If you're still up... Great deals on Dell Refurb's

[imported_hscorpio]

just saw this one, seems like a nice deal if it was really a GTO;

Dimension 4700, P4-3200
Discounted Price $809.00
Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP Home
Memory: 512 MB DDR SDRAM, 400 MHz (2 DIMM)
Hard Disk Drive: 80 GB EIDE SATA Hard Drive (7200 RPM)
Video: 256MB Nvidia GeForce 6800 GTO Graphics Card
Modem: 56Kbps Data/Fax Modem
Sound Card: Sound Blaster Live! 24-bit ADVANCED HD Audio with 100dB Perform
DVD Drive: 16X DVD ROM Drive, 16x DVD +/- RW w/dbl layer write capabilit

 

[beany323]

doesnt look that bad. I am trying to find one with similar specs, but with ddr2...(i think thats a good choice) I am larning more about intel chipsets then i really wanted to!!!

 

[Kerouactivist]

Package came in today...

yep those bastards sent me the regular 6800 instead of a GTO....

shiet

 

[gshock888]

guys...

4700 DOES NOT COME WITH GTO!!!
8400 MIGHT. but it will say GTO even if you will receive Vanilla

There is no way in Dell's configurator you can receive a GTO with a 4700, their outlet site is fudged up big time. I actually told them about it but you know dealing with a company that huge with 10000 employees in india not knowing what the difference is, it's quite hard to get them to change it or even contact the correct person to change their web database.

 

[Kerouactivist]

mine is a 8400...you think they'll send me a GTO...or will I end up just having to return the computer

 

[cskh]

I have a question for those who are dell outlet veterans. What's the cheapest desktop/notebooks you've seen? I just need a basic internet/word processing machine and want to keep my costs as low as possible. For desktops, I've personally seen a P4 2.66 dimension 2400 for about 175. Anybody ever see anything lower than that? What about notebooks? I don't care whether they are inspirons or latitudes. Thanks.

 

[RossMAN]

For desktops, I've personally seen a P4 2.66 dimension 2400 for about 175.

BUY IT!

That is a great price considering everything you get including a legit XP Home license.

 

[Kerouactivist]

Originally posted by: RossMAN

For desktops, I've personally seen a P4 2.66 dimension 2400 for about 175.

BUY IT!

That is a great price considering everything you get including a legit XP Home license.

yeah no kidding....you could sell that thing in the paper and easily make 100-200 bucks

 

[gshock888]

a 8400, depends on price, will get you a GTO

i lucked out on mine and got a gTO on a 780 dollar setup
on a second try for 890, it was a vanilla 6800

figures...

 

[Kerouactivist]

Dell support still hasn't emailed me back its been almost 24 hours...wtf bastards..
and I'm not calling tech support...

 

[srg2457]

The last two days trying to get Dell to replace cards was purgatory. Everybody kept telling me, "yes your invoice says "Nvidia 6800" and no way for them to acknowledge that the confirmation email I had said, "6800 GTO". I had emails from about 10 or 12 different people - most saying "yes you have what you ordered", one - from tech support - telling me that the 6800 HMGA11-B is Dell's own internal code for 6800 GTO UMGA11-B so I had a GTO - outright lie...they mostly seemed able to understand that I wanted to change cards but not that I wasn't expecting to have to pay the full Dell price difference.

Someone at one point mentioned the 15-day refurb return. I said that it didn't apply as I wasn't returning something I had bought. That argument they at least accepted.

Finally I got someone who was willing to exchange the cards by giving me a full credit for the 6800 and a $100 discount on the GTO - after a 90-minute conversation - which boiled down to paying an additional $100 just to get the system I thought I had purchased. I thought that's about as good as I was going to get - if the discount had been any less it would have made sense for me to buy a better card elsewhere - and then they nearly f***** up the pickup as well.

NOBODY seemed to grasp that there could be a discrepancy between the Dell description and confirmation email on the one hand and their invoice and packing slip on the other.

