Slashdot Mirror
Getting the Best Deal From Dell — Or Not
Nom du Keyboard writes "When The Consumerist published 22 tips for getting the best deal from Dell Computers, according to a self-described former Dell sales manager, Dell fired back with a take-down notice. You might want to look quickly, in the event it does get taken down. The Consumerist's lawyer's initial response was to deny the takedown request."
Full text from http://consumerist.com/consumer/insiders/22-confes sions-of-a-former-dell-sales-manager-268831.php :)
Anon because I'm not a karma whore and because I add nothing to the post. Enjoy
***
A former Dell kiosk manager writes us to share helpful tips about doing business with Dell. He has no particular problems with Dell, he just wanted to share some helpful tips for consumers looking to get the best deal. He includes info on getting the best deal from the website, different kinds of promotions the Dell offers, insider details on how the kiosk sales reps are compensated, what coupons and deals they have to offer you to close the deal, the email format for Dell in case you're thinking of launching an EECB, where to take your Dell credit card complaints, which extended warranties to avoid, how to get a domestic tech support rep... and more. It's very comprehensive. Enjoy!
I am a former Spherion rep that later became a Dell Branded Rep (manager) of a Dell kiosk in the Philadelphia, PA region. To work at one is to work at all, and I worked at four different kiosks in the region. I worked from July 2005 until October 2006, but keep regular contact with some of the guys I trained and brought up. Other than the usual complaints, I have no problem with the company.
Things most people know already:
1. Small business is better than home and home office - Small business typically runs a few dollars more than the home office, but you stand a better chance of getting domestic tech support rather than non-native English speakers. As an added perk, small business promotions are occasionally better than home.
2. Play with the web site - There are many different pricing packages for the same product throughout the various sections, typically three or more per segment. If you're buying a Dell soon, configure a unit from a link off the main page, from the product listing on the drop down and from the "As Advertised-Newspaper" drop down. Configure the same system each way at the home, small business and the Direct (kiosk) site (http://www.dell.com/directstore). It is very likely you will end up with nine different prices.
3. Extended warranty for laptops - Do it for as long as you feasibly see using your laptop, and include accidental. Two years is typically the lifecycle from "new product" to "no longer produced/no more refurbs" though YMMV. Once your model is off the refurb site, drop it. Voila! New laptop. The standard warranty will not cover any screen defects.
UPDATE: Current Dell rep says: If a system is no longer shipping a used/refurbished is always sent, though the refurb should be equal or better as far as hardware is concerned. As of this writing if a system is exchanged, via either Complete Care warranty or concession, and the system is still a currently shipping model a new system is to be sent.
4. Extended warranty for desktops - There is nothing in a low end desktop (non XPS) that is worth the price of the warranty should you have to replace it. Only pick it up if you have absolutely no clue what you're doing once the case is open.
5. Tech support phone - If you do go with the home/home office/direct route, tech support is outsourced (duh!). The tech support instant messenger typically provides a calmer, more understandable conversation due to the fact that accents are taken out of the equation. Think back to high school Spanish. It was always easier to translate the foreign language you were reading than if you heard it. Same concept applies here.
6. Tech support web site - If you're having a common problem, hit the product forums (however crippled they may be now). It is very likely your question/problem has been resolved before, and usually a domestic tech rep posted a solution there.
7. Warranty Repairs - On all but the two lowest warranties (90 day and 1 year limited), warranty repairs wi
When The Consumerist published 22 tips for getting the best deal from Dell Computers, according to a self-described former Dell sales manager, Dell fired back with a take-down notice.
When are these companies going to learn that trying to suppress information on the internet just makes it multiply?
The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
...approximately.
/ 18397.aspx
http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2007/06/16
good idea because take down notices sure do work well. 09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
Oh the Tragedy!
Somebody lets the cat out of the bag about the crap and value within a company product suite, and they go back to DMCA and takedowns.
We are reaching the middle of the sigmoid on information exchange - until now many have still been in the old model, and moving forward there will be more activity in the new (open free information exchange) model. Old-style enterprises are pissed off by the new model. How DARE they tattle on where they make some extra money at te expense of their cusotmers. This will only increase and radically change the nature of business activity for the better, so long as people really can continue to exchange information and know who each other really are.
