[DEAD] Dell SB - Dimension 4600 2.4/256/40/48xCD for $139+tax AR ($100 rebate)

[nolovenohope]

Originally posted by: robertsmith
No cancellation here :-> Status:
Package Shipped on 10/10/2003 Stage: In Transit

Status: On Schedule, 10/9/2003 9:24:00 PM
Carrier: FEDERAL EXPRESS
Delivery Estimate: October 16 - October 18

I ordered a 2.8/9800 Radeon/no rebate/512 RAM/3 year wr.

Ah, you my friend are one smart SOB. You still got the $400 off bonus, and just modified the order a bit, so Dell probably skimmed right over your order when they were cancelling all the $274 2.4 setups. I tip my hat to you, as that was definately a very nice play.

 

[bdubya]

Ripped from the Dell forum here

Here's the skinny with this one:
Dell uses "Bargain" sites to move merchandise, lower advertising costs, increase margins and move inventory.
However -- sometimes the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing and they cross promos, discounts, coupons etc - all in a rush to move product. This problem gets magnified when they promote "mob-buy" mentalities buy using 3rd party sites to generate interest.
With the HD issue discusssed earlier, Dell found itself in a hole as they could not do a broad "cancel" as the rebate was a mail-in and they could not distinquish between a person planning on two rebates or someone just wanting a drive. Their initial plan was to call the people ask about the rebate before cancelling the order but...
That forum page alone had over 20k views -- so estimate 30k people ordered it, 5 minutes for a rep to call a customer... you have 150k minutes of calling (2500 hours) just to determine order status. That is too costly for Dell so they pulled the cancellation posting and honored it - and hope that the usual 30%+ don't send in their rebates. They were forced to eat the costs, but with 30k orders at $222 each there was $6.6m in sales... money in the bank, they could shuffle numbers later with some "inventory accounting magic".
With this 4600 debacle - they again didn't know their deals crossed paths until the "mob buy" kicked in and they realized the following:
1. They were going to sell PCs (that they have to put configure -- MUCH different then a stock item like a HD) then take a loss of say $200+ on each (versus retail price)
2. That the $400 discount shown on the page was immediate and not a mail-in rebate
3. This loss of revenue was MORE significant than the HD and needed immediate action

Why did Dell cancel the 4600 orders but let the HD slide?
1. Making PCs costs Dell $ - customization costs more than putting a brick in a box resulting in more marginal costs. future costs, and opportunity costs.
2. Many other hidden costs add up to a MAJOR headache (Tieing up the assembly line to produce net-loss items while other "profitable" orders are in queue, the difficulty it writing off per unit customization charges AND all the support entailed with the 1 year free service warrentee, etc.. the list is deep).
However, the biggest reason that Dell cancelled all the 4600 orders is... Dell can easily identify the orders of this (and the apparent customer's motive) --- and immediately wipe the slate clean. They don't have to consider if an order was placed due to an expected double mail in rebate or if it was placed out of a pure buy decision which would result in a un-aware hostile customer. They are gambling that the people who bought into this deal were thinking "this is too good to be true"... and would not revolt if unfilled.
Here's the kicker:
Some people ARE getting their orders filled, and those people ordered a monitor with the PC. Local research seems to point to Dell using the "pure 4600 low-ball order" as the cut-off point for cancellation and not cancelling those people who also added a monitor to their order.
This I believe creates the loop-hole that Dell needs to answer...
1. Does ordering an LCD make a previous "cancellable" order valid?
2. What was the cut-off point on the 4600 order, was it based on order cost or if a monitor was added?
3. Were people who ordered multiple 4600s in the same order exempted or were they cancelled?
4. What if the people who ordered the LCDs as part of the order, return their LCDs....?
In the end Dell cancelled the order because they feel it is their right and they think they can get away with it. Dell beats to the drum of the stockholders, and lowering margins on products doesn't create a fan club. How they deal with this issue will influence future sales and customer loyalty - and in this case while painful to Dell's current quarter they need to pull their head out of the sand, honor their customers orders and stop putting band-aids on their ulcers.
I thought heads would roll internally as a result of the HD fisco.. but I guess a big company needs to make bigger mistakes before they change their ways. What is next?
Dell -- solve your promotion problems thru better internal communication and proccesses -- not thru slighting the customer!

