Best way to buy a Dell? (XPS 9560)

cormie · 18-02-2017 10:04AM #1

Hey folks,
I've been wanting to upgrade my laptop now for a few months and had part payment on a Dell 9550 with a boards user but he messed me about and I never got it in the end. I then learned that the 9560 was coming out so decided to hold off and after looking at various review videos etc, I've my mind set on this configuration: http://www.dell.com/ie/p/xps-15-9560-laptop/pd?oc=cnx95604&model_id=xps-15-9560-laptop

I'll also be wanting:

Fingerprint scanner (around €20 extra, only available to order over chat or phone)
4 Year Warranty
4 Year Accidental Damage

When I buy a new laptop I like it to be future proof for as long as possible and to be well capable for the hours of use it gets pretty much every day so am prepared to spend a little extra on it as the cost per hour of use spread out over the years is very low. I also usually spend days setting it up to be how I like it, with tweaks here and there and like to avoid this rigmarole for as long as possible and don't like the idea of disposable tech so like to get as long as possible out of everything I own.

So I'm just looking for the best way to buy this. It's pretty easy to get 10% off if you ask on the live chat, but has anyone ever been able to use more than one method to get more off? I remember getting great advice over boards for my current laptop and I had a friend in Dell sales at the time and he couldn't come close to what I could get with the method advised from I think it was AlmightyCushion

I don't think it's possible to use more than one coupon on the one order though?

Also, I saw Dell were offering I think it was 25% off on the 3 year warranty with machines a few weeks ago, do they do this often?

I'd be happy to buy off the Dell Outlet, but I think the chances of finding this config any time soon are very slim, I haven't yet seen a 9560 listed on the outlet and I'm guessing they'll be snapped up in no time once they go on. The outlet seems to be a bit more flush with discount codes and offer 10% off in codes regularly and also offer a student discount, but I'm not sure if you can use both at once?

I'm also going to be buying this for an Irish VAT registered business, so can reclaim the Irish VAT. I'd be happy to save X% getting it in the outlet too, but I'm not sure how it would work then with Irish VAT, can they sell it EX VAT etc.

If anyone has any advice on the best way to get this config at the best price, please share

smacl · 18-02-2017 12:22PM

cormie wrote: »

I'm also going to be buying this for an Irish VAT registered business, so can reclaim the Irish VAT. I'd be happy to save X% getting it in the outlet too, but I'm not sure how it would work then with Irish VAT, can they sell it EX VAT etc.

If it is a UK or other EU based vendor it should be zero rated once you provide your VAT number. Most big outlets like DABS4WORK, LaptopsDirect etc.. will have options for ex-VAT pricing on this basis. I do this regularly with computer hardware. If the supplier is Irish based, you just get a VAT invoice and reclaim against your VAT liability for the same period so same net result.

Just purchased up a high spec refurbished Dell Precision workstation from an ebay seller at a good price but it is always a bit of a risk. My experience of high end Dells has been that they're good and last well, where the lower end stuff doesn't have the longevity. For a laptop you're planning on using for a number of years, buying a spare battery when you purchase may also make sense.

cormie · 18-02-2017 01:32PM

Thanks for the reply. Yup, I'll have to find out how it will work ordering from the UK outlet, there's a chance it may have to be done through the likes of parcel motel/parcel wizard, so getting them to zero rate it when shipping to a UK address might not be possible, I've had the same issue with sellers before.

I'd definitely rather buy through dell, either outlet or the main site, rather than an ebay seller.

The battery is apparently really good on the XPS 9560, but the battery on my XPS L502X has lost it's capacity, so I hope the 9560 one lasts better through the years, but if I do need one in 3 years, maybe better to buy a new one then?

Alanstrainor · 20-02-2017 04:40PM

I'm interested to hear how you get on, as I'm interested in this laptop too. The price is a bit rich, but I reckon it's one of the best laptops on the market. And the fact that it's highly upgradeable is a big plus for me, both in terms of repair and adding storage/RAM as needed.

cormie · 20-02-2017 04:56PM

Thanks for the reply. There's a few cheaper options for the same laptop too, no touchscreen a 1080 instead of 4k screen etc.

Are you interested in the same configuration as I linked to above?

Alanstrainor · 20-02-2017 05:15PM

cormie wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. There's a few cheaper options for the same laptop too, no touchscreen a 1080 instead of 4k screen etc.

Are you interested in the same configuration as I linked to above?

