[ckolchak]

just got off the phone w/ a salesrep at dell. i asked about different projectors then got around to asking about the LT150 when he said "looks like you already got that one at the $1700 price"

"yeah, so whats the deal with that one...when's it going to ship?"

" they pushed that one back about 8-12 weeks. a normal stock to have on hand is about 50 and i personally had 400 orders in 4 days. so they're going to have to go back ramp up assembly again"

"thats 8-12 weeks before they even start getting shipped right?"

"yeah"


he also said that although NEC dropped the price a couple thousand, they quoted Dell the wrong price and that it was $700 below cost...(which would mean they are only making a little over $100 profit on them now, at $2600).

he said they sold several thousand total.


the fellow i spoke to was nice enough. his name is John and his ext # is 61174.

it was kind of creepy because he said he pulled up my order w/out me giving him my name or any information (even an order #) guess they have caller id patched into the computer. unless he was just guessing...


so since i'll be away the whole month of Oct. looks like Nov. will be the first chance i get to check this projector out. sheesh.


just for reference: my order was placed over the phone on sat. morning.

 

[Hammerman]

The approx. 8 week wait is in line with what I was told my delivery time would be when I ordered. (Also Saturday by phone).


Hammerman

 

[DRS]

If mine is not here by 8-7-01, I'm going back to my original plan of getting a CRT. There are too many negatives with that projector (bulb cost, no zoom, noise) for that long of a wait.

 

[Don Black]

If there is one thing I have come to realize in my many dealings with Dell customer service (they do have great deals .. when you get them), it's that they really have no idea about what's going on.


It wouldn't surprise me if the 8 week scenario is true. However, I wouldn't get too down until the 8/8 deadline slips without any units shipping.

 

[RobertWood]

If this is all true then I can't for the life of me see NEC

cranking up to make hundreds (if not thousands) of these things just to sell them at a $100 per unit loss. If true (of course the ramblings of one salesman is nothing I would take to the bank) then I expect we've wasted a lot of time and effort for nothing. A scenario in which they would carry through with this for any reason is just too far fetched for my cynical mind.


Bob Wood


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~ The Sultan of Cheap ~


[This message has been edited by RobertWood (edited 07-29-2001).]

 

[Jonmx]

I think Dell will just keep delaying this until most of the buyers dropout. Of course this is just more 2nd hand information, but since Dell isn't being straight with anyone, rumors are all we have.

 

[Hammerman]

I hold the notion that our level of confusion is only surpassed by the confusion quotient of Dell Customer Non-Service.


Hammerman

 

[RobertWood]

I've been selling on eBay since April 97 and I've certainly seen my share of unprofessional sellers.

But I have to tell you that I don't think I've seen anything even on eBay which matches the incompetence of Dell. And I agree with a comment made in one of the other threads. How they've been able to grow this company to be this large is a mystery to me.


Bob


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~ The Sultan of Cheap ~




[This message has been edited by RobertWood (edited 07-29-2001).]

 

[ckolchak]

supposedly, from what i understood, this -$700 was Dells profit margin, so NEC could still be making a profit, but Dell would be taking the hit (?)

yeah, this doesn't really make sense.

and if Nec is taking the loss, like Bob says, why would they go back and start production only to take a loss. and if they do, do you think that they will use the same standards of quality control on these units? should we expect sloppier production w/ more quality control issues?

again, this is just the word from one more sales rep, so take it for what it's worth.

i'll still (im)paitentely wait for it, and will be happy if the projector turns out to be as good as i'm hoping, but this still sours the deal a bit for me.

i specifically asked my rep at order time, if Dell wasn't selling way beyond the stock available to fill the orders in a timely fashion and was of course told that wasn't the case.

yes, i get the feeling that dell is dragging these out too, as long as possible in the hopes that more people drop out,

question is, can they drag it out for longer than 8-12 weeks...


[This message has been edited by ckolchak (edited 07-29-2001).]

 

[dhanson]

I mentioned this half in jest in another thread, but now I'm wondering... This delay could be intentional in order to push the delivery date of these machines past Aug 10 so that NEC doesn't have to cough up the free $400 cases. That would help cut any potential losses they are taking on these units.


