Don't buy a Lenovo

This is a heads up for anyone contemplating purchasing/buying a Lenovo product. My advice is DON'T!!

Here's my story...

Well, what a productive morning.

20 minutes on the Lenovo website trying to find a service centre, a service phone number, a page for service under warranty, anything really, to get some help. Even the URL I was told to go to on my written warranty page doesn't exist... Going round in circles, aaarrgghhhhh......

Finally found a number to ring.

Rang the number, I do wish they wouldn't use voice recognition for the serial number, until voice recognition is perfected. After several tries, I hung up and phoned again, this time I kept pressing 0 until I got put through to a person. Not sure if 'he' was a real person, though. He started out the 'conversation' with 'your first and last name' - never said hello. Kept asking me questions, then leaving silences after I'd answered, so I wasn't sure if he was still there or the call had dropped out. I asked him a couple of times if he was a real person, and funnily.. didn't get an answer to that. So I'm still wondering.

Moving on from all that kerfuffle, I was told that service would be by what's called "Return to Depot", with no other choices. They will send me a box to pack the computer in, then I'm to call DHL to collect it, and I will be without it for 7-10 working days.

If they cannot replicate the computer's problem (which is sporadic) they will just return it back to me saying they couldn't find the problem. So I will have to send it back and be without it again.

UNBELIEVABLE!!! Who can be without their computer for that long? Especially when you're in business?

They said they had no service centres, and taking it to the repair place was not allowed.

If I had known this I would not have bought it.

Oh, I did warn this 'person' at Lenovo that the service wasn't satisfactory, and that I would no longer be recommending them, in fact I would tell others about their poor service. This made no difference, it didn't even elicit a comment.

 

Honestly, 7-10 days is pretty decent for a mail-in warranty. Also, you could have sprung for an upgraded warranty. I can understand if you didn't buy direct from Lenovo, you may not have realized this. Lenovo offers on-site service just like Dell and HP do for their business class machines. Lenovo sells their laptops with a basic warranty while Dell and HP often sell theirs with already upgraded warranties. But you can usually get the Lenovo for much cheaper, so they aren't ripping you off.

 

If you've ever called support for any sort of product, you'd also be familiar with the automated systems used to get your serial numbers, etc. Depot warranty service is standard, and a 7-10 day turnaround time is standard as well unless you've opted for on-site warranty upgrades.

That said, you've never mentioned what your problem is in the first place; if you give us more details perhaps we could help.

 

Is OP regarding a Thinkpad or an Ideapad? Not sure if both go through the same or different support centers.

 

It took me about a week to receive the next-business-day on-site service for my X220. I recall that when I had my T60 it only took me 1 day.

 

Also are you located in the US? We just contact IBM for our warranty repair as they do all our Lenovo Think brand repairs.

 

Among many other things, the OP did not specify.

Yep, in the United States, IBM handles warranty service for Think-series products. In other countries, it's contracted out to other companies.

 

Thanks everyone, will address the service separately, but for the moment, the problem with my computer is that the keyboard gets stuck, and continually and rapidly types 'e34' everywhere, and the computer is unusable. I have to restart it, and it is fine for a few hours, when it starts up again. It is not a virus. The 3 keys do not look like they are pressed. Note they are together on the keyboard.

I am in Australia, I guess this is why I don't get an upgrade in service time. I
can only get an upgrade to extend the warranty period to either 2yrs or 3yrs.

The product is an IdeaPad.

One section of my warranty gives a step by step guide to what the service provider will do to correct problems...including
1. Attempt to diagnose and resolve the problem over the phone, by email or remote assistance.
2. CRU replacement
3. Only if that doesn't work will it need to go to service.

The person I spoke to did not attempt to diagnose the problem.

The warranty itself does not in any way suggest that service will take 7-10 business days. Towards the back of it, it gives me (Australia) 2 choices, the depot choice, or a CRU service. The CRU service was not offered to me. Only the depot service, even before this person had heard the problem. He didn't ask what the problem was by the way.

I don't think this level of 'service' is good enough.

Your responses, on the other hand, have been very quick, and helpful, thankyou.

 

You aren't going to get the same quality of support on an IdeaPad as you would on a ThinkPad. You get what you pay for.

