We hear that Lenovo, heirs to the Thinkpad line of laptops, makes some very nice computers. In the last few months, though, more and more Consumerist readers are having problems getting the company to complete an exchange in which money is exchanged for a computer. E.J.’s purchase is one such failed exchange, and his father’s Christmas laptop is now lurking in a UPS facility, a few hundred miles away from where it was supposed to be delivered. [More]
E-mail To Lenovo President Gets Reader Immediate Answer, New Laptop
By December 13, 2009
Patrick was frustrated. He explains that he was stuck with a defective and non-functional Lenovo laptop that was only a few months old. Before pursuing a chargeback, he decided to send a letter to the company’s president and COO, Rory P. Read. His message was detailed but straightforward, and a great example of one of the finest weapons in the Consumerist toolkit, the executive e-mail carpet bomb. Read and learn. [More]
Lenovo Screws Up Every Part Of Computer Purchase
By October 22, 2009
Dan and his roommate had a crazy plan. They would use Dan’s credit card to purchase a laptop computer from Lenovo. The roommate would write Dan a check for the total amount the computer cost. Lenovo would ship a working computer to the roommate, thus completing a straightforward exchange of currency and consumer goods. Unfortunately, life is not that simple in the Land of Lenovo.
Your New Computer's Free Windows 7 Upgrade? Not So Free, Actually
By October 1, 2009
Not many people really want a computer with Windows Vista. The sensible thing for customers who need a computer—but not right away—to do is wait until the launch of Windows 7 and then buy a computer with the much-awaited OS pre-installed. Vendors realize this, and are trying to get Vista-laden machines off their shelves with the promise of a free upgrade to Windows 7 when it comes out. A free upgrade that is not, in fact, free.
Lenovo Forgets To Charge Customers, Then Sends Them To Collection Agency
By August 21, 2009
Bart wrote to us about a strange experience he had after purchasing a new Thinkpad from Lenovo. He had a perfectly smooth transaction, until months later when he received a letter from a collection agency. The agency was demanding payment for the laptop he had already paid for. Or so he thought.
USPS: Your Five New, Insured Laptops That We Lost Are Worth $74
By May 7, 2009
The US Postal Service lost five new Lenovo laptops that Pedro’s friend bought and shipped to him. Pedro expected that this might happen, so he wisely insured the package for $3,000. After stalling for about two months, USPS finally agreed to pay his insurance claim, but reduced the payment, claiming his merchandise was only worth $74.
Secret Phone Numbers And Email Addresses To Reach Executives At 101+ Companies
By November 7, 2008
Inside, email addresses, phone numbers, and addresses for over 100 different companies to inject your customer service complaints into their corporate executive offices, and get it well on the way to success.
Opposite Of EECB Gets Delayed Lenovo Laptop Order Expedited, Plus $5000 Loaner
By October 31, 2008
When the Lenovo laptop Rick ordered for his college-bound daughter was super-duper delayed in arriving and he hadn’t heard anything from the company, he did the opposite of an EECB (executive email carpet bomb). Instead of blasting his complaint to every single executive he could find, he wrote a well-crafted letter laser-targeted at a single individual, the SVP of operations. The result? An email from the Chief of Staff in the CEO’s office. His order was expedited, and, in the meantime, they got a $5000 “Reserve Edition” leather-wrapped laptop as a loaner. Here’s his letter that got him the fix:
Dell: We Can Only Send You The Wrong Kind Of Battery
By September 23, 2008
Dell charged this guy’s daughter over $200 for replacement batteries that don’t even match her laptop. When her battery died, Dell sent her the wrong battery. Since she was out of warranty, Dell insisted that they could only continue to send her the wrong battery. When she asked why, Bill says the a supervisor repeatedly said, “I don’t know ma’am, that’s not my problem.”
Morning Deals
By August 29, 2008
- Lenovo: Employee Pricing on ThinkPad and IdeaPad Notebooks, up to 42% off (login with passcode 536686)
- Woot: Sandisk Clip 2GB MP3 Player for $19.99
- Newegg: ESET NOD32 Antivirus Home Edition v3 for $14.99 (Best antivirus around, won’t slow down your computer)
Highlights From Dealhack
- Buy.com: Kingston 4GB USB 2.0 Portable Flash Drive $14 Shipped
- Hanes.com: Save 15% off Complete Order on All Clothing
- Vann’s: Sony FX820 Portable 8-inch DVD Player $150 Shipped
Highlights From Bargainist
- Amazon: Kitchen & Home Labor Day Sale: Save up to 65%
- Linens ‘n Things: BOGO 50% off bath furniture, more + 20% off coupon
- American Eagle: 40% off purchases coupon
Gateway, Acer, Packard Bell To Merge, Form Voltron
By October 9, 2007
Acer is buying Gateway for $710 million. Meanwhile, Gateway has just offered to buy Packard Bell for $100 million, according to MSNBC.
Great Customer Service From IBM (Lenovo)?
By April 30, 2007
Dubner over at Freakonomics was distraught at the idea of sending his beloved laptop away to IBM for warranty repair, but since neither Geek Squad nor any of the IBM recommended vendors were up to the task, he reluctantly agreed.
100,000 ThinkPad Batteries Recalled Due To Fire Hazard
By March 1, 2007
The CPSC has announced the recall of 100,000 ThinkPad extended life batteries. “If the battery in the laptop is struck forcefully on the corner, such as from a direct fall to the ground, the battery pack can overheat and pose a fire hazard to users. This is not an internal battery cell defect.” Lenovo has received 4 reports of batteries overheating and damaging the notebook. There have been no injuries except “in one case, minor eye irritation to one consumer.”
Consumers Speak: Lenovo’s Tricky Customer Service
By December 22, 2005
Ever since IBM sold their industry standard Thinkpad line of laptops to Lenovo, some have worried if the quality of the units would suffer. On the whole, it seems they haven’t—they continue to review well, performance-wise.
Consumeristas Speak: Lenovo’s Free Thinkpad Battery Bait and Switch
By December 7, 2005
If they were out of stock they could have sent it when they got some more. It’s not like this is a product that is rare. But no, the bait & switch was ‘cheapo printer or go to hell.’