 

[Kerouactivist]

Originally posted by: srg2457
The last two days trying to get Dell to replace cards was purgatory. Everybody kept telling me, "yes your invoice says "Nvidia 6800" and no way for them to acknowledge that the confirmation email I had said, "6800 GTO". I had emails from about 10 or 12 different people - most saying "yes you have what you ordered", one - from tech support - telling me that the 6800 HMGA11-B is Dell's own internal code for 6800 GTO UMGA11-B so I had a GTO - outright lie...they mostly seemed able to understand that I wanted to change cards but not that I wasn't expecting to have to pay the full Dell price difference.

Someone at one point mentioned the 15-day refurb return. I said that it didn't apply as I wasn't returning something I had bought. That argument they at least accepted.

Finally I got someone who was willing to exchange the cards by giving me a full credit for the 6800 and a $100 discount on the GTO - after a 90-minute conversation - which boiled down to paying an additional $100 just to get the system I thought I had purchased. I thought that's about as good as I was going to get - if the discount had been any less it would have made sense for me to buy a better card elsewhere - and then they nearly f***** up the pickup as well.

NOBODY seemed to grasp that there could be a discrepancy between the Dell description and confirmation email on the one hand and their invoice and packing slip on the other.

That doesn't sound good I may send mine back....

 

[gshock888]

i sent a total of 3 systems back that way.

UPS finally came by and picked up those damn systems last night

you HAVE to tell them that its a known problem with their outlet site and you should not pay for shipping. you should also not be categorized under the 14 day return rule for refurb system. you should also be eligible to some kind of compensation if you decide to keep the system.

dont be fooled if they say they will have to transfer you to a technical rep to confer that the details of the GTO card, thjey are simply kicking you back out to the root of the call line and do everything all over again.

ALWAYS ASK FOR the rep's email in case of a disconnect. Also their supervisor's direct extension.

another problem with outsourcing. When will America learn???!!!

 

[gshock888]

dont refuse shipment, confirm your card first
you dont even have to open the case up or turn on the machine:

Vanilla: 1 slot, DVI/VGA/Svideo
GTO: takes up 2 slots , dual DVI no svideo, and on 8400 there will be an extra graphic card fan where you drive rails are stored.

 

[Lanyap]

Originally posted by: srg2457
The last two days trying to get Dell to replace cards was purgatory. Everybody kept telling me, "yes your invoice says "Nvidia 6800" and no way for them to acknowledge that the confirmation email I had said, "6800 GTO". I had emails from about 10 or 12 different people - most saying "yes you have what you ordered", one - from tech support - telling me that the 6800 HMGA11-B is Dell's own internal code for 6800 GTO UMGA11-B so I had a GTO - outright lie...they mostly seemed able to understand that I wanted to change cards but not that I wasn't expecting to have to pay the full Dell price difference.

Someone at one point mentioned the 15-day refurb return. I said that it didn't apply as I wasn't returning something I had bought. That argument they at least accepted.

Finally I got someone who was willing to exchange the cards by giving me a full credit for the 6800 and a $100 discount on the GTO - after a 90-minute conversation - which boiled down to paying an additional $100 just to get the system I thought I had purchased. I thought that's about as good as I was going to get - if the discount had been any less it would have made sense for me to buy a better card elsewhere - and then they nearly f***** up the pickup as well.

NOBODY seemed to grasp that there could be a discrepancy between the Dell description and confirmation email on the one hand and their invoice and packing slip on the other.

If you kept a printout of the system specs with the System Identifier you can modify the link below to display the features as listed on the outlet site. Replace ZB1R6B5K with your system identifier.

outlet.us.dell.com/Dispatcher?target=SpecPage&serviceTag=ZB1R6B5K

 

[gshock888]

lanyap, it will print out GTO. but they will play dumb (or is actually really dumb) and say wasnt that what you received? you will have a hard time explaining 6800 vs 6800GTO

i think we should refer this thread to those stupid cust service people so they know that this is not a one-off problem. it happened to a whole bunch of people. that should expedite your request for refund/return or exchange

 

[Flaredair]

Hey, I have a question that I hoping someone can answer for me. I got in on this deal just like quite a few of you did and ordered a reburbed Dimension 4700 with a 3.4 GHz Pent 4 and 1 gig of DD2 ram. When I opened up the case I discovered that one 512 stick was mfg. by Samsung & the other 512 stick by Siemens. Should I be concerned that they are not the same manufacturer? Certainly the system works but I was just wondering if Dell does this often?