 

Thanks themouse, I thought I was paying for a product, and assuming it's a good product, it wouldn't need fixing. I thought a Thinkpad was dearer because it used later technology. Which gets cheaper with the next update anyway.

 

Indeed, IdeaPad and Thinkpad support are handled by different centers, with Thinkpad support usually being more helpful and comprehensive. That said, I've heard some bad things about Thinkpad Depot warranty service in Australia (the contractor there is sub-par).

If you haven't yet sent in your laptop, see if they're willing to send you a replacement keyboard. At least on Thinkpads, the keyboard is a CRU and shouldn't be too big of a deal to replace.

 

@FedUpAlready,

Do you have an email handy where i can get somebody to contact you (you can private message it to me)?

Alternatively you may want to speak to @Lenovo_ANZ twitter account, i am sure you would get some help that way.

 

Do they offer to courier out a new keyboard for self fitting? That would probably solve your problem at minimal inconvenience and cost to all parties.

 

this option isn't available for ideapad.

 

Well I have waited 30+ days to get my LCD panel replaced in Thinkpad t420s (no NBD but still isn't it a little too long?). Dell user now, never going back to Lenovo.

 

Are you in the US? I'm learning there is a different level of support inside the US vs outside the US, unfortunately.

 

Forgot to add, Poland, there is no real Lenovo HQ here, just local companies providing support for Lenovo. The issue with my t420s was not only broken display but also cracked palmrest (pic in another thread). The local support team told me Lenovo Poland was basically dead when it came to response to their (local support) picture-documentation about my notebook. I ended up getting LCD changed and gave up on palmrest issue as it seemed that Lenovo doesnt give a f.... about it.

Had good feeling about the whole issue tho, same day i left my notebook, I ordered dell m4600 with NBD and accidental warranty. Never going to wait more than 1 business day to get hardware fixed

 

I can only speak for the US. I've never had to use Lenovo's support (knock on wood), but did have an excellent experience with dell's NBD support.

 

I am not sure I understand what the OP is complaining about. He's not getting Thinkpad support because he's got an IdeaPad. He has to send it in because he does not have onsite warranty. What exactly did Lenovo wrong?

 

For every one post I see on NBR decrying Lenovo and their "sub-par" service, I see ten more praising Lenovo and their products.

ThinkPads and IdeaPads are two different beasts. TPs usually cost more, because they are business-class machines. The support scales up, for the most part. Such is the game we all play.

As for being in Australia, I have heard stories of Lenovo support being inferior to the U.S. counterpart (I'm U.S.-based, FYI), so I feel for you on that one.

I don't want to sound like a troll at all, so please do not take my comments as such. But I do think there is a bit of hyperbole in your posting & title. Just my thoughts. You did come to a good place for help, as people here are generally helpful and positive. But I would hardly say, 'don't buy Lenovo!'

I hope you get your IdeaPad back soon; I've typically had 2-3 day turnaround times for repairs on my ThinkPads, but then again IBM handles repairs here in the States. In the future, if you need a part, see if it is a Customer Replaceable Unit (CRU), and have them send you the part in question. Lenovo has excellent Hardware Maintenance Manuals (Google your model number + hardware maintenance manual), so if you need to do a quick repair (or even a full body breakdown) the HMM can help a lot. I've used them to successfully rebuild several T60/T61 units. There are also support videos on the web (can't remember the web address right now) that show you how to disassemble various parts of the computer.

 

Is it the same sort of crack wimute experienced on his X220? See pic at http://forum.notebookreview.com/not...ad-x220-review-discussion-16.html#post8346323

 

If you got problem in Australia with Lenovo support, i can always lend a hand in resolving the problem by escalating it to the right department.

But in the end, the OP's problem is issue of not having Onsite Warranty and at the same time wanting to avoid the depot repair's turnaround time.

 

Nope, mine was different... Let me find the picture.

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/2048/img0166bc.jpg

 

Ok, I'll add my two cents...

After two months of usage, my Y570 needed a new motherboard. Called up support, they went through some minor troubleshooting, and decided that it needed to be replaced. So they sent me shipping information and I dropped it off at FedEx that evening. Got it back a month later (they had stated 7-10 business days but there was a backorder on parts).

