Terrible Experience with Lenovo Desktop
Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 2:27 pm
After spending all of 2000 with IBM Thinkpads, which I luv luv luv luv luv, I held my breath and ordered a desktop because of RSI- repetitive stress injury. I assumed that IBM would not have sold to just anybody, so I decided to trust this "lenovo".
First, their sales practices are akin to unethical used car salesmen. I ordered the machine in a panic because of tendonitis and I needed to run a voice recognition software program that exceeded the capacities (so I thought) of my laptop.
The ship date on the website ( a large factor of why I ordered it) was 3-5 days. When I got the email confirmation, it was scheduled to be delivered almost 1 month later! In the very fine print it says that the ship date is based on the build date. So basically, it can take 1 year to build but it still ships 3-5 days after that, so they put the 3-5 days in plain view! Other computers, had 4 weeks etc. on the website. I wonder how long would they take?
Once I learned that, I tried to cancel my order, since I needed it in a hurry. I was also told by my sales rep that the "internal" system showed it was scheduled to be shipped midweek. I believed him. When it wasn't shipped midweek, and the link continued to show the same date, I called to cancel it again (spoke to someone else because my sales rep was "unavailable" and I was told that I "knew" how long it was going to take from day 1. I told him what my sales rep said, and he quickly changed his story. Oh, yes that's right, its shipping sooner." I said that I wanted to cancel it anyway, at which point he said "I'll try" but it may be "too late", as it might ship any minute.
Again, no activity was evident on the link after more days passed by. I called back and asked for a cancellation number, which I was told was impossible, as they don't work that way. It would just show up on the link. I knew by now that I was being conned. I tried again, one last time to cancel it, 2 weeks before the ship date that showed on the link. He told me that they'd contact the shipping department and "try" to stop shipment but it was "very close". Anyway, 2 weeks later, guess what shipped? Real close!
Like a dummy, I fell into the trap. I decided to keep it, since it was already here. I had already upgraded my Thinkpad memory and my voice recognition software was running just fine but I figured Windows Vista was right around the corner. My Thinkpad has a 40HD, and is packed to the gills. My older Thinkpad runs Win98 and the on/off button hasn't worked for 1 year. It just doesn't turn on. I should've just gotten that fixed and upgraded it and bought a new monitor and keyboard. But, alas, I kept the desktop.
Did I mention it looks incredibly cheap and ugly? The back of the computer is black, but the front plate is this insipid beige/grey plastic. Nothing like an IBM.
Then, right out of the box, it wouldn't boot. It would turn on and the green light was on, but nothing came on the monitor (the "check cable" message). Then the green light started blinking, which became a sign that it was not responding. I also couldn't turn it off by pressing the button. I had to pull the electrical cord out to shut it off and wait for the blinking green light to stop. I tried this several times and finally it started. Over the next 2 weeks, I went through this time and again. I was largely using my laptop still. I just turned on the desktop to make sure it would. Sometimes it turned on and off normally. Others it would just hang there, blinking, until I pulled the plug. I hoped that it was a software conflict.
My plan was to wait until Christmas weekend, when I had the time to really set it up to my liking, install applications, transfer files etc. Wouldn't you know it, at the end of the day, on Christmas, the computer just died! My monitor wouldn't detect it, although the green light was on and then suddenly it would go blinkety blink and I'd have to pull the plug, etc. Except this time, no matter what I did, it wasn't responding. My laptop connected to the monitor just fine, so that wasn't the problem.
I called Lenovo the next day and they told me they'd send out a technician the next day. I paid for a 9-5 business day, onsite warranty extension. I was at least consoled by the prompt response. I was to wait for a call early on in the day from the technician, who would make an appointment to come by. I got a confirmation later that evening again, that this would happen. So, the next day I took off from work and waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, around 1 pm I called the number I was given, "just in case", and I was informed that the part I needed was on backorder, which is why no one came! I asked how they knew that when no one looked at my computer and I was told that my description of the problem indicated I needed a new harddrive. And when I asked why no one called me and told me that the call was cancelled, I got an "I don't know."
I am so disgusted. I can't believe this is happening. The last time this happened was with my first computer purchase, of a Compaq Presario (!), when I didn't know anything! I can't believe IBM would do this to its loyal base. I'm sure they knew that we would assume Lenovo was dependable since they are so closely tied now!
