I recently needed a new laptop since my Dell Inspiron died a slow and wheezing death, and as I work for a company performing Computer Repair in Atlanta, GA, I had a little bit of an idea about what to look for in a new machine.
There were several criteria I wanted to meet; I wanted a good processor, decent graphics performance and at least 3GB RAM with a 320 GB HDD. It also had to have good user feedback and be available at a good price.
After much research, I settled on a model from the Z560 Series by Lenovo, and the one I wanted in particular was sold at Best Buy for just $350. After some research, I found that this laptop was soon to be replaced by a new model and had been discontinued, hence the low price tag.
This laptop retailed around $600+ when first released, had all the specs I wanted, so I decided to buy it. But oh no! Every time I added to my online cart, I was told that store after store did not carry the item in stock.
As the model was discontinued, all the stores had sold their existing stock and so had no new ones left. Time for action! Off I headed to a neaby store to try and grab a bargain.
I left the Atlanta Computer Repair office and arrived at a local Best Buy after battling rush-hour traffic. Heading to the Computer section, I spottted the laptop in question on display, and after checking it out, decided it was time for some negotiating.
Now, for those of you unfamiliar with Retail Store policy, most hardware items such as computers, printers, refrigerators, TVs etc only have a short shelf life of a few months. This is because manufacturers are continually releasing new products, and so the old ones become less valuable to the store. Therefore once they sell their new stock, the display model is just taking up valuable space on the floor.
So, I haggled for the display unit of this particular laptop, and hurrah! I managed to get it for $299 with 6 months anti-virus. Very pleased! I’ve had it for several weeks, and a review will soon follow, but suffice to say I am pleased with the purchase and got a $600 laptop for half the price.
So, I guess that the moral of the story is to keep an eye out for a bargain, and when you find one, be prepared to act quickly and haggle your way to a better deal! Most stores don’t want old, discontinued products lying around, so head to your nearest store to pick up some great savings. And if you need help setting up that new laptop, call our Atlanta Computer Repair office right away.