Other than the fact that it took a little over an hour on the call (most of which I was on hold while they were "pulling information" or something) and the fact that my Y570 needed to be fixed after two months in the first place, I had no problem with Lenovo customer service.

Then again, I live in the U.S. The international scene might be a different story.

 

Wow, many thanks for all the support/ideas/suggestions. Here's my replies :

themouse
You aren't going to get the same quality of support on an IdeaPad as you would on a ThinkPad. You get what you pay for
I don't understand this. Products are always priced according to their quality/technology. Service should be the same for all products.
I went in to my local computer shop with a price point in mind (which was what I could afford), and bought the best I could find for that price. I never even heard of a Thinkpad till later.

MidnightSun and nando4
If you haven't yet sent in your laptop, see if they're willing to send you a replacement keyboard. At least on Thinkpads, the keyboard is a CRU and shouldn't be too big of a deal to replace.
Good idea, thanks. But lead-org says this option isn't available in Australia :-(

lead_org
I'd love to pm you, however I cannot see where to do that. I've added you to my buddy list, still cannot see a link. Any pointers??


blindzior
Well I have waited 30+ days to get my LCD panel replaced in Thinkpad t420s
I'm shuddering to think I'll have to wait that long.....

Pintu
I am not sure I understand what the OP is complaining about. He's not getting Thinkpad support because he's got an IdeaPad. He has to send it in because he does not have onsite warranty. What exactly did Lenovo wrong?
I'm not asking for 'Thinkpad' support, I just want service for a product that I bought new, paid good money for - the best I could afford, and is only 2 months old. I'd like to be able to take it in somewhere, wait a couple of hours maybe, and take it home again, fixed. That time and effort would be an imposition. 7 - 10 days on the other hand, is a disaster, and will lose me a lot of money, necessitating in me having to borrow or hire another computer for the duration. Of course, this 'new' computer won't have my programs or settings in it, so I'll spend another day or so on that, wasting even more time.

formerglory
I don't want to sound like a troll at all, so please do not take my comments as such. But I do think there is a bit of hyperbole in your posting & title. Just my thoughts. You did come to a good place for help, as people here are generally helpful and positive. But I would hardly say, 'don't buy Lenovo!'
Having read all the comments, I find myself partly agreeing with you. The title should read "Don't buy Lenovo in Australia", as it seems service is a lot better elsewhere. In fact, if Lenovo cannot offer a decent level of support in Australia (on par with the US), then they shouldn't be selling their units here and taking our money.

formerglory
Lenovo has excellent Hardware Maintenance Manuals (Google your model number + hardware maintenance manual), so if you need to do a quick repair (or even a full body breakdown) the HMM can help a lot.
I'll do that, thanks, maybe I can fix the keypad myself, I'll check it out. Yes, I will be VERY careful, wouldn't want to void the warranty.

fletchman1313
I think you're a little more forgiving than me. Your Y570 needed repairs after only 2 months, and Lenovo kept it for 1 month? Sheeeesh, they owe you rental.


STATUS UPDATE
The problem with the keyboard has not recurred since I started posting here, so that's 2 days. I have run a registry cleaner, and various other programs in case something turned up in them.
I have received the box from Lenovo to return it in, but will wait and see if the problem recurs before doing so, and if I cannot fix it myself. Fingers crossed the programs found and corrected whatever it was.

Again, thanks everyone. I'll post updates as appropriate.

 

Hey, with customer service, it doesn't hurt to try. I've gotten Cisco to send me a replacement router for an out-of-warranty router (by more than 6 months, I think) that just stopped working one day. And many people complain about Cisco customer service.

Often, it's just a matter of being persistent but staying reasonable, calm and polite.

As an anti-spam measure, new members aren't granted PM privileges until they've accrued at least 5 quality posts.

 

Thanks MidnightSun,

will do re the service, I'll try again.

And for the pm, could lead_org pm me with his/her email address instead please. Thanks!

 

I am another that does not recommend a Lenovo product to anyone. I bought a Y570, did a clean install like I have done with so many of my personal PC's and laptops and a month or two later I developed a problem were my laptop would crash as soon as the video card was used. I did multiple re-installs, re-imaged the machine with Lenovo's image, spent multiple hours on the phones with techs.