Get the 1 year return to base support when you buy the PC.
About 2 weeks after you receive the system, you'll get a phone call and an offer to upgrade to the full 3 year on-site support for around £30 ($60). That worked out at about a third of the price than if I'd bought it.
Will this work? Yes. I knew a guy who did this with Dell's plan... got a nice upgrade for "free." I'm not convinced, however, that insurance fraud is really such a great idea. Nor am I convinced that this guy should be encouraging people to commit crimes.
It's such a hassle to get a good deal from Dell. Between their rebates, coupons, instant discounts, and special offers the entire process is like buying a car!
If dell is trying to figure out why its market share is declining, it is likely because of the difficulty in knowing what you are buying is the best price. I don't think HP makes people go through all this nonsense.
Oh and also the whole small business vs. home office crap. What an annoyance how they both contain the exact same machines with just very slight differences.
Lionel Menchaca at Dell says, "Ok, we goofed. We shouldn't have sent a notice". Find his full blog entry at:/ 18397.aspx
http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2007/06/16
Just in case, coral cache of the article here.
if i24 evaluates to true then
call function an infinite number of times
else
exit immediately
Thanks for that.
Can we have one of these only for Apple?
In the free world the media isn't government run; the government is media run.
Dell already apologized: http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2007/06/16/ 18397.aspx
And this article was posted to Slashdot AFTER that happened, and there is STILL no "Update: Dell actually apologized before we posted this article, 'cause we're dumb."
You're doing them a huge disservice by letting this stand uncorrected, kdawson.
"...with the number of hits growing logarithmically."
:-)
Heck, that doesn't sound so bad.
the 16 different prices for the same thing depending on how you get to the item.
digging around the internet for working dell coupon codes...bah...
I just hate the amount of fucking around necessary to not get hosed trying to buy something from them.
actually I am happy to see you, however that is in fact a banana in my pocket.
Being cagey about their pricing only pisses off the customers and makes dell look like a fly-by-night operation.
-jcr
The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
Dell kiosk manager = guy who works in a mall, and not even in an actual shop.
Interesting. Why would a company shield certain email addresses from others? I work at a fortune 500 pharmacutical company and any employee or contractor can see any email address, all the way to the CEO.
what she thinks it means: "with the number of hits growing logarithmically."
If the website hits are growing logarithmically, then they are growing very very slowly. Oh well, expecting reps to really understand something 'technical' like logarithmic vs exponential growth is too much. And she probably earns way more than me as well, which is just a real shame. Dell should get a refund from her.
I'm goig to buck the slashdoxy and defend Dell. Please read the full post before modding down.
Doesn't #3 bother anyone else? It is explicit instructions on how to commit insurance fraud. If I were Dell management, I'd want it taken down for that reason alone. ( How would you feel if someone posted your bank password on the net, thus enabling any reader to defraud you? )
Obama likes poor people so much, he wants to make more of them.
That advice was given in the article. I'd add to that: check your states lemon laws.
I bought a Dell Inspiron 8200 when they first came out. I bought the extended warranty (3 years) and was very glad I did. Dell laptops are going to break. I had the little clip which holds the battery on break three times, the hard drive fail twice (and then the pins broke on the replacement hard drive, counting as a third breakage), I had it serviced for LCD-related issues three times, and there's some other problem I forgot about. This all happened over 3 years, and Dell was very quick on the gun to get my stuff fixed, usually sending replacement parts in 24 hours. I would have been screwed if I hadn't gotten the extended warranty.
As my warranty period came up, I started to get worried. The laptop was going to break again, and I'd be out in the cold. Turns out, in CA, if you get a computer serviced 3 or more times for the same problem, you can demand your money back. After some arguing with the Dell guys, they sent me an 8500 (refurb). My 3 year warranty expired the next week.
Point is: Paying the extra couple hundred bucks for the warranty saves you from buying a new laptop. After a feeling of joy, I felt a bit guilty about getting 2 laptops for the price of one. Then again, Dell chose to make laptops which fail constantly, not me...
