HELP! ebay transaction - Full type number of T40

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tiorapatea · #1 Post by **tiorapatea** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 3:02 pm

OK, so I entered into a contract to buy a T40 on ebay. I then e-mailed the vendor to ask him for the full Type number. This is how that went:

> Would you please also tell me the full IBM Type number on the base of
> the machine, which will read something like 2647-KHU 123ABC 03/04? I
> want to check the specifications and warranty status of this machine
> on IBM's site.
>
> AS A REFURB IT ONLY COMES WITH THE TYPE NUMBER 2373 AND HAS 30 DAYS
> WARRANTY, THATS ALL THERE IS.

My understanding is that ALL Thinkpads have an identifying type number that is specific to a single laptop. I am nervous that, if I am not told the full number, the vendor effectively has an option to substitute inferior goods for those sold, even supposing he now holds any specific machine for sale.

1. Am I right that all Thinkpads have a full Type number?

2. What if the sticker with the Type number comes off the base - can one find it anywhere else?

#2 Post by **Kyocera** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 3:08 pm

My t30 is an IBM certified used purchased from IBM and has only the 2366 number on the sticker on the bottom.

My t42 which I purchased brand new from IBM only has the 2378 number on the sticker on the bottom.

Don't have any others right now to look at.

tiorapatea · #3 Post by **tiorapatea** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 3:23 pm

Thanks for telling me that - I didn't want to jump all over the guy without checking the facts. Even checking the facts now makes me feel guilty, like I could ever have doubted this upstanding netizen with a faultless record of 1500-0 in feedback.

ebay makes me a little more paranoid than I am usually

.

Edit: so how do you know the three-letter suffix?

#4 Post by **Kyocera** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 3:34 pm

There is a sticker on the bottom that has a bar code on it that has the full designation, maybe you could ask him to see if it has that sticker on it. I just saw it on both my machines. Sorry about that, but maybe he has not looked closely enough (like me) to see it, it is somewhat ambiguious.

You should be paranoid about E-bay. Better safe than stuck.

LtTPfan · #5 Post by **LtTPfan** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 4:13 pm

tiorapatea · #6 Post by **tiorapatea** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 5:58 pm

LtTPfan, I agree with what you say about the desirability of asking questions first. But, just because one has chosen not to in a particular case, perhaps because of good feedback and a feeling that a Buy-it-now offer will be snapped up before questions can be answered, does not mean that one should then decide to remain silent after the bargain has been struck. There's always scope to unpick a deal that is turning out differently from what was advertised.

Still not too sure whether to expect a full bar code always - will keep watching.

#7 Post by **jdhurst** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 6:15 pm

I can say with confidence that I have never seen a recent (5 years and newer) ThinkPad that did not have a proper model number on the case (nnnn-nXn format). I would be most wary of any ThinkPad that was not properly labeled.

Anecdotaly, I had the bottom case replaced on my T41 and the vendor took the labels (including COA) and replaced them on the new case. The COA is a bit wrinkly after that, but the other IBM labels including proper model are afixed just fine. .... JD Hurst

#8 Post by **bill bolton** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 8:37 pm

jdhurst wrote:ThinkPad that did not have a proper model number on the case (nnnn-nXn format). I would be most wary of any ThinkPad that was not properly labeled.

I agree... however the model number may be any combination of alphanumeric characaters, it doesn't have to be "nXn" format.

Cheers,

Bill

tiorapatea · #9 Post by **tiorapatea** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 5:08 am

OK, thanks for sharing your experiences. I think I will insist on at least four numbers plus three alphanumerics before I pay this guy.

This is really because, since I know him to be a somewhat high-volume trader, I don't want to be supplied from a stock pool of existing and future Thinkpads, rather, I want to fix the deal on specific goods. A specific Thinkpad was definitely implied in the advertisement.

Moreover, contradictory statements were made in the advert in relation to the speed of the processor so I'm curious to know what I will receive. The deal itself was prima facie good even on a 1.3 GHz basis and this is what I expect to receive. In fact, I suspect it is a 2373-2CU, an ex-educational model.

Thanks again for your help here.

tiorapatea · #10 Post by **tiorapatea** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 5:54 am

LtTPfan's comment about the F1 key prompted me to look into things a little deeper and, in fact, using the BIOS simulator available on IBM's site, I have now issued my vendor with instructions on how to bring up the thirteen digit System-Unit serial number, just in case the sticker on the base has "rubbed off".

Thanks for the tip.

LtTPfan · #11 Post by **LtTPfan** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 7:33 am

tiorapatea · #12 Post by **tiorapatea** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 1:16 pm

OK, well I have extricated myself from this deal so I am still looking for a Thinkpad.

It's not a market for the unwary!

leegaard · #13 Post by **leegaard** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 3:30 pm

Another reason to demand a full marking on a given Thinkpad, is that its your key to know whether it is stolen. If people refuse to give the number, they set themselves under suspicion of stealing or handling stolen goods.

You could end up hanging on the stolen item, and have to deliver it back besides from self being under suspicion.

Therefore: Full numnbering required including the serial !! Basta !!

davidspalding · #14 Post by **davidspalding** » Sun Jan 29, 2006 11:31 am

I've seen some firmware updates that allowed you to edit the machine type-mode (MTM) on a system. So the BIOS is not 100% reliable. More like 99.44%.

