Dropped new T61 :(

Well I was rushing for a meeting with a classmate today and dropped my new T61 onto the ground. It fell straight down from the position of my shoulder and hit on the side facing me. It started up fine afterwards but now all the plastic seems loose and the hinge makes noises when I open it.

Any suggestions with what to do? This laptop is literally two weeks old.

 

hope you bought the thinkpad protection when you ordered it.

 

Try taking off the plastic parts that feel looes and reseting, they may just have been poped out of place. Same for the hinges just try taking it apart and repositioning everything back to normal.

Otherwise copy your hard drive and send it in for a new one!

 

It's good it was a ThinkPad.

 

QFT

Post some pics so we can see what that kind of drop does to a thinkpad.

 

A Vostro can take that kind of abuse, provided the HD doesn't get screwed up, but it ends up looking like this:

 

I'm sorry to hear that. I remember the first time that I dropped my celly, I thought I was going to cry, so I can't imagine what you must have felt like after you dropped such an expensive tool. You're fortunate that your HDD is still functioning properly. The physical things (sqeaking, etc.) should be resolved quite easily depending on the extent of the damage.

 

Doesn't do much actually. Only visible damage is bigger gaps between the plastic. The front plastic just seems loose. The cover for the hard drive popped out but I pushed it back in. Only thing that worries me is the hard drive, it passed SMART test but its making noise.

I'll try taking the plastic off and resetting it, hope thats all thats wrong.

Gah! If this was maybe a few months old I wouldn't mind, but I've only had it two weeks.

jooooeee, you said send it in for a new one. How is their customer service? I've dealt with Dell before and its really easy.



If not I'll just craigslist it, take a hit, and buy a new one I guess.

 

Well Lenovo replaced my 1 week old system due to a single stuck pixel so I think you'll be good. They have some sort of 21day gaurentee or warrenty or something to that effect. The service was really great they where in Goregia so they spoke English well and the guy I talked to was really nice. The first person I talked to couldn't help so he said his supervisor would call me back. Ten minutes later I get the call back the supervisor said they couldn't repair it but since it was less than 21days old the sales department could ship me a mew one at no cost. So he gave me a referance # and I called sales ten minutes later I am confirming the specs for the replacment. Had it in my hands in about a week. Just kind of refuse to take no for an anwser and be a little annoying but make sure your not mean or get frustrated with them otherwise they just shut off and you won't get anything!

 

uh, you leveraged your father's purchasing power with Lenovo, your Dad going to help here too?

 

Very different issues here. Joe's ThinkPad had a manufacturing defect, so Lenovo is responsible for it. IMO, it is not a material defect, but Lenovo extended an one-time courtesy to replace it.

Stupid_nut's problem was not a manufacturing defect, rather caused by accident (negligence.) ThinkPad Protection Plan will cover it. Since stupid_nut's ThinkPad was purchased only 2 weeks ago, there are credit cards that cover accidental damage. Which form of payment did you use? If it is credit card, check your cardmember agreement. For example, American Express, one of the best WRT cardmember benefits, covers theft and accidental damage up to 90 days after purchase.

 

I actually didn't buy the protection plan. I bought it for my Dell 3 years ago and haven't had to use it. My luck I need it on my new computer.

A-hah! It actually was purchased with an American Express! I'll have to call my mom and ask her about it. It was on her card.

Is it even worth trying to contact Lenovo?

 

Get your Mom to contact Amex's Product Protection Department regarding. However, I would start the process rolling!

I always purchase with a Credit Card and if possible via the internet using the Credit card through PayPal. A little extra Protection with Theft, Fraud, Product Misrepresentation & Product Damage (Shipping)

Got ThinkPad!

Sircas

 

That's Murphy's Law.

Double check the cardmember agreement, because each card's benefits are different.

Definitely report the accident ASAP. They will instruct you on what to do. Amex will probably tell you to repair the computer and send the bill to them. IBM EasyServ will be happy to repair your ThinkPad's accidental damage outside of protection plan coverage for a price.

 

Truthfully I was just hoping they would somehow get me an exchange for a new computer. There is not much to "repair" because nothing is really "broken". Really if they replace the hard drive I will be happy, seeing as its the only thing I can see that could suffer serious damage. Looking at the IBM EasyServ prices it doesn't seem logical to spend like 250 to get a hard drive and a cover replaced.

