Any tips & tricks for getting a Dell laptop cheaper?

[Andeh13]

Long story short im going to be a father in a months time and as im heading into my final year at uni i need a laptop to carry work, films etc around with me between uni & my girlfriend's. Iv found the ideal laptop at Dell.co.uk, but it is slightly out of my price bracket. Initially a friend's mum was going to get me the laptop through her company (saving me tax) but she has had to pull out due to some problems with her divorce & splitting up the company.

As a result the laptop has been pushed just beyond my budget. The laptop im after is the Dell Inspiron 1545, with the following spec;

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T6400
3072MB 800MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM
256MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD4330
320GB (5,400rpm) Serial ATA Hard Drive
15.6" Widescreen WXGA WLED (1366x768) TFT Display with TrueLife™ (+£10)

Usually the laptop is over £500, but with a combination of a -£30 saving from Dell and a 10% off voucher it brings the price down to about £440.

I do enjoy my games, so i would ideally like a laptop that can handle some sporadic gaming (i know its not ideal but what is in life... ), i also want the ability of running quite quite heavy CAD programs (i do an Automotive Engineering course) so whilst the laptop wont be there for heavy duty tasks, it would be usefull to have it capable of loading these programs as & when i desperately need to.

As a result iv found the perfect laptop, but its £40 over the budget i set myself. Can any of you genius Hexites think of any ways of knocking off a few more pounds off?


know its a real shot in the dark, but thanks in advance!
(Also thanks to Staffsmike for the voucher and Barry for bringing said laptop to my attention, both in another thread)


edit; My parents live in South Africa, and ill be visiting them for a bit in the summer. Could anything be done with customs & claiming back the VAT when i take it out the country? (is there a time frame in doing this, from buying to claiming?)

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Sign up to Quidco:

http://www.quidco.com/dell/

You will get cashback paid to your paypal account. It will take a month or two though usually. The website has a £5 yearly fee which is deducted from the cashback earned.

[Andeh13]

Sign up to Quidco:

http://www.quidco.com/dell/

You will get cashback paid to your paypal account. It will take a month or two though usually. The website has a £5 yearly fee which is deducted from the cashback earned.

On the quidco website it mentions using a voucher might cause problems with the cashback, is this a generic warning they add or something i need to take seriously. I will be using a 10% off voucher Staffsmike posted in another thread. (linked below)
http://forums.hexus.net/small-form-f...500-550-a.html


edit; Just wanted to say a big thank you, looks like it will save me a good £25!

[aidso]

There's also the Outlet store where people have returned items that they didnt order i.e. a Laptop with a DVD Writer instead of a Blu Ray drive. Technically second hand but itll be as if it just left the factory. They knock a few quid off and you can get a good bargain in most cases.

[shbris]

armed forces get a discount too, find an army buddy

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

On the quidco website it mentions using a voucher might cause problems with the cashback, is this a generic warning they add or something i need to take seriously. I will be using a 10% off voucher Staffsmike posted in another thread. (linked below)
http://forums.hexus.net/small-form-f...500-550-a.html

I have used vouchers before and I have had no issues I can remember. TBH I would give it a try still if there are no good alternatives.

There are also two other cashback websites which are good too:

http://www.pigsback.com/Pages/4/116/558.aspx

http://www.ipoints.co.uk/collect-ipo...ll-home-office

Of course if you have a Nectar card:

http://www.nectar.com/dynamic/estores/retailer/dellgb

With these websites you collect points towards items you can get like cinema vouchers for example.

[i4000]

Keep an eye on the HotUkDeals website (www.hotukdeals.com) they often catch weekend only type deals and cashback / reductions from the Dell site.

[Blaineoliver]

Dell outlet?

[Andeh13]

Its a new laptop Dell are doing so i wouldnt have thought it will be on Dell's outlet just yet. Had a quick look but it was as i suspected. thanks anyway!

armed forces get a discount too, find an army buddy

My Dad is in the RAF as a Diplomat in South Africa! Dells online chat team are useless and took 15mins to tell me i need to call to find out more infomation on it. I dont spose you have any details on whether i can use the discount online or whether it will be an overphone transaction only. I dont spose you know roughly what sort of discount they provide either do you?


I love you guys!

[shbris]

i used it online when i bought my monitor, think it was 5%, just used my mates card who's university RAF thingy. every little helps though, so yeh ask ur dad for his discount card! the monitor i bought was already discount so it SHOULD *fingers crossed* work with the discount you already have

[arthurleung]

http://www.isite.salford.ac.uk/money...tional/vat.php

If it works by "exporting" then a lot of students would have used that "loop-hope".

[jim]

If you go via the cashback route, topcashback is usually the best to try.

[Barry]

Still not decided on mine yet so I'll be watching this thread.

[CX23882-19]

I've used the Dell Outlet store twice and both times have got a good deal, but the prices can vary. Both machines looked brand new, no scuffs anywhere and all of the discs, manuals and accessories were sealed.