refurb x31 from Thinkpadworld has arrived

[pellicle]

Hi

well, I decided to give up the CPR on my x31 and buy another. I got it from Thinkpadworld. The unit arrived ok, although no sign of it being 'IBM factory sealed' (despite not requesting any alterations to the config.

my general experience on this is at http://tiny.cc/thinkpad481

I put this up as I thought it might add some 'beneficial' information to potential buyers (although most will like me research post purchase ;-)

basically if you don't live in USA, Canada or the UK you can't use paypal. Since most of the readers will not be in that category, I guess that you won't find my particular issue. All that aside, it's been an ok transaction.


To those of you who may have helped me in diagnosing my now declared dead x31, thank you for your time and help.

:-)

Mod Edit - Moved to the General forum, not hardware related. --Harryc--

[mattbiernat]

To those of you who may have helped me in diagnosing my now declared dead x31, thank you for your time and help.

so wait... you bought a factory sealed IBM from thinkpadworld which actually wasn't factory sealed and it already died on you?

[JonathanGennick]

Chris, thank you for posting your experience. I've been thinking of buying on eBay from sellers such as ThinkpadWorld. I still might, but it's sure nice to have some first-hand stories of how those transactions work out.

Might I suggest adding a date at the top of your article? When researching on the web, I always like to know when something was written, so as to know how current it is.

BTW, I've read many of ThinkpadWorld's listings. Like you, I never even noticed the special rules for those outside of the U.S. and Canada. One thing about eBay that I don't like is that so many sellers seem to have various rules and caveats tucked away in their listings.

Thanks for mentioning Toolhaus too. I'd never heard of that site. It looks to be very useful.

[pellicle]

Dear mattbiernat

no, my wording muse be unclear, sorry about that. My previous x31 died, so I bought another one to replace it. It is the replacement to which I was referring to there being nothing to indicate it was factory sealed.

I only bought another x31 as it has warranty. After 8 years of using thinkpads I'm now quite dubious about the newer breed, feeling that my previous ones are much more sound machines (560, 770ED, 570E, x20) and all except the 570E are still working today in some role.

:Jonathan

I'll include a date on that page

[RealBlackStuff]

Before moving to the USA in 2007, I lived in Europe (Ireland and Switzerland) for many years.
I have been using PayPal and eBay for about 9 years now, and bought many items in the USA off eBay, while paying with PayPal.
When in doubt, I ALWAYS emailed seller in advance if they would accept PayPal and ship to Europe, and thus let me bid.
I only ever had one refusal.

Perhaps it helped that, way back when, I originally signed on for ebay.COM and paypal.COM, rather than the local .IE or .CH

Seeing you have 57 eBay feedbacks, one would assume that you would be more PayPal "savvy" after so many transactions!

[pellicle]

RealBlackStuff

I too signed up on ebay long ago (back when it was sold.com.au acutally, and my account was transfered to eBay when they aquired that company). You say:

Seeing you have 57 eBay feedbacks, one would assume that you would be more PayPal "savvy" after so many transactions!

Well, I normally email when they do not say "paypal prefered" and "international delivery", as I believe that this is why they go to the trouble of saying this, you know, stating their intentions clearly. It does save them from people asking the same silly questions all day long after all. I normally only ask the obvious when they do not say "ships internationally", I have found when not stating international shipping that by asking "would you consider shipping to Finland, and can you tell me how much it would cost please?" has yielded helpful responses (especially with eBay Germany, where often the sellers don't think of international shipping because of the perceived costs but are still happy to sell to the highest bidder).

Perhaps after so many smooth transactions I've become too 'balze' about it and have begun to take things on face value. I will indeed be 'asking the obvious' and reading the fine print from now on, especially when dealing with the USA.

[pellicle]

by the way, my "sting" in this is really only

• the extra $50 cost of the shipping
• what I feel was misleading (or at least easily misread) wording on their conditions
• the way that the mistake on my part was handled

I understand that in business that people need to be hard or they'll get walked on by exploiters. I just prefer not to be treated like I was, and perhaps some of the old fashioned thing called courtesy might be nice too.

the Thinkpad is a neat used machine with only minor signs of wear and a warranty of some nature. I think it represents fair trading

I don't have a bad experience, and I do not recommend against using Thinkpad world, only that you take caution in reading their site and that you can infer what you like from their reactions to this as to how they might handle a more significant problem.

that's really what I'm trying to share here.

[RealBlackStuff]

We hear you and it is always good to be reminded of the small print.

If you don't live in the USA/Canada/UK, but have friends or relatives there, ask them to bid for you and ship the item on to you.
Check the old family tree, you may be surprised how many relatives you have abroad!

(I have found already over 40, most of them in Massachusetts)

[kosse]

If you don't live in the USA/Canada/UK, but have friends or relatives there, ask them to bid for you and ship the item on to you.
Check the old family tree, you may be surprised how many relatives you have abroad!

Or just buy from this forum - there are many great sellers around

[kimpo]

I seriously considered buying a laptop from this seller but I started reading the fine print and got cold feet - glad I did.