Ideally I would want the 4k touch panel, but I feel that I would settle for the 1080p non touch, with i7, 512GB, 16GB. The price with the 4k panel is probably a bridge too far. I'm waiting on some tax money back at the moment, so I wont be in a position to buy for another month or more.

I just can't believe how poor the mid range priced laptops (€1000~) are. No large SSD's that I can see. Generally not more than 8GB of RAM, and relatively standard 1080p screens. Things are slow to move in the laptop world I guess! I have my Asus ultrabook almost 5 years and I don't see much benefit of newer machines.

smacl · 20-02-2017 06:05PM

Alanstrainor wrote: »

I just can't believe how poor the mid range priced laptops (€1000~) are. No large SSD's that I can see. Generally not more than 8GB of RAM, and relatively standard 1080p screens. Things are slow to move in the laptop world I guess! I have my Asus ultrabook almost 5 years and I don't see much benefit of newer machines.

All the decent spec stuff at that price that I've looked at lately tends to be gaming oriented and of dubious quality. Ordered a 16gb, 17" Asus i7 week before last for about €1,000 and ended up sending it back as the battery was faulty and not charging. As such I'm hoping a higher spec refurb with good parts is going to be a better bet. Unless you have excellent eyesight and an incredible eye for detail, 4k doesn't make much sense on a laptop. Only realised the screen on the last laptop I picked up was a touch panel when I went to clean it with a wipe and ended rearranging my desktop by accident

cormie · 21-02-2017 02:42AM

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Ideally I would want the 4k touch panel, but I feel that I would settle for the 1080p non touch, with i7, 512GB, 16GB. The price with the 4k panel is probably a bridge too far. I'm waiting on some tax money back at the moment, so I wont be in a position to buy for another month or more.

I just can't believe how poor the mid range priced laptops (€1000~) are. No large SSD's that I can see. Generally not more than 8GB of RAM, and relatively standard 1080p screens. Things are slow to move in the laptop world I guess! I have my Asus ultrabook almost 5 years and I don't see much benefit of newer machines.

What about keeping an eye on the Dell Outlet store? Prices are a good bit cheaper with frequent discounts too!

beauf · 21-02-2017 03:13AM

Some of the standard Dell 1080i screens aren't great. The 4K is good. But its heavy, eats battery etc.

ressem · 26-02-2017 09:02PM

In addition to the Dell outlet, there's also the likes of refurb laptops from
https://www.aspensolutions.co.uk/online-shop/product-category/laptops/
which have the 9360s though not the 9560 yet.
(keeping in mind that prices there are ex-Vat and sterling).

cormie · 27-02-2017 03:57AM

Thanks for the link, so they are just a refurb seller? I'm guessing they don't offer the on site warranty or the accidental damage cover like you can get from Dell?

smacl · 27-02-2017 10:17AM

cormie wrote: »

Thanks for the link, so they are just a refurb seller? I'm guessing they don't offer the on site warranty or the accidental damage cover like you can get from Dell?

I just picked up a refurb from an ebay seller which I'm very pleased with and they offered a 3rd party warranty and damage option (~£120 for a year from memory). Wasn't on-site and not sure whether it would involve shipping back to the UK to use as I decided against it. Worth contacting the refurb dealer to see what they can offer in this regard. Also worth checking all the reviews for a 2nd hand seller and only going for someone with a very high satisfaction rate. I also checked what the availability of spares was like for the unit I picked up (very good, not too expensive), so I'd be happy enough carrying out any repairs myself should be need arise.

Oddly enough, I've quite a bit more confidence in the small refurb outlet I picked the Dell up from than the large online retailer I first went for who shipped me a dud and have been slow enough in organising a refund. YMMV.

cormie · 27-02-2017 10:48AM

Thanks for the input, I don't think I'd want to buy without the on-site warranty. I switched to Dell for exactly this reason for my last 2 laptops after having to send my acer off to the UK for what was about 3 weeks for a repair. It's just not worth that uncertainty and down time and I'd rather pay a bit extra through an official Dell reseller (either Dell.ie or the UK Outlet, if there's any more please share

) than to get it with no comeback through eBay.

Might just have to buy new from Dell.ie as nothing appearing on the outlet site at all for 9560's.

If anyone knows how to get the best discounts and deals on dell.ie, please share

ressem · 01-03-2017 12:21AM

They can be Dell refurb partners, and have the 3year NBD

https://www.aspensolutions.co.uk/online-shop/product/dell-xps-9360-i5-laptop/
...
3 Year Next Business Day Warranty
Certified Refurbished

cormie · 24-03-2017 08:50AM

Thanks again for the reply.