My MTM label has the MTM, serial number, bar code, and what appears to be the manufacture date ("05/10"). YMMV. Frankly, if that wasn't on there, I'd be reeeaaaallly concerned. I can't imagine a lot of eBay vendors posting a pic of the label on the auction (though that would be outstanding provenance!), but if a potential buyer asked for it, I would expect it was in the realm of the feasible.

Nice thing about IBM, Dell (last time I tried, with my '98 Dimension), and a few other manufacturers, is that armed with the MTM and serial number, or a service code # (Dell), you can look up the shipped configuration information. A little like Carfax for computers (though you can't determine what happened AFTER the pc shipped.) Someone who couldn't, or wouldn't, provide the MTM and serial # prior to a ssale, is up to something.

> AS A REFURB IT ONLY COMES WITH THE TYPE NUMBER 2373 AND HAS 30 DAYS
> WARRANTY, THATS ALL THERE IS.

QED.

umern · #15 Post by **umern** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 11:15 am

tiorapatea wrote:OK, well I have extricated myself from this deal so I am still looking for a Thinkpad.

It's not a market for the unwary!

tiorapatea,
I think I bought the laptop you turned down!

I too was concerned about buying stolen goods. The seller had a feedback rating of nearly 1500 and I went back a few pages of Feedback and all of them were laptops. I convinced myself that this guy cannot have stolen that many laptops! Besides he did seem to have a few of the same model etc.

I suspect this guy is buying refurbs and the serial number is being removed because IBM dont want to provide warranty.

After receiving the laptop I have also tried to figure out the Model number and the closest match I could find was 2373-22G (plus an extra 256mb RAM)

I work for a large multinational corporation who standardise on IBM desktops and laptops. My employer gets them for dirt cheap prices BUT on the condition that we can never resell them. We have to crush them - we send them off to a company that does this for us. However, I often wonder if sometimes a few dont end up in the crusher!

stuartf · #16 Post by **stuartf** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 10:19 pm

Yea, I "won" a T23 a month or so ago; I asked the guy for the serial number after the fact (my mistake) and before he could respond, I got an email from Ebay saying that the guy had been suspended and I should do what I needed to do to get my money back. Since I hand;t sent him anyhting, I was ok.

btw, he had excellent feedback, apparently hijacked someone else's account information.

Stuartf

Website · #17 Post by **tfflivemb2** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 11:22 pm

umern wrote:After receiving the laptop I have also tried to figure out the Model number and the closest match I could find was 2373-22G (plus an extra 256mb RAM)

Did you check the BIOS?

#18 Post by **underclocker** » Fri Feb 03, 2006 9:10 am

I feel that knowing the serial number and model number are very important details in making an informed buying decision. Without them, you are really rolling the dice - and on eBay, it's not a good idea.

However, there are rules on eBay that good citizens should follow. Just because there are thieves on eBay doesn't exempt everyone else from the rules. If you commit to buy an item, you should complete the transaction. Period. (Unless the seller initiates dialogue that changes the sale terms after the auction...)

Everything about the item that the seller wants you to know is in the auction ad. If you feel something is missing, request it from the seller. If you don't get a response, make your decision based on what you know. If you feel you might lose the acution as you wait for the seller's response, factor this into your decision. Don't shoot (buy) and ask questions later. You only degrade the eBay experience for others.

There will always be better (and worse) deals. There will always be better (and worse) sellers.

underclocker

raabjerg · #19 Post by **raabjerg** » Sun Feb 05, 2006 4:32 pm

Is there any way to check whether a given serial# is tagged as belonging to a stolen laptop?

Best regards,
raabjerg

#20 Post by **draco2527** » Sun Feb 05, 2006 7:15 pm

Call the manufacturer!!!

If the serial number has been supplied to the manufacturer as stolen, call them and describe the situation.

Keep in mind that if it is STOLEN, you have just become a person of interest!!! < You have to have seen it somewhere......if you have an OUNCE of doubt, then do not buy it and walk away.

Receiving (buying) stolen property, can and will get you in trouble! Even if you did not know about it.

raabjerg · #21 Post by **raabjerg** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 6:20 am

More specifically, I was wondering if IBM/Lenovo has a way of checking this online?

Best regards,
raabjerg

umern · #22 Post by **umern** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 11:15 am

Well, I dont beleive the guy I bought mine from is selling nicked stuff.
He has sold far too many laptops over a long period of time for them to be nicked.

Also, I dont think a dodgy geezer would provide the kind of service he has provided me. Noticed after a few days that the output cable for the power supply was a bit damaged and needed to be bent at a certain point for it to work. Contacted the seller and he sent me a replacement PSU in the post.

I used to sell on Ebay (have a 2100+ rating) for a living and beleive me, it cant be easy to acheive the 1500+ve rating the seller has with 0 feedbacks. There are some seriously demanding and unreasonable buyers on Ebay - many times I had to bend over backwards (I was mainly selling items in the £3 to £10 range) to keep people happy.

raabjerg · #23 Post by **raabjerg** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 11:43 am

May I ask who this seller this is? (considering buying a thinkpad on ebay, so it would be nice to buy from someone who has a good track record)

umern · #24 Post by **umern** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 4:38 pm

his id is swift_deliveries but he only has Dells and IBM T41's on sale at the moment.
I personally didnt think the T41 was worth the extra £100 or so over the T40 I bought and I have never been keen on Dell laptops.

HELP! ebay transaction - Full type number of T40

HELP! ebay transaction - Full type number of T40

Thanks for telling me

Re: Ubiquity of model number

BIOS simulator

Extricated

type no of Thinkpad

Re: Extricated

Re: Extricated

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