I was told to send it in and a box would be sent to me. After a month of waiting and no box I was told a box will not come to me. So I ship it off on my own and a box gets to me a few days later.. At the depot they.. re-image the machine and nothing else. They don't test the video card at all. It blue screens the moment the video card is accessed.

I spend more time on the phone. Lenovo will not send me a working laptop refurbished or not. I have to send this one back. They agree to replace the mobo. This time they send the box quickly at least. I leave a note to be sure to check the video card and please don't just re-image the machine. What do they do? Replace the ram and send it back without testing the video card. It crashes the moment it is accessed.

I spend even more time on the phone arguing with support to escalate my case because they claim I have to send it back to the depot yet again. How can I trust them to do their job properly? I have not had a working laptop for months and months now. I have to drive hours away to ship it off since I live in a rural part of the country.

Finally they escalate my case and now I am told that I have to further trouble shoot this POS laptop to prove it is not a software issue. Apparently Lenovo laptops are not designed to run everyday games or view youtube without crashing. This is something they could have verified TWICE at the depot, but now they require me to waste my time doing this before deciding what to do!

I think it is complete BS that any company would expect their customer to continue wasting their time messing around with this laptop. I just want to send it in and have them send me a refurbished machine that works. Instead they bend me over and it is still not done.

I will never, ever purchase a Lenovo again. I work in IT and have supported thousands of computers and laptops. I have owned a lot of my own personal machines. I have never once ran into customer service that is this appalling. These laptops are obviously cheap for a reason. I wish I could take it back to were I bought it and tell my credit card this was a fraudulent purchase to remove the charge since Lenovo is not upholding their end of the warranty, but I live very far away from where I bought it.

 

Hi Stezzus, so sorry to hear your plight.

You are saying that you own a Lenovo laptop that is unusable, and the customer service has been very poor. In other words, the warranty is useless, no matter whether it is extended or not.

I'll say it again, Lenovo shouldn't sell outside the USA if they cannot support the product. That is just corporate greed, and doubly so - 1. by taking our money and giving poor service, and 2. for second rate products. If the products were good quality they wouldn't need customer service in the first place. That they do after only a couple of months is a sorry state of affairs.

 

It sucks to hear that Lenovo service outside the U.S. is shoddy. Ironically, Lenovo is a Chinese company, yet their support in Asia is inferior to U.S.

Perhaps it may be due to IBM handling service & support in the States. Does IBM handle international service, or is that Lenovo?

 

No, IIRC their contract was for IBM support in the US only. Whenever we RMA a ThinkPad (as rare is it is), we ship it off to IBM's repair depot in North Carolina.

 

As I understand it, Lenovo contracts various companies in different countries to handle warranty service in those countries (as do many other large computer OEMs). Unfortunately, it really varies from country to country as to how good those contractors are; IBM, the Thinkpad support contractor in the US, is quite good.

 

I'm actually in the US. I forgot to update my location until your post that made me realize it was still on Tokyo when I moved away last year.

 

FYI, small spills often preciptate this kind of behavior. If you spill something on your keyboard (and it doesn't take much), the standard advise is to immediately pull the plug and the battery and turn it upside down. Leave it like that for a few hours and don't turn it back on for about 2 days.

If you happen to have an external USB keyboard around, you can try it instead. I'm not sure how the Ideapad's BIOS is about recognizing USB keyboards for doing something like entering a BIOS password, but since it recognizes USB boot devices, my guess is that would not be a problem. If the problem returns and you want to remove the keyboard yourself, it should be doable using the dis-assembly guide, which I think is floating around in this forum somewhere.

 

This sounds no different than how any other OEM would have handled it.

I disagree with your OP.

That said, I paid $180 for three years accident and at home service.

 

In mature markets, IBM is the main provider for service on all Think Products. The ideapads product are contracted out to some other companies.

For future references to the OP, if you can't live without your laptop, try getting a ThinkPad and/or with Onsite warranty.

 

Well there's your first problem.. Just have patience and listen and you will be rewarded.


As another user said, it's a LOCALIZED problem. My experience here stateside with Lenovo's customer support has been nothing short of fantastic.