I know someone in Dell who is going to get a staff discount code, which I think is 20% off, so going to go direct through Dell in that case

I really want the 4 year on site warranty and 4 year accidental damage, but the cost for 2 years warranty is an extra €1 in the current deal, but then to make it 4 is an additional €298

You can extend the warranty after buying, so I was thinking buy 2 years at €1 and then hopefully to extend it to 4 years would be a lot less than €298, but you can't extend the accidental damage, which isn't so bad at €168 for 4 years, so I don't think this will be an option if I want 4 years of both.

Quick question, I've a choice to get the US layout keyboard or the UK layout keyboard, I believe the only difference is the size of the enter key, but I think a lot more accessories are built for the US layout? I remember looking for a silicone waterproof (and crumb proof) cover for my XPS L502X and it was only available for the US layout.

Any advantages of the UK layout over the US?

EDIT: Differences explained here: http://blogs.transparent.com/english/differences-between-the-us-and-uk-computer-keyboard/

Was thinking the US one would be alright, but then I forgot I have a wireless logitech keyboard I use with UK layout, so to switch between them both in my head would be a pain, guess I'll stick to UK.

ZENER · 25-03-2017 03:39PM

cormie wrote: »

I really want the 4 year on site warranty and 4 year accidental damage, but the cost for 2 years warranty is an extra €1 in the current deal, but then to make it 4 is an additional €298

An out-of-warrany cost for replacing the system board on the XPS range is about 1050 euro including the engineer visit to install it, the 4K touch screen is 400.

System board failure isn't too common for these models but could happen (a damaged USB port means a new board) a damaged screen could happen at any time.

For such an expensive laptop it makes sense to go the extra few hundred in my opinion. Even if you never use it you could ask a higher price for it if you were to sell it on probably recouping most of it.

Ken

unklerosco · 26-03-2017 08:25PM

Bar the 4k/touch screen is there any difference between the top end XPS15 and the model below it? I can't see any myself. I'd have no need for the 4k and the extra battery life would be beneficial.

cormie · 27-03-2017 09:59AM

ZENER wrote: »

An out-of-warrany cost.....

Thanks a lot, yep, that's my thinking too, plus the whole having to send it away etc.

unklerosco wrote: »

Bar the 4k/touch screen is there any difference between the top end XPS15 and the model below it? I can't see any myself. I'd have no need for the 4k and the extra battery life would be beneficial.

The top end is the one for €2,499, it's got the 1TB SSD and 32GB ram over the one for €2,099 (500GB SSD and 16GB RAM), then the one below that at €1,799 doesn't have the touch or 4K and not sure it has an option for finger print scanner too?

Here's a comparison of the 3: http://www.dell.com/ie/p/configuration-compare.aspx?returnURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dell.com%2Fie%2Fp%2Fxps-15-9560-laptop%2Fpd%3Fref%3DPD_OC

New "offers" are put on the site every Thursday by the way, so given that I'm getting no advantage from the current offer as it only applies to 2 year warranty's and not longer ones, I may wait and see what comes again this Thursday.

Mar4ix · 27-03-2017 10:08AM

Actually i would keep off xps model, not sure about new ones, but older ones had a big issues with videocards, motherboards and other lil things . It is expensive laptop, few my friends bought , 2-3 years, and it goes in to bin, as repairs goes beyond value. Actually one of them dusting in my laptop shelf, bad charger port, hard drive fault, and possible video card fault. Maybe worth google about xps model, look up in dell forum xps section , where people ask different question, what common faults.

cormie · 27-03-2017 06:36PM

Yeah, I believe the 9550 had a lot of driver issues when it was first released, but these were all ironed out and as the 9560 uses the same whatever it is, those issues shouldn't be present, from what I've been told from a popular youtube XPS reviewer.

Have seen a lot of reviews on the 9560 saying on a price to performance and overall niceness factor, it's the best you'll get.

cormie · 29-03-2017 12:36AM

Finally ordered!

Had been on to live chat a few times to check different prices of config I want, discounts ranged from 7% - 10%, then one guy gave me 15%. The 15% discount was working out at €2,200. Someone I knew was saying she could get a 20% staff discount, which would make it €2,070. The guy who rang me yesterday on behalf of this staff member was only giving me 7% as "employee discount" and giving me a price of €2,400, then he gave me 8% and said it was the maximum discount he could give me, so I said no thanks.

