Dell - Pricing Miscalculation?

Now, there's a lot of numbers being thrown around in this post, but try to stay with me.

I was just fooling around customizing a laptop, a small biz D820 starting from $1,049 (originally 1,703, which is striken out).

After I finished customizing, the automatic price calculator showed a total of $1,523. I thought, "okay, let's add it to cart and see what's next."

In the cart, it showed the original total being 1,703, and with an instant -$400 (off of notebooks pricing at $1,599 or more), and then shows a subtotal of $1,303. It's a heck of alot better than $1,523 of course, but shouldn't the -$400 be "off" of the 1,523, since the 1,703 is striken out in the auto-calculator, and it says "Now from 1,523." I thought it would mean any discount shown in the cart or throughout customization would be off of the 1,523 number.

So, I couldn't figure out how else they were getting 1,303 other than the calculator "miscalculating", or the cart showing the wrong "starting price."

I looked back through the customization pages, and saw something about -$180 off of $1,703, which would be: $1,523. So, that tells me that somehow, the -$400 off is a combination of -$180 & -$220. So, what is the $220 from?

Just some illustrated facts so far:
1703 - 180 = 1523
1703 - 400 = 1303
1523 - 220 = 1303

How did they originally arrive at 1,049 from 1,703? 1703 - 1049 = $654 <-- Where the heck does that # come from? *confused*

I am just completely lost. Maybe there's something I missed, but as of right now the only explanation I can think of is inconsistency with their pricing and what some of their different pages are showing.

I'm not complaining about pricing, but I just don't know what the real price is, 'cause the calculator says $1,523, and the cart says $1,303. I just don't know how much I would be charged, lol.

Anyways, sorry for a confusing post. Thanks for any help... chances are it's just something I missed on one of the pages.

 

its simple...although the "in configuration process cost" showing may be different it doesn't matter how or why...that variance is really based on where you entered the configuration process (e.g., did you start with a model preconfigured to price $1049 based on a special saving code)... whatever is in your cart is what you pay when you check out...this is also where you get to apply additional coupons...

 

I'm still slightly confused about the pre-configuration process total.

But, I realized the cart would have to be correct, because if I were given an invoice, the price would be based on the bare bones system + whatever I upgraded, giving each upgrade/item its own individual price. And that's fine... now I know I can trust the cart.

I think it's just a page inconsistency. I did enter the configuration from the system preconfigured to $1,049. But, if the calculator was adding my upgrades and reached a total of $1,523, then I'm unsure how my total in the cart became $1,703.

Original price: $1,229
Now from: $1,049

After Upgrades (while still at the end of the configuration process): $1,523

"then" all of a sudden to the total: $1,703. It's as if that -$180 instant savings suddenly went away.

And then, I get the -$400 off due to my laptop being priced at over $1,599.

So, that threw me off, 'cause somewhere in there I missed something or there's an inconsistency.

But, I think I benefit regardless... 'cause $1,303 (the cart's shown total) is cheaper than $1,523... 'cause if my total really were $1,523 (instead of $1,703), then I wouldn't get the -$400, because 1,523 is less than 1,599.

So, with the total after configuration being $1,703, I pay $1,303.
If the total after configuration was $1,523, I would get no such -$400 and would pay $220 more than $1,303.

So I guess it doesn't matter, 'cause with it the way the cart shows it, I benefit more. I think the -$180 went away because the total of my laptop must've reached a higher price bracket, therefore qualifying me for a larger amount off ( -$400 > -$180 ).

Wow I'm getting a headache. Anyways, I appreciate your help. Thanks.

 

Sounds like you started with a "special" configuration maybe based on that $180 off as a 15% percentage off that particular config. You add options at non-discounted individual prices. As soon as your total exceeds $1599, the $400 off applies and yes...the $180 discount goes away because the the two discounts don't "stack" and the greater savings applies...in other words your understanding is indeed correct..