Sounds like people who ordered monitors with their systems will be receiving them. I have an order with monitor that still shows proccessing. Any orders with monitors canceled yet?

 

[missedtackle]

That post by someone supposedly "in the know" is a bunch of bull. I did not order a monitor, and neither did several others on the FW forum...

 

[nasttcar]

Dell would not sell me one the 4600's when I called them at a little after 11am CST. Dell changed their web page just after I had entered my configuration, and done update, then the screen went away.

I called Dell and they told me this was a scam started external to Dell. I do not believe that.

I own 2 Dell laptops ($2500 each), a couple of 400sc's, a 19" Dell monitor and a 200 GB drive, all from DELL. I am sure there are plenty of others that have bought a lot more from Dell than I have. When Dell cannot honor something posted on their website, then they fall into the same group as Fry's, BestBuy, and Gateway.

What Dell does not realize is that I influence computer buying for a Fortune 500 company. You can bet my personal experiences can influence my business perceptions.

I don't think Dell wants to be seen like the companies above, but crap like this, moves them one step closer.

 

[robertsmith]

Thanks for the kudos, am I the only one? (BTW: it's defin I tely. You wouldn't say definAtive?, or definAtion, would you?)
In response to:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by: robertsmith
No cancellation here :-> Status:
Package Shipped on 10/10/2003 Stage: In Transit

Status: On Schedule, 10/9/2003 9:24:00 PM
Carrier: FEDERAL EXPRESS
Delivery Estimate: October 16 - October 18

I ordered a 2.8/9800 Radeon/no rebate/512 RAM/3 year wr.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ah, you my friend are one smart SOB. You still got the $400 off bonus, and just modified the order a bit, so Dell probably skimmed right over your order when they were cancelling all the $274 2.4 setups. I tip my hat to you, as that was definately a very nice play.

 

[Twingo]

Mine shipped yesterday ... its "in transit" now to their regional distribution or whatever they call it. I guess I got lucky, I didn't do the bare minimum order either but my only addition was the FX5200 video over the GF4MX so maybe they only cut out the big orders, the bare minimum orders or maybe cut out after a certain time or something along those lines. I hope it does come and it looks like it will. I'll probably end up selling it to a buddy of mine for a few extra dollars for the effort as I certainly don't need this machine.


Status: On Schedule, 10/9/2003 10:10:00 PM
Carrier: FEDERAL EXPRESS
Delivery Estimate: October 14 - October 16

 

[MaDHaVoK]

Well I received an "Order Acknowledgement" email and thats it.. No order confirmation and no order cancelation...

I don't have any problem with Dell cancelling the orders but if Dell doesn't notify me that the order was cancelled I do have a problem with that. I'll give them another day before I call them..

 

[Engineer]

Originally posted by: MaDHaVoK
Well I received an "Order Acknowledgement" email and thats it.. No order confirmation and no order cancelation...

I don't have any problem with Dell cancelling the orders but if Dell doesn't notify me that the order was cancelled I do have a problem with that. I'll give them another day before I call them..

100% agree!

If you cancel, at least let me know!

*frowns* on Dell cancellation notifications...(I haven't even gotten anything other than an ack. yet...probably won't! :|)

 

[Aztech]

Dang! I only ordered one! I never received any emails, so I finally got myself to check the order status at Dell. CANCELLED! Man, I am upset though, because it sounds like some people are actually getting theirs. So wtf? if you the RAM over the rebate you get it? That hurts.

 

[PeterPan76]

They cancelled mine too. I am pissed, even when my total came out like 600 bucks.

Arg.

 

[missedtackle]

2.8Ghz P4/512Mb RAM/40Gb HD/48xCD/Radeon 9800/SB Live $577

Maybe it's the CPU, but who knows...

 

[Bee01]

Got a tracking number for my system this morning. I modified the config also by adding a Radeon 9800 and 1901fp monitor (didn't bite on the last deal for this monitor, but ~$450 with the instant $150 off and 10% off isn't too bad).

 

[ubiatch]

:evil:

so, can we get together and sue the hell out of them : basis: they should notify us if they cancel the order. otherwise, they are scamming us. It's fraud.