I then saw the laptop on the outlet store, a refurbished one, almost identical but I can't get the accidental damage protection and one part of the spec was slightly worse, NVIDIA 1050 2GB instead of the 4GB on the main site. I got 15% student discount code for this and it would end up costing me about €1,971, but no accidental damage cover (€168), so about €2,139 to compare like for like, but buying new would be much better as I can actually get the accidental damage and it's brand new and slightly better spec with the 4gb instead of the 2gb.

Another guy rang me today and said he was calling on behalf of the staff member I know and could offer me a price of €2,200 that this was a 15% discount and it's what the employee discount is, I said the staff member said it was 20%, he put me on hold and came back to say 16% is the best he can do and it would bring it to €2,175, I said I wasn't sure and mentioned about cheaper outlet option and said I used to work there etc and he asked "why would I not give it cheaper if I can" and I said "commission" and he laughed and said they work on margin or something and I know how it works if I worked there before.

I told him if he can give it for €2,100 I'd give him my CC details right away. He put me on hold and came back and said "what's your credit card number".

So in summary, these sales guys always have flexibility even when they say they don't. If they know they can secure a sale, they will give you more off.

ZENER · 29-03-2017 12:40AM

Did you go for the extended warranty ?

Ken

** sorry just noticed you went for a refurb.

cormie · 29-03-2017 12:44AM

No, I got a brand new one, not a refurb, the refurb from the outlet store with a 15% discount was working out actually more expensive than what I paid like for like for mine.

I got the 4 year on site warranty and 4 year accidental damage and the fingerprint scanner for the 95604 config for €2,100. It's €2,588 before any discounts.

unklerosco · 29-03-2017 07:40PM

I dealt with their online chat earlier to give your tactics a try and managed to top out at a 15% discount, I was just looking for the 2yr warranty but adding the T16 dock. Haven't pulled the plug on it yet. Still trying to decide if I need the 4k screen or not.

cormie · 29-03-2017 08:17PM

Glad you managed to get the 15%, it was pretty tricky for me to get it, I tried a few different guys!

My discount was 18.849637856108163% in the end

Also just to note, there's no VAT on the accidental damage, so this accounted for €136.33 (€168-18.85%) of the total.

EDIT: just checked and it's already showing as shipped, but it's coming from China so ETA is 10th of April, let's see when it gets here.

unklerosco · 31-03-2017 09:02PM

Ordered mine today. Will give it to Dell, their customer service is fairly decent. Purchased mine (with a few other items) through dell finance. Kept my 15% dscount too. Happy out.

unklerosco · 03-04-2017 06:44PM

Has your xps arrived yet Cormie?

cormie · 03-04-2017 10:19PM

Nope, the ETA on ordering was April 11th, the ETA after it was shipped (which was very fast) is April 10th. Thinking it might come before then, but maybe not.

It's coming from China so who knows?

Muff Richardson · 09-04-2017 12:33PM

can I ask OP, with your experience of working with Dell...I am ordering an XPS 9560 from the Irish online store, the total is appearing excluding VAT right up to where I am entering in Credit Card details...seems like some kind of glitch, as it did show previously. Coming in at â‚¬300 less than should be. Any idea what the story is?

cormie · 10-04-2017 12:06AM

I'm not sure at all. I didn't work in sales or anything to do with the site. Maybe you followed a business link and are being shown EX VAT prices throughout the site until you buy?

cormie · 12-04-2017 01:40AM

Well folks, I started using this a bit today after my other laptop ran into problems (initiated by yet another BSOD I believe)... anyway, I'm pretty pissed off. A big part of the reason of upgrading was because my other laptops BSOD issue over the last few months and using the new 9560 today, it's already had 2 BSOD's :mad::mad::mad:

Both error messages read "internal power error", whatever that means..

Also, the trackpad/mouse seems quite irresponsive, it moves quite jaggedly and doesn't follow slow movement of say trying to click the cursor between a character in a word when you need to be quite accurate and you slow down, it just jaggedly moves a little and then the next few movements with your finger mightn't move the cursor at all.

Another kick was that I was hoping to use my 1TB SSD from my old laptop, which is an EVO 850, but I only realised today that it's much bigger and won't fit the 9560. I never realised there were different size SSD's

Best way to buy a Dell? (XPS 9560)

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