Do you think a call to Tech Support will get me another SamSung stick if I complain? Just curious what some of you more experienced members thought about this.

 

[Lanyap]

Originally posted by: BigDaddyPig
Hey, I have a question that I hoping someone can answer for me. I got in on this deal just like quite a few of you did and ordered a reburbed Dimension 4700 with a 3.4 GHz Pent 4 and 1 gig of DD2 ram. When I opened up the case I discovered that one 512 stick was mfg. by Samsung & the other 512 stick by Siemens. Should I be concerned that they are not the same manufacturer? Certainly the system works but I was just wondering if Dell does this often?

Do you think a call to Tech Support will get me another SamSung stick if I complain? Just curious what some of you more experienced members thought about this.

All my Dells the last few years with multiple RAM sticks matched. As long as the sticks are compatible with HT you are ok. If you boot up into the BIOS and check HT status it should tell you if HT is working.

 

[gshock888]

its not like you wont return the other piece. call them up and find out if you rather have matching pairs. talk to a rep that is nice enough an in america, you'll probably get that request fulfilled free of charge too...

 

[MIDIman]

If you kept a printout of the system specs with the System Identifier you can modify the link below to display the features as listed on the outlet site. Replace ZB1R6B5K with your system identifier.

outlet.us.dell.com/Dispatcher?target=SpecPage&serviceTag=ZB1R6B5K

Unfortunately, this just gives the normal specs page.

Has any one figured out a tried and true way to absolutely make sure we are receiving a GTO instead of vanilla 6800? I'm seeing a few good deals right now.

 

[gshock888]

i dont think you can. 4700 has no GTO so that's 100% vanilla. for 8400 i think your 50-50 chance. the cheaper ones might be vanilla and 1000+ ones GTO. but again i did score a GTO on a refurb 8400 for 780 dollars. i was lucky. it has a whole bunch of other crap and 1GB RAM in there too

 

[BentValve]

I got an 8300 3ghz 800fsb system from their one time when FW had some coupons worth several hundred that could be added to several hundred dollar discounts Dell already was given. All told I paid $377 delivered for a system that was fricking fast.
I ended up pulling around $220 in parts out of it for myself, then fixed it up again and sold it for $550.


Id buy another one in a heartbeat if I could get it for that price or less.

 

[Rileyrr]

Looks like they are now discerning between the GTO and vanilla 6800's in the product descriptions on the Dell outlet site. If you click on the system identifier it lists some as 6800 and others as 6800 GTO. The "spreadsheet" view still says 256 MB NVIDIA though.

Remains to be seen if they are actually identifying them correctly.

 

[gshock888]

i caught that too. probably some older inventory are not updated. use caution

 

[srg2457]

The Delliad - GTO, etc.

Well, I received a call from someone claiming to be a Service Manager on 9.30 am Wednesday - a call which was supposed to be on 12.30 pm on Thursday, according to a previous email w- ho apparently understood the problem and who asked me to fax my confirmation email to him - but he wouldn't get it straight away, it takes 24 to 48 hours (i.e., the fax machine is in Texas but the SM is in India). He seemed unable to sort out anything.

UPS picked up the plain 6800 card from my office that afternoon - though they were for some reason expecting to pick up two boxes not one. UPS also came round to my house three times for a pickup even though I'd confirmed three times with Dell reps where they should be picking up from.

I get a call on Thursday from an American, who says that the card I'd agreed to order as a replacement with discount has now shipped. I tell him the story, he gives me his email address to send the confirmation email to - though oddly he gives his name as Mike, while his email address is herbert_browning@dell.com . Owing to a happy oversight, Dell have shipped the card without charging my credit card.

I decide to give them until today to contact me again, else I will put a hold on the card, and see whether I get delivered the new card before Dell react. nothing from Dell - no way to know where the returned card is yet; no way to know whether for sure I'll get a full refund or the promised discount on the GTO; so clearly the thing to do is put my cc on hold, and assuming that UPS deliver the GTO to me, I expect Dell will be eager to contact me, all of a sudden.