 

[Onepotato]

Knowing what I know now, I feel Dell is using its e-commerce site to make offers and collect data from customers they never intend to sell to, but instead to sell the collected customer data, cancel the order and use illegal "Bait and Switch" methods to offer a different product as they are apparently doing in the emails they are sending. See below:




"Just saw this email posted on another site:
Situation:

On 10/9/2003 a Pricing Error was posted on <<<www.dell.com>>> that was advertised through the Affiliates channel. This was specific to one specific order code on the Dimension 4600. List price was $1299 discounted to $899 after a $400 discount. The errors allowed delete down configuration of the system to get to $239, less an additional $100 rebate for a total price of $139.

Actions Taken:

Order currently in DOMS that are IP/HL are in the process of being cancelled. Orders that were processed through the site but have not been completed in DOMS will also be cancelled.
Messaging to customers is being sent via email to address listed on the online order.

Communication with Customers:

Dear Valued Customer,

In reference to your order for a Dimension 4600 that you have placed online, it has come to our attention that pricing on your order was in error. Dell cannot be responsible for errors, omissions, or consequences of misuse of site and its functions. Because of this your orders have been cancelled.

The original offer is still valid and has been corrected on the website. Please visit <<http://www.dell.com/bsd/config_3D46A11/index.htm>> if you wish to replace your order at the correct promotional pricing.

If you have specific questions you can contact us at SMB_Online_Resolution@dell.com. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for choosing DELL."


After having "pending charges" applied against my credit card balance I am offered this:

The original offer is still valid and has been corrected on the website.

The original offer was for $139 and has been removed and therefore can not be valid. Dell is making a different offer other than the original and this qualifies as "Bait and Switch". This tactic is unlawful in any retail "brick and mortar" establishment and I doubt the Attorney General will agree with Dell's disclaimer. Dell can write disclaimers all day long stating, in effect, they are not subject to the laws of the land but stating it doesn't relieve them of the liability of failing to do so.

Additionally, Dell has arbitrarily selected to honor some purchases while denying others. Apparently some of us are worth being treated with dignity and respect whilst the rest of us are unceremoniously cast aside as worthless current and/or potential returning customers.

It may be belabored to state the obvious but "good will" is hard earned and once lost is difficult and perhaps impossible to redeem. Selecting certain customers over others is the best way to destroy any good will which Dell might have enjoyed from those customers who are denied. Perhaps even some of those who are the selected elite will balk at the potential for Dell to treat them likewise, in the future, in the event they don't purchase enough from Dell, in future dealings with Dell, and are themselves discarded to join the great "unwashed".

With Dell placing "pending" charges against my credit card my purchasing power is diminished even should I elect to opt for their "Bait and Switch" offer. Neither is my situation improved should I find an honest e-tailer who has an offer I might otherwise have been able to purchase.

Dell has a history of these mistakes and even recently botched an offer regarding hard drives. Did Dell repair the problem? Apparently not; Dell elected to continue business as usual and as a result here we are again with angry customers.

I agree with what some here suggest. Offering each customer the opportunity to purchase one computer at the original price would go a long way toward fixing this debacle.

 

[aregon23]

I haven't received either the cancellation notice or the Order Confirmation notice. Either ways I am pissed about Dell not having the courtesy to inform me. Is that difficult to send out emails?

It is also annoying to see Dell honor some deals and junk the rest. Whatever said and done, if I ordered the bare minimum or added stuff, how can DELL read my mind about my intentions? I could be looking for a good deal, and bought the cheapest one possible since I will rip stuff out of my older box (which is also a dell BTW) and upgrade this one. This blanket cancellation policy is humbug. I think we need to make some noise about it either in the Dell forums or here.

 

[PeterPan76]

I am mad because of 4 things.

1.-Dell did not send me an email telling me my order was cancel and for what reason.
2.-My system was not 159..my total came out to be roughly 600 dollars.
3.-My 400SC cost my 350 dollars when they had the special. Wha's the different??
4.-I called customer service twice and spoke with 2 angry, nasty Dell Repls. I was like WTF?, I am the one who is pissed..not YOU!.

DUDE!!!! DONT GET A DELL!!!

 

[Leejai]

Originally posted by: PeterPan76
I am mad because of 4 things.

1.-Dell did not send me an email telling me my order was cancel and for what reason.
2.-My system was not 159..my total came out to be roughly 600 dollars.
3.-My 400SC cost my 350 dollars when they had the special. Wha's the different??
4.-I called customer service twice and spoke with 2 angry, nasty Dell Repls. I was like WTF?, I am the one who is pissed..not YOU!.