Hm... wonder if they can somehow get Lenovo to take it back and Amex pay the restocking fee. Hm...

If anybody has any more info about Amex or Lenovo I'll be glad to hear it.

Guess I'll call my mom tomorrow.

 

You dropped it, and you didn't pay for the ThinkPad Protection Plan. Why on earth would Lenovo take it back and give you a new one?

 

Because they are super? I've dealt with Dell many a time and I'm just expecting the same experience.

Truthfully I may just end up hawking it on craigslist. If somebody buys it I'll loose a bit of money but save the hassle of going through Amex and have a brand new computer instead of having bits replaced at Amex expense.

 

You should do whatever makes you feel the best about your situation... you will be the one to live with whatever you decide to do...

 

I doubt they will send you a new one if you didn't purchase one of Lenovo's "accident" related protection plans. Since you did purchase a 'completecare' plan with your old Dell, it covers incidents like yours. Hopefully, your mom's credit card had some sort of warranty that covers accidents.

Good luck.

 

Actually with Dell even if I did mess up the CSR never put it through as CompleteCare. I was surprised, must have more paperwork or something. They usually marked it up as "defective" and did it through warranty service.

I'm probably just overreacting, ran more checks and everything says the computer is in tip top shape (it was off when dropped). This thing really is built to last (sure my old Dell would've split in two).

Thanks for all the suggestions guys!

 

I had an experience with Dell and it's completecare warranty when I knocked over a cup of pulpy orange juice onto the keyboard of my old Dell Inspiron 8100. I immediately turned it off and paniced! I tried to wipe off the excess juice from the keyboard but I remembered that I had purchased the completecare warranty, so I calmed down and called Dell. Within a day, they sent me a box with all the shipping labels and I got it fixed within 5 days of it being sent out.

If it still works and you don't mind the creaks, rattles, and other assorted noises from it, just keep it. Personally, I would take the monetary loss and get a new one.

Geez, 2 weeks. I really feel bad for you.

 

I wonder if stupid_nut could buy accident protection after the fact? I mean before he sends it in of course. Is that wrong?

 

Typically you buy insurance before an event rather than after expecting it to pay for something. For example, you don't wait until your house burns down to buy fire insurance for your home, and you don't buy collision insurance after you've had a wreck in your car.

 

What you are suggesting is fraud. Companies know that, so most of them do not sell the accident protection plan after the product has been sold. It must be purchased at the same time as the product.

 

No way am I buying the insurance, its worth a whole new computer!

Currently sitting on craigslist for under a grand, I think thats decent.

Still looking through all my options. So my screens been like this since I bought it and I just brushed it off since everything else was fine. Is this normal?

 

Is that angled back? If so, it's normal, the ThinkPad doesn't have great viewing angles.

 

"I actually didn't buy the protection plan. I bought it for my Dell 3 years ago and haven't had to use it. My luck I need it on my new computer."

I have the Lenovo accident coverage and a couple of weeks ago, a key popped off my keyboard and I received a new NMB replacement for my old chicony, no questions asked the next day. I don't know whether the ordinary warranty would have covered that or not, but it sure was nice.

 

I hope the normal warranty would cover that. If the key just popped off and it wasn't due to misuse (not sure how you would misuse a key) then the normal warranty should cover it.

 

My t61p WSXGA+ LG scrren has great viewing angles

 

From the way the pic was taken it seems like it was taken from a lower vertical angle (looking up to the screen). Not sure about others but my horizontal viewing angles are excellent. The upper vertical viewing angle is also surprisingly good. Someone could be standing over the screen and not lose any clarity and brightness viewing it. The only really bad viewing angle is the lower vertical angle where the colors begin to invert which appears to be what the pic is showing.

I don't know about most people but on a laptop vertical angles seldom become an issue mainly because the screen can be tilted (you don't open a laptop and immediately tilt the screen at a generous angle ). Consequently, horizontal viewing angles on the other hand require the machine to be repositioned.

I'll take bad lower vertical angles over bad horizontal viewing angles anyday. Of course, ideally I'd want perfect viewing angles all around but just saying I don't think the viewing angles are all that bad and when it is, I never get to experience it unless I tilt the screen all the way back but why would anyone do that?

 

I think I would cry.

 

Yep it sucks to drop something you love so much.