Buying new on ebay

[j-dawg]

Those sellers offering Thinkpads at good discounts on Ebay...are they legit? I know Lenovo is having a big sale right now, but I don't plan to buy a laptop for the next few months and I want to get an X60 Tablet since it'll be cheaper than an X61t and the differences aren't that great. There seems to be a pretty consistent stream of X-series TPs on Ebay, all dolled up with major features and three-year "factory warranties," for similar to better prices than Lenovo offers for one-year-warranty computers, and that's with sale prices factored in.

For example:
X-series TPs on Ebay

Three gigabytes RAM, 100gb, 8-cell battery, SXGA, UltraBase with a DVD burner, and a three-year warranty. Similar price disparities exist between the X61 between Ebay and the Lenovo site.

What's the catch? If, five months from now, I want an X60 or X61 Tablet, will these offers still be there, and are they legit? What's the downside?

Thanks in advance.

Mod Edit: Reduced size of link so that the text of this thread is contained within one screen wide.
Harryc

[qviri]

What's the catch?

From the auction,

IBM Global Financing 180 Day Parts And Labor + A 3 Year Extended Mack International Parts and Labor warranty

A search of the forum for "Mack" will reveal pretty low opinions.

IBM/Lenovo Factory Grade A Refurbished Certified L Claim Product. These Are Factory Sealed computers Some Are Excess New Products-Surplus Units That Are Still New, Duplicate Orders, Canceled Orders And Systems That Have Been Returned Because They Didn't Meet Customers Specific Needs And Some Are Discontinued Products In Perfect Working Condition they All come complete with all original accessories.

Factory sealed? Yes. New? Not quite...

[whizkid]

Indeed. I bought a T42 off ebay recently, factory sealed. It was well used, and the CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive doesn't work and there's no sound output at all. It's in for service right now, and who knows how long it will be there.

You can get lucky... or not.

[ajkula66]

And as I always say...if you're not buying new from Lenovo, spend a few more bucks here than you would on eBay and get a machine with pedigree and proper description...

BTW, not to advertise for other forum members, but there are people here who sell NIB stuff at good prices, and have been doing so for years...

[RealBlackStuff]

And ajkula66 is known to sell some of the best used Thinkpads under the sun

[ajkula66]

Thanks, RBS, my good neighbour!

My point being, there is no regulation of the word "refurbished", as underclocker has pointed out once before, so anything goes.

Including getting an XGA screen on a "refurbished" (beautifully looking, though) A31p...and I've seen that with T42p machines as well...

Buy a working used machine and shop around to extend the warranty...as long as it still has some warranty remaining.

People have been complaining lately of the stuff the've received from IBM directly that was supposed to be "refurbished" but turned out to be junk. What can you expect from a re-seller on eBay?

Or, if you're looking for new stuff...search this forum. There is new stuff to be found. At prices usually better than Lenovo Outlet.

I don't sell new ThinkPads, but try to describe the used ones that I do sell to the best of my knowledge, and have never turned down anyone looking for pictures of a particular issue, angle or spot. You won't get that on eBay.

That being said, there are many people here who sell top-quality used machines, but you have to be present on the forum to catch the great deals when they arrive.

[cj3209]

Just wanted to chip in that MACK warranties are not a good replacement for the regular IBM/Lenovo warranty. If you read the fine print carefully on a MACK warranty, you have to send it in to them and they don't specify when you get it back. Plus you have to pay a $35 RETURN SHIPPING FEE.

I've read horror stories about items taking months and months to get repaired. If you use your TP for business, you should not be using a MACK warranty.

Just my two cents.

CJ

[pianowizard]

"Factory Sealed" certainly isn't the same as "new". I bought my first "factory sealed" R50p from Thinkpadworld on eBay and its cosmetic condition was 8.5 out of 10 at most. The Windows XP Pro COA sticker was very worn out, several other stickers on the bottom were severely damaged, and, worst of all, the display lid had four 4-to-7-inch-long scratches.