DUDE!!!! DONT GET A DELL!!!

Did you escalate to a manager?

 

[Sammy5000]

Originally posted by: PeterPan76
I am mad because of 4 things.

1.-Dell did not send me an email telling me my order was cancel and for what reason.
2.-My system was not 159..my total came out to be roughly 600 dollars.
3.-My 400SC cost my 350 dollars when they had the special. Wha's the different??
4.-I called customer service twice and spoke with 2 angry, nasty Dell Repls. I was like WTF?, I am the one who is pissed..not YOU!.

DUDE!!!! DONT GET A DELL!!!

I hear ya, but nothing else can be done. Dell has made these types of mistakes in the past, and they CYA themselves on the Order Confirmation (for those that got them) that they are not responsible for typos. True, it is troubling that apparently some got their orders through, and most didn't, but that is the way it goes. That is beyond anyone's control. Dell is not going to "eat" the loss of thousands of pc orders so that they come out looking like the good guy. They are going to do what they can as a firm. The only option I can see now is for us to not spend our money with Dell going forward. That is the only power we hold against Dell in this issue.

 

[jessieqwert]

Same situation as aregon23, no cancel no confirm.
Also when I called in there was no record of my order.

 

[Noirish]

if you are all pissed, just go and file a complain.
i'm sure dell will be burned.

right? (for the dell reps who are reading this thread. )

 

[PeterPan76]

What pisses me off is that the Dell customer support repl and sales people are NASTY!!!. And they are supposed to work for "Customer Service", give me a break. If they were understanding, etc. I would have seeing the end of it, because I know it's not their fault, but when they treated me like crap (not once but 3 times, but 3 different repls). I was getting pissed!. Oh I was very nice to them..I will call again and be nasty to them..

LET'S SUE

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nobody in my office got it, nor ANY of my friends (15 separate orders)

I will call again tomorrow, maybe I can get a nice Indian Sales Repl.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I just got this Email from Dell.

> Dear Valued Customer,
>
> In reference to your order for a Dimension 4600 that you have placed
> online, it has come to our attention that pricing on your order was in
> error. Dell cannot be responsible for errors, omissions, or consequences
> of misuse of site and its functions. Because of this your orders have been
> cancelled.
>
> The original offer is still valid and has been corrected on the
> website. Please visit <http://www.dell.com/bsd/config_3D46A11/index.htm>
> if you wish to replace your order at the correct promotional pricing.
>
> If you have specific questions you can contact us at
> SMB_Online_Resolution@dell.com. We apologize for any inconvenience and
> thank you for chosing DELL.

 

[hytek369]

Originally posted by: PeterPan76
I am mad because of 4 things.


4.-I called customer service twice and spoke with 2 angry, nasty Dell Repls. I was like WTF?, I am the one who is pissed..not YOU!.

DUDE!!!! DONT GET A DELL!!!

that IS crap. we should be mad, since they screwed up, what kind of service is that?

 

[rvr2k3]

I just checked my status, cancelled. Did anyone else notice that the Chubby Biilfold website's thread on this has disappeared. What is up with that?????? Is Dell censoring forums now?

I did not expect to get this deal, but at least have the courtesy to let me know it is cancelled via email.

I am glad I have built my last three computers. You don't get screwed when you buy your own parts and do it yourself.

 

[TTM77]

Originally posted by: rvr2k3
I just checked my status, cancelled. Did anyone else notice that the Chubby Biilfold website's thread on this has disappeared. What is up with that?????? Is Dell censoring forums now?

I did not expect to get this deal, but at least have the courtesy to let me know it is cancelled via email.

I am glad I have built my last three computers. You don't get screwed when you buy your own parts and do it yourself.

Yep, do the screwing yourself. *hehehe*

 

[Kipper]

Originally posted by: rvr2k3
I just checked my status, cancelled. Did anyone else notice that the Chubby Biilfold website's thread on this has disappeared. What is up with that?????? Is Dell censoring forums now?

I did not expect to get this deal, but at least have the courtesy to let me know it is cancelled via email.

I am glad I have built my last three computers. You don't get screwed when you buy your own parts and do it yourself.

Chubby Wallet thread has been moved to Deal Discussion, because it was ballooning out of control - and the deal WAS dead. I highly doubt Dell could directly "censor" a post on a private system. I just got my cancellation e-mails.