It is not often that I have a surprising online shopping experience. Recently, I had the fortune of getting to purchase a laptop for a family friend as a gift. We were on a fixed budget, so I spent a decent amount of time shopping for the right system, and for the right supplier. My company uses Dell, so it was where I started the search. I then branched out, but eventually returned to Dell since it is what I know.
But in pricing, I just couldn't find that sweet spot where the system was up to par and within budget. Through some networking, I got referred to the Dell Outlet (http://www.dell.com/outlet). I expected to find yet another storefront peddling the same wares under the guise of a great discount but with really no net benefit. What I found was something else entirely, and worth sharing.
B-Stock
I use this term to refer to the not-perfect-off-the-shelf item. These items are usually either refurbished or have minor cosmetic damage. Whenever I can, I buy electronics as B-Stock. I mean they're usually only good for 2-3 years anyway, and I personally consider anything that is out of warranty as beyond end-of-life. As long as a B-Stock purchase comes with a decent warranty, I consider it a no-brainer.
And B-Stock is what the Dell Outlet peddles.
It is not entirely a consumer-friendly site. But it was fairly easy to narrow down my search to the features I cared about and, with a small amount of hassle, find the system I wanted, a Dell XPS 15z. This is one of Dell's newest line of systems, and there was a lot of B-Stock to choose from. You can't customize the order, but if you don't mind checking and re-checking, a model that fits your needs will probably show up soon.
Once I made the purchase, the system shipped early the next business day, and was in my hand the day after that. The total saving was around 25% over the best other deal I could find. That is definitely not a trivial discount on high-dollar electronics.
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