Dell's attorney (Tracy Holland) was told that he would be contacted by the attorney representing Consumerist. This indicates that Consumerist is represented by counsel. In most states, the bar rules prohibit an attorney from directly communicating with represented opposing parties.
Fight Spammers!
Yes, but as a consumer did you choose the Dell unit because of the low price or you liked the actual design/functionality?
:)
Point is we consumers do it to ourselves. We want the cheapest possible product, then wonder why the quality is low. This is with all things nowdays, ESPECIALLY airlines!
Sometimes you do get what you pay for
"1. Small business is better than home and home office "
This is one prime reason why I never order online from dell. I just have this deep feeling that they shouldn't care about why I'm buying this computer... just give me the best deal, which frankly, ain't gonna very that much whether I'm a big company or joe blow. (Yes, I know bulk purchasers et bulk discounts, but still)
So that, plus, call me old fashioned, but if it's a model I don't know, I need to touch and feel the formfactor first hand, especially for laptops.
Micro Center in Cambridge ahoy!
SO YOU'RE GOING TO DIE: The Comic for Dealing with Death
#6 in the kiosks section is my favorite: "Don't be surprised if the salesman asks really base/borderline-insulting questions if you act interested. They think you're a secret shopper."
Nothing like pissing off legit customers so you can score a little higher on a phony performance score. A store I worked at dropped the mystery shopper crap while I worked there, but never explained the reason. I strongly suspect it was because the test isn't grounded in reality, but in the random chance of a single shopper once a month. They replaced it with a survey system, which is probably almost as bad... Surveys only get the best and the worst answer... Why would someone take the time to fill out a 'I got pretty normal service' answer? They don't, even if you offer $$$ prizes randomly.
"If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you." - DM
Is #3 really insurance fraud, or just advice on what insurance not to buy? Maybe telling the world that most laptop lines are only supported for two years is more than Dell would like to admit, but it's not like any informed consumer think that any laptop is going to up to date for more than a few years. This was no great secret.
We are all just people.
I chose Dell because of the design/functionality. I love the 15" Latitude/Precision keyboards. Page Up/Page Down are in the right place, as are Home and End, and it has the nubby eraser mouse (which I like more than the touchpad for most things).
Lenovo has similar keyboards, but doesn't tend to have notebooks with decent video cards.
Listen. It's slashdot. You get half the story 3 days after it happens and you like it. Understand?
As you say, other parts of the same paragraph may indeed offer advice on what insurance to buy or not buy, but quoting from item #3 of the website in question: "Once your model is off the refurb site, drop it. Voila! New laptop."
This looks pretty clear to me. On a certain date, deliberately damage the merchandise, and the insurance that you bought will get you a new one. This part is advice on how to commit fraud. Surrounding it with other advice doesn't change that.
As posted on Arstechnica 6 hours before this was posted on Slashdot, Dell already apologized for overreacting. The apology can be read here: http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2007/06/16/ 18397.aspx
Dell's business sales reps work on quarterly quotas. The closer you get to the end of the quarter, the more they're willing to give you. The trick is, their quarters are shifted by one month. Instead of Jan-Feb-Mar, their quarter is Feb-Mar-Apr. So if you can get quotes in the first week of April, then hold off until the last week, they'll call you and offer all sorts of incentives to close the deal.
Same goes for July, Oct and Jan.
* * *
ALWAYS check the website for deals. Probably 1 in every 5 times I've gotten quotes from our Small Business Sales rep I've found better deals online. Tell them and they'll match or beat it.
* * *
Get your Small Business Sales Rep to set you up a custom page with the equipment you normally order, INCLUDING ADD-ONS. For over a year I was able to purchase 15K RPM SCSI drives off of the custom page for 1/3 the price quoted on the normal site. Ditto for rack rails, RAID kits and extra CPUs.
Learning HOW to think is more important than learning WHAT to think.
Yes it's unethical. I'd never do that on purpose myself, but it's good to know anyway.
I chose Dell 3 times because I am cheap. Which laptop brand would you recommend on quality ?
