[coolaquarian]

As you must be aware, DELL offers customization to such level that
their base model in a series can easily be customized to have same
configuration as high end model in same series, I have a question
regarding that.
What I have noticed is that it is actually
cheaper to customize the base model to have same configuration as high
end one, than directly buying the high end one.
So I want to ask why
is that so? Is there any difference in the build quality/material used
in the manufacture of base model (as all other specs are exactly same).
If you want to know why I am asking this, then read below:
-----
I was in talk with DELL representative about DELL Inspiron. There were 3 inspiron models having E-Value Codes as:
S540501IN8 , S540502IN8, S540503IN8
Third one was highest spec, and as I said, other two can easily be customized to match any of their high end model.
So
Next day. I finalized him to customize 2nd model to match that of
highest spec one as it was being cheaper. (Even though if I had
customized base model to match that of highest, it would have been even
cheaper but I felt it as too much of a Customization for my liking in a standard model).
Now comes the twist... The middle model was taken off from the website next day(as day before was last day).
He
sent final Quotation to me Next Day, and told he can still offer me the
middle model today. The E-Value Code in the Quotation was
S540502IN8(The same which got expired yesterday).
Now, after I make
payment, he sends me Final Order Confirmation, but to my
amazement, it contained E-Value Code as S540501IN8 (The base model
which is still on website), but with exact same customized specs which
I had ordered. I also checked on website that price of base model has been revised such that if I customize it now, it will be same as what I am getting now.
So that is why I want to know if there is any
difference in the build quality/material used in the manufacture of
base model as compared to higher model (in the same series).

[smax013]

I doubt there is any build quality difference.

It is just a tactic to get more money. Most people will likely not bother with customizing the base model to get something the same as the base model and instead just buy the top model. Thus, Dell tends to make more money.

It is kind of the same thing as Sears and their prices. Since Sears tends to have sales about every 5 minutes on just about everything in the store, there is absolutely no reason someone should buy something when it is NOT on sale...because it will likely be on sale in the next week or two. But, some people DO buy stuff from Sears between sales...which is precisely what Sears hopes for.

Now, this is not to say that some "base" models may not be able to be customized to match the top of the line models in some of Dell's lines. This can be the case on occasion.