I wouldn't be too hard on Dell at this point. This whole deal sounds way out of the ordinary. Unfortunately, that means that customer service is 'winging it', but that's just a symptom of the same error that got you the great price in the first place. If they were more 'with it', those things would never have made it on the web site at that price in the first place.

 

[jamin]

Just like making plane reservations - if you don't like what

you hear just hang up and call back - one hour wait and all.

I onlined order 7/23 7:30pm CST.


First guy I talked to on 7/24 said Hmm - can't give you an

order number because I can't find your "attempt". The next

day he said OK it's all straightened out. We have this price

increase with 20% off.


Called the infamous Cory 3 times, he just said he couldn't

help me.


Finally after interminable time on hold I got a guy said

"Oh yeah, here it is. Let me give you a confirming order number and ship date of 7/31."


This was 7/26 in the AM. PJ has showed "in stock" ever since

then on web site. Still not shipped. Phone automaton always says "ship within 2 days." Hmm, In stock but can't ship -- Hmm.


We shall see ----



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plug in to play

 

[JasG]

-- FWIW, I ordered a FW900 monitor at the Dell sale.

-- Web site tells me the order is 'Delayed - no stock'... but I have been contacted by the freight company for delivery info - the unit is on its way.

-- Since the non-Dell products are probably fulfilled by other suppliers (like TechData), I wouldn't trust Dell's status info - it may not be tied in real time to the distributor's systems.

 

[DinoT]

Since we are all just speculating.....

If the original post was correct would it be feasible for NEC to ramp up production for the LT150? I am basing this on the assumption that the LT150 has completed its production run and NEC is now making LT150z's. I would think that it would be cheaper to make an LT150z.

BTW I just called for a status update. (I ordered via Web on 7/19 at 8pm EST and received an order number at 8:19.) The rep first said that it shipped. Then she said that no it couldn't have shipped because another "screen" is showing that it is delayed. She couldn't really tell me anything because it is Sunday.


Dino

 

[kbconv]

Ha, the rep. I talked to said he had sold 2 that day.


If the 150Z is gonna replace the 150 and the 150 is end of life and out of production there is no way they are gonna start a line to fill Dell's orders unless it was predetermined. They'd have to go back to their suppliers and on and on, it'd be 3 month wait if lucky.


At $1700, NEC isn't loosing any money but I doubt if they are making much, now if Dell did a misquote I'd say $1700 is less than they could get them for. I say there is stock out there. Just try to order one for $2600 and see when it arrives. Their were big prices cuts preceding this "deal" so NEC wants to move these units.


Maybe since these gems are so hard to find they'll send us a 150Z when they release for our "troubles".


[This message has been edited by kbconv (edited 07-29-2001).]

 

[RobertWood]

Thanks for that, kbconv. That's what I needed to hear. A

dose of optimism for a change. And it came from "down south" no less.

BTW, how far "down" are you? I live as far down as one can go (since the Florida peninsula don't count - that's like going back "up" again).


Bob


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~ The Sultan of Cheap ~


[This message has been edited by RobertWood (edited 07-30-2001).]

 

[kstirman]

Bob - those of us in s. Texas are further south, no?


Oops - Texas isn't part of the south . . . . I keep forgetting. People up here insist it is, and then I have to explain the south starts east of the mississippi and south of mason dixon line and stops before you get to anywhere you've heard of in florida.


Kelly

 

[jsmin]

Got my 150 a couple of days ago from Dell. Suprised but very happy!!!!!!


Jim

 

[RobertWood]

Well put, Kelly. Well put indeed, haha. http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/smile.gif

You are so right. Nobody ever heard of this part of Florida. In fact many of the locals kid about living in LA

(Lower Alabama). There was a big flap not long ago when the

Florida Tourist Commission unveiled a Florida tourist map.

That map depicted Florida as ending just west of Tallahassee. Apparently the tourist officials didn't even know that the panhandle exists, haha.


Bob


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~ The Sultan of Cheap ~


[This message has been edited by RobertWood (edited 07-30-2001).]

 

[Hank Perkins]

Pensacola to Destin = Heaven on Earth!!

 

[RobertWood]

Wow, Hank. I'm gonna forward your post to the Tourist Commission. Maybe like Chris Columbus they'll want to come over for a look see. http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/smile.gif


Bob


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~ The Sultan of Cheap ~