Woe be on to them, all who rise against poor people, shall perish in a the end. Buju Banton
We order about a dozen or more Dell Latitudes every year, and we don't have problems like you describe. Even our older D800s and D600s are working well, and they're out of warranty. We still have inevitable things like hard drives dying and batteries going flat, but that happens to everyone.
Now, they had bought some Inspirons before I started there, and some of those are getting a bit naff; we've had a few docking stations go bad, for example. But the Lats are business-class and the Inspirons are consumer-grade, so that's not unexpected.
Moral: you get what you pay for. Their business-class stuff is usually a bit behind the times (still not selling C2D 6420 processors, for example) and weaker on graphics, but usually well-built.
I'd still build my own desktop PC, but alas don't have that luxury with a lapdog.
Hail Eris, full of mischief...
E pluribus sanguinem
...the rest might be garnered from experience and understanding of how their business model works.
I didn't realize, however, that there would be a noticable difference in cost depending on which type of shopping you do. I will keep that tip in mind.
As for the warranty stuff? Definitely. And *USE* the warranty. I must say, I feel a little guilty if I were to intentionally break my laptop at the end of the warranty. That's just plain abusive and dishonest. But on the other hand, if I have an actual accident, I like knowing I can get it fixed. That said, I bought my current Dell laptop some time ago and I had forgotten that I had any warranty at all. When I realized that I was good until 2009, I called support and told them my keyboard needs to be replaced. Okay, so not really... I mean it's "worn" but it was functional. (Except when I've been playing UT2004... then sometimes the keyboard doesn't seem so responsive... but maybe that's me.) But I ordered a new one anyway. I do think my processor cooling fan is making a bit more noise than it did when it was new so I will probably make another warranty call some time before the warranty is out as well. And I ask myself once more... would I really "drop it" to get a new laptop? No... I just can't bring myself to even think about it. It's sorta sacriligeous doncha think? Who knows... I might change my mind when the time comes.
Lately, I have found that the last few calls I have made to Dell support has gone through central America and their accents were more than acceptable. I was very pleased with Dell's selection. I mean I'd prefer that Dell hired college kids for their support... fairly bright and fairly inexpensive. But I could barely detect much of an accent from the central Americans that I heard and they also had no difficulty understanding me.
Dell's service and pricing options are good especially when consumers know about it. Frankly, even though it's a guide to abusing Dell's good faith, it still shows Dell in pretty good light since they do offer these kinds of options for people. After all, even at the cost of giving bad people good service, it still offers good value to good people and I want to believe good people are in the majority.
This is the exact definition of insurance fraud. Buying a policy with the explicit and premeditated goal of causing damage in order to collect on the policy is exactly what insurance fraud is.
HI, MY NAME IS ISAAC.
OK, yes, I completely understand your point and I wouldn't do it myself. On the other hand, the contract says "if you pay us money and break your laptop, we will replace it". I'm not really sure if I'd consider it fraud if someone does exactly what their contract permits them to do. Sleazy, sure. Fraudulent? I don't know; Dell wrote the contract and those are the terms they offered.
Now, I have seen similar clauses used to protect the customer. My friend bought some random gadget from a big box store and realized that it didn't meet the specs on the box. When he tried to return it, the CS rep insisted that you could only return defective or damaged merchandise.
Rep: So, you can't return that. ....yet. See where I'm going with this?
Friend: Wait, your sign says that if it's broken I can.
Rep: But it's not broken.
Friend:
Rep: Do you want that in cash or store credit?
Dewey, what part of this looks like authorities should be involved?
Sometimes you do get what you pay for
Exactly, and expect it to function as such.
If you are rough on things like I am, go with something rugged. Otherwise, you end up
looking like a dumb caveman trying to preserve a battered butterfly.
Nubby eraser mouse? I see that you're sitting on the fence a wee bit there.
Slashdot: where don knuth is an idiot because he cant grasp the awesome power of php
Also, fraud requires deception. If my insurance policy didn't exclude damage intentionally inflicted by me, I could burn it down & it wouldn't be fraud. So, really, the requirement is lying in order to collect an insurance claim.
Have you been touched by his noodly appendage?
... I still get a brand new laptop right?
