Calling Dell to haggle price

I want to order a Vostro and I'm not sure which number I should use to call a Dell rep to try to get a discount. Should I just use the regular small business phone number? Should I use the number thats on the "click to call" button on the configuration pages of the laptops?

 

I had no luck recently trying to haggle prices through small business. Tried it 3 different times a month ago, and each rep had the attitude that
"you call us back when you're ready to buy." I've had better luck through home & home office.

 

If there is no Deal , I don't think Dell will give you a speacial deal just for you..

 

I got a deal when there was no deal by telling the Dell guys that Sony was offereing a discount. This is in India and I was advised to try this on this forum.

Of course they are screwing me on delivery date but thats another issue altogether.

 

I'm not looking for a deal. I'm looking for a small discount, maybe $25-50, or a free battery upgrade or something similar. I'm planning on buying the laptop with or without a small additional discount.

 

if thats all you want, do you really think its worth all the hassle trying to get it?

 

Very unethical.

 

Why is it unethical? I told them exactly what Sony was offering [almost 200USD off on a 2500 USD laptop], and they said that what I was buying was much cheaper so they gave me about 70 USD off on a 1150 USD laptop. I thought it was pretty fair.

 

you could always do what I did...buy the vostro, call them back in a week or so and tell them you want to return it. They offered me a 100 dollar credit or a 150 dollar gift card to keep the laptop. I declined because I wanted the m1330.

 

when it comes to big corporation, who really cares about ethics?! Do you think that they have any ethics?! At the end of the day, they want your money, and nothing else! 99% of big companies are like that, so dont start talking about ethics with regards to corporations!

 

Sorry, but this is plain wrong. It is unethical to NOT try and get the best price.

Dell has some extremely unethical practices, for instance, selling to different consumers at different prices. Some poor schmucks are paying 2000+ for computers you could get for much less. Perhaps these consumers are just schmucks and deserve it, but I'd say Dell definitely deserves a little haggling, if not something slightly less forthright.

 

So your logic is, if one is dealing with an unethical entity, it's alright to be unethical?

Trying to justify being unethical won't take you very far.

 

Bargaining is different than telling a lie to get a discount.

 

Oh I knew this would come up. Listen zeeta6, Dell isn't a human being, it's an entity. Our hero in this thread is a human being with, most likely (and maybe I'm wrong here) slightly less wealth and a much higher price sensitivity than Dell.

My car could also be considered an entity, should we treat it with the utmost ethics as well?

 

I actually got this wrong. My apologies. I thought that the Sony's lower price/discount was fabricated.

I would actually do the same and raise this point while bargaining.

 

Regardless of your obvious incorrectness, if there were no discounts, his actions would have been completely permissible and justifiable.

Ethics are for losers!

 

Lying to get a discount is unethical and is not justifiable - irrespective of whom one is dealing with.

 

I thought I put this in this thread already but here:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=153497

This ethics argument has been fought over and over again on these forums and there is no right or wrong. Whether one believes it or is willing to concede the fact, society (North American in particular) is set up to create haggling.

If your familiar with European countries, a great many are insulted if you go to markets and whatnot and do not barter. You are looked at as if you are an idiot, in fact. I saw this first hand in several countries. In North America, we are no different. Do you not think a sticker price is put on a car and upped because of the fact that they factor in the 'haggle value'? Absolutely it is. I have assisted friends in saving tens of thousands on car purchases and not one ever paid close to sticker by the time I was done. Its the same in every retail area of our market.

I remember being in NYC a few years back and getting a gorgeous fur sweater for my wife from a distributor on 36th for 75 bucks. He laughed when we were done the 'negotiation' and said I did well as the sweater went for 5 times that in 3 furriers in the city. The kicker was that he was not allowed to sell retail, only to stores for resale. Im not prejudice in any way and trying to bring out any religion or nationality but I have been back to say hi to that nice old Jewish man no less than 5 times now and we have established a good friendship. We sit in his business while my wife tries on extremely expensive furs that I could never afford.

Dell is no different than any other laptop retailer. They not only train their sales staff to understand the bargaining principle but also promote them to 'do what it takes' to get the deal done. Are you aware that ANY CSR can give you a 200 'one time only' gift just because? Its the truth. The leeway that Dell employees have is absolutely incredible. Dont believe me? My value of my laptop when I bought it was 3700Cdn. I paid a total of 1388 and then later got another 200 back because they sent me 2x9cell batteries when I needed a six and then, after that, I had an employee explain the one time gratuity to me when she wanted to give me a 'gift' for being so nice to her on the phone. She gave me a 20" monitor as it were which I was asked to later decline to save her job (lol). But I built a great relationship and have in the past, and present, done great business with Dell and both sides have won.

Lying to get a discount is unethical is the last line I read. Yes...it is when it is seen as a black and white lie. There is not a person on the face of this earth who hasn't lied..or found justification in stretching the truth in some way, shape or form. In the end, there is only one person we answer to and thats ourselves...

Would I have felt better morally having paid full price for my laptop??? Ya right! Bargaining, bartering, dealing or however you want to phrase it is a bloodline of retail sales. Its even more so for purchases made by retailers from the distributors.

 

I tried to get a discount from SONY on a FZ290 since the Dell had a better discount with a better configured 1530 with a 3 year warranty as well. It was a no go with SONY as they just said I could return the machine if I was not happen and pay for the shipping. They would have rather lost the sale then give a extra $100-200 off or throw in a extended warranty. I'm still trying to decide what to do.