rapid fire service from Dell
I celebrated my recent promotion (to BMI Silver) by ordering a brand new Dell computer running Windows Vista (Premium) and proudly attaching the tag to my suitcase.
I then spent hours ensuring I had secured the cheapest price possible and placed the order at 23:12 on Sunday night. Yesterday afternoon, I received a call from Dell confirming delivery for Thursday (at an unspecified time somewhere in a 10 hour window between 08:00 and 18:00).
So it appears that the assembly line at Dell is either very efficient or currently has spare capacity. If you hold stock in Dell and are hoping for better results this quarter, don't hold your breath.
Reminds me of the old joke about the Manchester City fan who calls Maine Road
'Eh mate. What time's kick-off tonight ?'
'Dunno - what time do you think you can get down here ?'.
credit where credit is due
In an earlier post, I moaned about Dell's opaque pricing model on their UK Web site. However, people (especially me) are very quick to moan and complain but often slow to give thanks and appreciation.I subsequently contacted Dell Customer Services to complain that the invoice was for a different amount agreed on the phone (strong case) and the fact I discovered that I could configure an identical PC for an even lower price (weaker argument).
The lady from Dell Customer Services initially suggested that I cancel the original order and simply place another order online at the lower price. I pointed out that this was a little silly as it would mean cancelling an order for one computer and adding a new order for a brand new computer with the identical specification.
In any event, it transpired that the PC had already been dispatched from Dell to the courier company, so I would have to call a different department 'Pre Sales Delivery' to cancel the order.
The gentleman in 'Pre Sales Delivery' was more helpful and agreed that cancelling the current order was ludicrous. He offered me a All-In-One-Printer free of charge. While this was a nice gesture, I told him I already had a printer. He then offered me a digital camera free of charge but I already had one of those too. I stood my ground and insisted on the refund and he finally agreed.
The gentleman also gave me his direct email and the name of his supervisor in case of any subsequent issues with the refund. So, I am pleased to say that Dell honoured the lowest price for the PC. It was inconvenient, took a little persistence and a few phone calls but for 54GBP it was well worth it.
Beware of shopping at Dell computers
Imagine walking into a department store to buy a TV. You weigh up all the possible options and decide which model you want. The price of this TV is 457GBP. The assistant says 'That will be 457 pounds, Sir' as she takes the credit card payment and arranges delivery for next week.
You then happen to go up to the second floor and see the identical TV for 422GBP. That's 35GBP cheaper than what you've just paid. You go back to the assistant who sold you the goods to query this difference in the price. Unfortunately, the assistant is now on her lunch break but you are promised that she will call you back. She doesn't.
You then leave the department store via the ground floor where you see the identical TV priced at 565GBP.
You arrive home and just happen to check the credit card receipt. The amount debited is 476GBP instead of 457GBP. Silly you; you should have checked the amount more carefully at the time. You call the department store to complain. The customer services manager you need to speak to is on a break but he will call you back immediately. He doesn't.
Well that is how online shopping for a Dell computer works. There are many different possible ways to configure the identical specification for a desktop PC and get a completely different price ranging from 422GBP to 565GBP. This difference appears to depend on which path (Offers page, Dimension page) you followed through the Dell web site (and which E-Code is listed) when you added and subtracted the various possible options to configure the final system.
So, if you are thinking of buying a computer from Dell, always compare every conceivable way of configuring the final system before placing the order. Always order on the Internet once you are confident you have obtained the cheapest price. Never order on the telephone from a human being. I was given one price on the telephone and when the invoice arrived via email, a higher price was listed.
Alternatively, it might be just simpler to buy your computer elsewhere.