You know, there is a difference between trolling and pointing out the flaws in your reasoning. Just saying.
You've obviously been watching too much South Park or something.
Real hippies are nothing like the Ferengis who would try to get a new laptop this way.
(I am a licensed insurance agent)
a zard_in_Insurance
You're right. It's called a moral hazard.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_hazard#Moral_H
The writer of this article needs to apologize publicly for encouraging this.
--- Grow a pair, liberals... stop letting the Republicans bully you!
Yeah, we could all get a lower price on Dell computers if everyone skips the insurance fraud, otherwise EVERYONE pays for that new laptop...one way or the other.
Transporter_ii
Doctors destroy health, lawyers destroy justice, universities destroy knowledge, religion destroys spirituality
I was shocked when I was shopping for a new digital camera and found the best deal at Dell. This was for a Canon PowerShot S3 IS. Everyone and their dog was selling it for between $300 and $400. Then out of the woodwork comes Dell, $239.
I have no idea why it was so cheap from Dell but I am not going to complain. I have no intention of ever buying anything with the Dell brand name on it, but I have no problem buying non branded peripherals from them on the cheap. $60 off a normally bottom-dollar-$300 product is quite amazing.
Their printers are garbage though, they are the absolute bottom of the line HPs you see at places like best buy for $59, rebranded Dell.
I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
He made some neat stuff, and it sold like hotcakes.
Every time I go to the mall, I always stop by the Dell booth to see when their new Linux boxes are coming out.
I want a good Linux laptop so bad - one preloaded with all the internet, office, music and video acquisition apps, and so forth, designed from the get-go to run fast and efficient.
I am not interested in trying to piecemeal a box if someone out there will standardize a box of public software.
If Dell piddle-paddles around this, its only a matter of time before I find what I want in Wal-Mart, most likely of Chinese manufacture.
Michael Dell offered us an alternative to Compaq.
I hope China does not have to offer us an alternative to Dell.
Many of us have had it up to here with proprietary software and all the reload problems we have in the event of virus or nonvolatile memory replacement.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
The key is to think first: http://www.centernetworks.com/dell-forgets-to-thin k-first-thinks-last
Dell forgot to think first.
is to avoid them. Build your own computer and you can get the best parts that will work with either Windows or Linux. Packard Dell's quality assurance has been non existant for quite sometime.
Yeah, we could all get a lower price on Dell computers if everyone skips the insurance fraud, otherwise EVERYONE pays for that new laptop...one way or the other.
Doubtful. Dell isn't in the insurance business per se - they probably have an underwriter take care of it for Dell - insurance is tricky business involving actuaries and probabilities and all sorts of lame stuff a computer company shouldn't be involved in.
Considering this is an optional warranty coverage that you pay extra for, the cost of that warranty coverage might go up, but not the laptop price.
09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
The standard for such contracts is "accidentally broke your laptop". This is quite different from "deliberately broke your laptop", and this difference is called insurance fraud. At least in my country (Norway), there are quite severe penalties for it. Also, it is theft - both from Dell, and if you don't get caught, ultimately from other people purchasing insurance (assuming an honest insurer, which I think we can assume.)
#3 bothered me too.
The rest of what he had to say was stuff on how to look around for a good deal. They might not LIKE someone giving potential customers that advice, but I can't see where they have any basis for objecting to it.
But (paraphrased) "drop your laptop so you can get a new one through your 'accidental' repair warranty?" I wouldn't want someone who gave that kind of advice working for me!
Dell's 23 Confessions
Now's not the time to mince words, so let me just say it... we blew it.
I'm referring to a recent blog post from an ex-Dell kiosk employee that received more attention after the Consumerist blogged about it, and even more still after we asked them to remove it.
In this case, I agree with what Jeff Jarvis had to say: instead of trying to control information that was made public, we should have simply corrected anything that was inaccurate. We didn't do that, and now we're paying for it.
I believe in the customer voice--that's why I signed up for this job in the first place. There's simply no cheating the system. When we're on the right track, folks tend to say some good things about us (or at least give us a second chance). When we mess up, they let us know quickly and vocally. Then everyone watches our reaction like a hawk.
