decisions because someone else is going to change your decision, but ultimately they'll make the blame stick on you if the shit hits the fan. You can't be a "team player" if the coach doesn't put you in the game unless he needs someone to blame...
If you were me, you'd be good lookin'. - six string samurai
"Complete and utter bullshit."
What a way to inspire thoughtful and enlightened discussion...
"...I ran a small office's network (3-13 employees)..."
"...Now, while I can understand a large company's situation is definately a bit different..."
Normally I wouldn't have even responded to this, but your points are ironic, because they actually help make my case. First, a business of 3-13 employees doesn't need standardization like a large organization does - it needs dependable, easy to use, somewhat powerful PCs for competitive prices. "Business optimized" PCs don't make much sense to really small organizations.
When you get into the larger support realm however, power and individual PC price don't weigh as much in the overall support equation, but STANDARDS do. When you are deploying a new piece of software/OS/etc to 1000+ workstations, it is of TREMENDOUS benefit to the support staff to not have to worry about every one of those thousand plus workstations having different hardware configurations. So, like I said before, "business optimized" PCs are by definition:
- not supposed to be top of the line
- not necessarily the cheapest option
- usually leased and not bought (so they are replaced every so often)
- static in terms of their component configuration
and
- more easily supportable because of their static nature.
I was in the park the other day wondering why frisbees get bigger and bigger the closer they get - and then it hit me.