Well, as Kosse already suggested, using this forum will get you what you want and more. There are plenty of trustworthy sellers in the Marketplace and many of them will, and have shipped to Finland.

I made a deal on X32 myself with a fellow forum member here and have been very satisfied so far.

Regards,

Kimi

[epbrown]

I'd advise against dealing with Thinkpadworld myself. Last month I clicked on Buy It Now on a T43p they were auctioning off, and paid via Paypal immediately. When no laptop arrived after 2 weeks, I e-mailed them and was told by "Ken" that when they went to ship the laptop, they'd discovered it was damaged so they hadn't sent it.

He had no explanation for why no one had told me this in 2 weeks.

He offered me another model for $50 less than the T43p I wanted, but $100 more than they were asking on eBay. I replied that if they couldn't come through on the T43p, just issue me a refund.

I waited 2 weeks and got no response, so I e-mailed again and said if I didn't hear anything, I'd have to leave a negative feedback and contact Paypal to file a dispute. After still nothing for a week, I left the feedback. It was then that I discovered that, while their overall feedback is positive, they've received about 30 negatives in the past year, and they leave rude, unbusinesslike responses about their customers who leave negative feedback.

The next day, I got a phone call at home from "Charlie," saying he was sorry no one had replied to my e-mails, and that only he could authorize refunds and he'd been out of the country. He had no answer when I asked why no one explained this. He said they now had another T43p with my specs in stock, and they could send it out right away, or I could have a refund. Having soured on them, I said I'd prefer just getting my money back. Charlie said no problem, he'd take care of it that day.

A week later, still no refund, and now Charlie is unavailable by phone or e-mail. They also left me negative feedback saying my contact info was false, and accusing me of "possible fraud." This was left minutes before the deadline for responses, so I couldn't reply to their accusations. On their own feedback page, they claim they couldn't reach me but had issued me a refund.

Paypal is supposedly still investigating before issuing my refund.

This is likely my last eBay purchase. This is my 3rd unsuccessful attempt to buy a laptop there in the past few months - two other sellers discovered the laptops weren't working after the auction ended, though they both refunded my money immediately.

I also bought some authentic CSL wheels from the UK there last month, which arrived yesterday morning (though that seems more the couriers than the seller). Lately, it seems like everyone wants to be paid immediately or they'll try to have you thrown in jail or killed, while they'll send you the goods whenever and however they feel. I'm waiting to confirm Paypal doesn't somehow screw up my case and not refund my money, then I'll just go to a brick and mortar store and pay retail.

[Johan]

I am very sorry to read about all the troubles both of you have had with ThinkPad World - you surely both have my sympathy.

I have bought two T42p's from the USA, but both via the Marketplace in this forum. In both cases the sellers provided detailed information about the condition of the machines and this left me with a much, much safer feeling than if having traded with ThinkPad World - who have a very mixed reputation on this forum, which will very easily become evident if using the Search function available here - search for "ThinkPad World" and remember to check "Search for all terms", or search for ThinkPadWorld (no space). Also, see the thread eBay Seller ThinkPadWorld, originally posted by the owner of ThnkPad World, probably to try to improve his reputation on this board. Note that the thread was finally locked by the a forum Admin after much negative criticism had been posted.

I have also bought two T42's via eBay, but in both cases I have been lucky to discover that they both matched the (in both cases: Far too brief to my taste!) description given in the listing(s). Looking back on these eBay trades (after having subsequently read much more about eBay, than what I knew at the time of bidding), I have come to realize that I was very lucky not to be burnt more or less there. Sure, most people (also on eBay) are honest etc., but still the chances to buy an e.g. blemished or partially non-functional laptop on eBay (and with NO rights of return) is far higher than if trading with a knowlegable, trustworthy, long-time ThinkPad enthusiast e.g. via the Marketplace on this forum. All this to say those who may happen to read this - that if having a choice, use the Marketplace here first... before going gambling on eBay or elsewhere with poor communication and the lack of "a good feeling".

Another thing to consider when trading with e.g. ThinkPad World is this: Where do they actually get their laptops from, and what is the condition of these used machines? I am certain that many of them are returned-after-lease laptops (with little or no remaining genuine IBM warranty left), which e.g. ThinkPad World are buying from IBM Used Notebook PCs Certified by IBM. Now, ThinkPad World is most likely (I'd guess!) member of the "IBM Contractor Purchase Program" and may get these used laptops 25% cheaper than those available to "us" normal fellows - read how in the thred about IBM certified used machine, 25% off. Assuming that I am correct here - that many ThinkPad World laptops are indeed "IBM Certified Used Equipment", then it is a good idea to browse this forum for information about the user feedback about such machines - see e.g. the reports made reference to in the thread Concerning on buying a refurbished T42P.

Warranty - another very important issue to consider, when buying used equipment. Read more about this is the threads already made reference to above, and pay special attention to the trouble that non-USA residents may run into, when needing service on a Thinkpad (outside of USA); see e.g. the story about such problems in the thread IBM/Denmark deny to honor warranty confirmed by IBM-Support. My best recommendation: Use this outstandingly valuable forum to prepare yourself - with respect to every aspect of a purchase - before making the final move.