Now, if you'll allow me to shift gears just a bit, here's our own 22 23 Confessions list:
1) Ok, we goofed. We shouldn't have sent a notice. To my earlier point, we appreciate the reminder from the community. Point taken. Yesterday, we also responded to a related IdeaStorm idea from user jmxz. To see more, take a look for comments from our own dell_admin1 and my good pal richard_b.
2) An easy way to scope out deals is to go to the Home and Home Office section of Dell.com and click "As Advertised." In other words, click here. You can see what we're currently offering and then chat live with a rep if you like.
3) We have simplified our pricing and promos. We have reduced the number of promotions per product line and the number for a single product. We've also simplified our rebates.
4) Small Business will be different than Home and Home Office soon. There will be a real difference between systems we offer to consumers vs. small business users that goes beyond price. Since these details depend on upcoming changes in both our Inspiron line and our small business systems, I can't share more details just yet, but you will hear more in a few weeks.
5) We are committed to being the greenest technology company on the planet. It's the right thing to do for ourselves, our environment and our customers. See details in the Programs section of this page for more information.
6) When your computer's effective life has ended, we still care about it as much as you do, so we provide free recycling for all consumers worldwide. We can't wait for our competitors to catch up, since we all benefit from improving our environment. Please remind them.
7) We don't think many people get excited when they have to call the Geek Squad, wait around at their house and then fork over cash when you can do the same thing in the comfort of your home on your own schedule for free. Maybe we're crazy, but we think this is more effective. Turns out our customers seem to agree. DellConnect has helped over 5 million consumers for free and has a 93% satisfaction rate in a little over one year of service. Other tools like PC-Tune-Up help automate confusing aspects of system maintenance And new tools like Dell Support Center centralize system-specific information and provide several options for reaching support to make troubleshooting easier.
8) What if you only had to make one click to make a difference in the environment? Well, we do this everyday via our Plant a Tree for Me program. Through it, we empower our consumers to offset their system's carbon footprint by making a small contribution to purchase a tree at the time of purchase or whenever you want. And, Michael Dell is personally matching any contribution you make in June, July and August.
9) We normally wouldn't have said this in the past, but we have some very cool PCs being introduced later this month. Stay tuned and you'll see what we mean. Matter of fact, I've seen some pictures here and here.
10) We have a very great way for all of our customers to share ideas with us at www.ideastorm.
There are lots of sites; I use hot-deals.org. They come up with deals that are hard to find on the site. (For instance, a slim C521 with an Athlon 3600 dual core, 1GB of RAM, 160GB, DVD burner and a fax modem for $219 with free shipping.) They also come up with great ideas I didn't think of (for instance, about a year ago, they configured a normally $2,100 dual-processor mirrored-RAID dual-power-supply server by buying two $600 servers and cannibalizing one for parts.)
You must be one of those guys that has a bad case with lemons. My experience has been totally different. My Dell 600m is more than 2.5 years old now and has had zero problems since I bought it. The only portion that really "broke" on the machine was the rubber feet things below the laptop. The glue was wearing out so they're starting to come off. I don't care too much about them because the actual functionality of the laptop is unaffected.
The only part that started to show serious defects was the battery which gradually lost capacity. But even at 2 years, it was still decent capacity (barely 2 hours on a full charge). This is unavoidable as all batteries tend to lose capacity over time. But lucky for me, the battery never failed, and the big Sony battery recall fiasco caused me to get a free battery replacement. Now my battery is as good as new.
I will admit that at times the casing can seem flimsy, but at the same time it can be a pretty expensive requirement to make a laptop with more rigid casing material. On the other hand, my friend owned a 14" macbook when we first entered college. Around the three year mark, the thing was falling apart and his battery wouldn't hold a charge. At least with a cheap dell, if it starts falling apart after three years, I don't feel bad about it. Had it been something more expensive and it starts to fall apart, I feel like my investment never paid for itself. But my 600m has far outlived my expectations and unless there's a seriously good laptop deal in the near future, I doubt I'll be replacing it for another year or so.
And why couldn't i24 be a global variable modified by the function call? You fail it.