BTW- The computer I bought was a 3000 J115 series on their "family" line, which had basically the same specs as their thinkcentre one. Ugh!
First, their sales practices are akin to unethical used car salesmen. I ordered the machine in a panic because of tendonitis and I needed to run a voice recognition software program that exceeded the capacities (so I thought) of my laptop.
The ship date on the website ( a large factor of why I ordered it) was 3-5 days. When I got the email confirmation, it was scheduled to be delivered almost 1 month later! In the very fine print it says that the ship date is based on the build date. So basically, it can take 1 year to build but it still ships 3-5 days after that, so they put the 3-5 days in plain view! Other computers, had 4 weeks etc. on the website. I wonder how long would they take?
Once I learned that, I tried to cancel my order, since I needed it in a hurry. I was also told by my sales rep that the "internal" system showed it was scheduled to be shipped midweek. I believed him. When it wasn't shipped midweek, and the link continued to show the same date, I called to cancel it again (spoke to someone else because my sales rep was "unavailable" and I was told that I "knew" how long it was going to take from day 1. I told him what my sales rep said, and he quickly changed his story. Oh, yes that's right, its shipping sooner." I said that I wanted to cancel it anyway, at which point he said "I'll try" but it may be "too late", as it might ship any minute.
Again, no activity was evident on the link after more days passed by. I called back and asked for a cancellation number, which I was told was impossible, as they don't work that way. It would just show up on the link. I knew by now that I was being conned. I tried again, one last time to cancel it, 2 weeks before the ship date that showed on the link. He told me that they'd contact the shipping department and "try" to stop shipment but it was "very close". Anyway, 2 weeks later, guess what shipped? Real close!
Like a dummy, I fell into the trap. I decided to keep it, since it was already here. I had already upgraded my Thinkpad memory and my voice recognition software was running just fine but I figured Windows Vista was right around the corner. My Thinkpad has a 40HD, and is packed to the gills. My older Thinkpad runs Win98 and the on/off button hasn't worked for 1 year. It just doesn't turn on. I should've just gotten that fixed and upgraded it and bought a new monitor and keyboard. But, alas, I kept the desktop.
Did I mention it looks incredibly cheap and ugly? The back of the computer is black, but the front plate is this insipid beige/grey plastic. Nothing like an IBM.
Then, right out of the box, it wouldn't boot. It would turn on and the green light was on, but nothing came on the monitor (the "check cable" message). Then the green light started blinking, which became a sign that it was not responding. I also couldn't turn it off by pressing the button. I had to pull the electrical cord out to shut it off and wait for the blinking green light to stop. I tried this several times and finally it started. Over the next 2 weeks, I went through this time and again. I was largely using my laptop still. I just turned on the desktop to make sure it would. Sometimes it turned on and off normally. Others it would just hang there, blinking, until I pulled the plug. I hoped that it was a software conflict.
My plan was to wait until Christmas weekend, when I had the time to really set it up to my liking, install applications, transfer files etc. Wouldn't you know it, at the end of the day, on Christmas, the computer just died! My monitor wouldn't detect it, although the green light was on and then suddenly it would go blinkety blink and I'd have to pull the plug, etc. Except this time, no matter what I did, it wasn't responding. My laptop connected to the monitor just fine, so that wasn't the problem.
I called Lenovo the next day and they told me they'd send out a technician the next day. I paid for a 9-5 business day, onsite warranty extension. I was at least consoled by the prompt response. I was to wait for a call early on in the day from the technician, who would make an appointment to come by. I got a confirmation later that evening again, that this would happen. So, the next day I took off from work and waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, around 1 pm I called the number I was given, "just in case", and I was informed that the part I needed was on backorder, which is why no one came! I asked how they knew that when no one looked at my computer and I was told that my description of the problem indicated I needed a new harddrive. And when I asked why no one called me and told me that the call was cancelled, I got an "I don't know."
I am so disgusted. I can't believe this is happening. The last time this happened was with my first computer purchase, of a Compaq Presario (!), when I didn't know anything! I can't believe IBM would do this to its loyal base. I'm sure they knew that we would assume Lenovo was dependable since they are so closely tied now!
BTW- The computer I bought was a 3000 J115 series on their "family" line, which had basically the same specs as their thinkcentre one. Ugh!