Finally, epbrown, have a look in the thread SOLD SOLD T43p UXGA Flexview IBM warranty till ’09. MINT con and see the price for this MINT T43p - and benchmark it against the T43p's which you were offered by ThinkPad World. I would absolutely most like the one offered by Frank (user Padhead). By the way, he (Frank) might be able to help you get another T43p, according to recent threas Frank had access to several high-end, MINT T43p's... consider dropping him a PM.

Bottom line? Communication, honesty, integrity and knowledge is the key to successful trading used laptops - which you will all find here in the Marketplace. Because of this - and not the least because of the amazing amount of helpful forum members here - I am ever so happy for the bare existence of this fantastic friendly forum!

Best of luck with your hopefully-soon-to-arrive replacement T43p, and perhaps bought via this forum?

Kind regards,

Johan

[epbrown]

Johan, thanks for your thoughts. I did search this forum for threads about ThinkpadWorld, but couldn't find any relevant ones; at the time, I was using "thinkpad world" as my search terms, and that was much too general for results on a ThinkPad forum.

As for buying via the forum, I actually checked here first, in the hopes Bruce had one up - I've dealt with him a couple times before and I've been pleased. Unfortunately, no one had the specific model I wanted listed at the time (2668-G2U). Checking again, no one has one even now.

On the plus side, I just learned that Paypal has initiated the chargeback so I'll get my refund.

[beeblebrox]

I am very sorry to read about all the troubles both of you have had with ThinkPad World - you surely both have my sympathy.

I have bought two T42p's from the USA, but both via the Marketplace in this forum. In both cases the sellers provided detailed information about the condition of the machines and this left me with a much, much safer feeling than if having traded with ThinkPad World - who have a very mixed reputation on this forum, which will very easily become evident if using the Search function available here - search for "ThinkPad World" and remember to check "Search for all terms", or search for ThinkPadWorld (no space). Also, see the thread eBay Seller ThinkPadWorld, originally posted by the owner of ThnkPad World, probably to try to improve his reputation on this board. Note that the thread was finally locked by the a forum Admin after much negative criticism had been posted.

I have also bought two T42's via eBay, but in both cases I have been lucky to discover that they both matched the (in both cases: Far too brief to my taste!) description given in the listing(s). Looking back on these eBay trades (after having subsequently read much more about eBay, than what I knew at the time of bidding), I have come to realize that I was very lucky not to be burnt more or less there. Sure, most people (also on eBay) are honest etc., but still the chances to buy an e.g. blemished or partially non-functional laptop on eBay (and with NO rights of return) is far higher than if trading with a knowlegable, trustworthy, long-time ThinkPad enthusiast e.g. via the Marketplace on this forum. All this to say those who may happen to read this - that if having a choice, use the Marketplace here first... before going gambling on eBay or elsewhere with poor communication and the lack of "a good feeling".

Another thing to consider when trading with e.g. ThinkPad World is this: Where do they actually get their laptops from, and what is the condition of these used machines? I am certain that many of them are returned-after-lease laptops (with little or no remaining genuine IBM warranty left), which e.g. ThinkPad World are buying from IBM Used Notebook PCs Certified by IBM. Now, ThinkPad World is most likely (I'd guess!) member of the "IBM Contractor Purchase Program" and may get these used laptops 25% cheaper than those available to "us" normal fellows - read how in the thred about IBM certified used machine, 25% off. Assuming that I am correct here - that many ThinkPad World laptops are indeed "IBM Certified Used Equipment", then it is a good idea to browse this forum for information about the user feedback about such machines - see e.g. the reports made reference to in the thread Concerning on buying a refurbished T42P.

Warranty - another very important issue to consider, when buying used equipment. Read more about this is the threads already made reference to above, and pay special attention to the trouble that non-USA residents may run into, when needing service on a Thinkpad (outside of USA); see e.g. the story about such problems in the thread IBM/Denmark deny to honor warranty confirmed by IBM-Support. My best recommendation: Use this outstandingly valuable forum to prepare yourself - with respect to every aspect of a purchase - before making the final move.

Finally, epbrown, have a look in the thread SOLD SOLD T43p UXGA Flexview IBM warranty till ’09. MINT con and see the price for this MINT T43p - and benchmark it against the T43p's which you were offered by ThinkPad World. I would absolutely most like the one offered by Frank (user Padhead). By the way, he (Frank) might be able to help you get another T43p, according to recent threas Frank had access to several high-end, MINT T43p's... consider dropping him a PM.

Bottom line? Communication, honesty, integrity and knowledge is the key to successful trading used laptops - which you will all find here in the Marketplace. Because of this - and not the least because of the amazing amount of helpful forum members here - I am ever so happy for the bare existence of this fantastic friendly forum!

Best of luck with your hopefully-soon-to-arrive replacement T43p, and perhaps bought via this forum?

Kind regards,

Johan

Johan,
why don't you by from ITXchange.com?

They are the official IBM outlet store, esp. in Europe and if you check thinkpad-forum.de (if you understand German, which I assume) you see about 20.000 hits on that company. It seems ITXchange has among the lowest prices and best services...

Just my 2 cts.