Yes, it's dishonest, but it's not at all comparable to exposing a bank password. It's more like saying "you can stuff a packet of smokes in your pocket at a supermarket and sneak out without paying". Dishonest, but anyone who was dishonest enough to do it can work that out for themself. Also, I think insurance companies will notice if you make pattern of making much claims, like shoplifting it's not risk free.
I chose Dell 3 times because I am cheap. Which laptop brand would you recommend on quality ?
Quality or price? how about Quality and Price. Just look at the dell product get nearly exactly the same specs at a whitebox mom and pop shop. Although the margin has closed between dell and the white boxes. It used to be a good 20-30% cheaper now it's closer to 5%.
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
Then I usually mail my payments the next day after receiving my statements. I do the same for any credit card I cannot easily pay online. I never had them late apply anything and I always buy with DPS when shopping with Dell as the 2-3% is a nice topper on most purchases.
I do believe DFS is actually handled by a real bank, at least at the time I opened my account with Dell the information was picked up by an organization that wasn't named Dell nor based where they were, could be a front.
I find that with most credit pay systems that if you cannot pay the day the statement arrives then you are better off without the credit.
* Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
I haven't ever had a problem with their monitors. On most deals forums many people chime in to skip the "deal" and just get a dell xxxx monitor. Their 20, 22, and 24s, are recommended that buying someone else's is usually reserved for super deals.
As for their PCs, well I build my own and my recent laptop was not a dell? Why not? Simple - I got one of those super stupid open-box but new in box machines from Best Buy when Vista rolled out simple because it wasn't pre-loaded with Visat (1999 original P105-9722 for 1299 with $200GC on top and free Vista Business Upgrade - go figure)
* Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
This is not a standard contract. It is a total coverage no bullshit contract. If you break it, you do not need to prove it was accidental.
> And why couldn't i24 be a global variable modified by the function call? You fail it.
No, because then it would be called gi24 or m_24. Or something.
No you're all just assuming intent.
A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
Absolutely. But the really funny thing is just because a product isn't being sold as a refurb anymore doesn't mean they don't have tons and tons of parts available for it. After all, Dell is still sending out service techs for desktop models that aren't being sold anymore. I bet some people are going to be pretty pissed when they drop their notebook and try to get a new one, only to find that by returning to the depot, they get a franken-system. Same model built entirely out of refurb parts.
It turns out that there is public policy against compensating for fraud regardless of contract language. If you commit a crime no insurance or warranty contract will be enforcable regardless of its language.
It is incredibly unlikely that Dell uses real insurance for this product. The loss ratio on warranty contracts (the ratio of losses paid to premium recieved) is often under 10%. In almost no industry do you find bona fide insurance for these things. You find 'captive insurance companies' that are wholly owned by the firm involved, sometimes with a 'fronting insurance company' issuing the polciy. A 'fronting insurer' is a real insurance company that takes no risk and provides a policy and administration only.
I personally worked on such deals for electronics, white goods and automotive industries; my firm consults with most of the Fortune 1000, and sees these deals on a regular basis. Based on my own experience I never buy the warranty. Only do it if you absolutely cannot afford to repair or replace yourself.
True, but it gets tricky when no crime has necessarily been committed. It's legal to break your own laptop, and the terms of the contract are that if your laptop is broken then they will replace it.
Now, I'm not defending the practice, and I think it's a scummy thing to do. That doesn't automatically make it illegal, though. I could even imagine a moral defense of the behavior in that Dell offered those conditions to their customers, and it's not the customers fault for using them in ways that Dell had not intended. Again, I'm not condoning it, but I can see both sides of the issue.
Dewey, what part of this looks like authorities should be involved?
Try again. The Complete Care contract does not cover intentional damage.
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http://www.dell.com/content/learnmore/learnmore.a
This is probably fantastic advertising for Dell ... not only are we branding ourselves over and over reading this discussion, but there's probably thousands of people 'playing with the Dell website' and trying various ordering options as we speak. Which probably wouldn't have happened without the attention from the take-down notice. "Shh ... don't tell anyone, but you can get great deals from Dell if you know this secret inside info which has been leaked!"