Thinkpads Forum

So I very recently placed an order for an X61 tablet with the SXGA+ screen with an expected shipping date of 9/1/07. I knew ahead of time that it was going to take forever to ship but I was okay with that because I got a fantastic price on it, however I was under the impression that they wouldn't bill you until they were about to ship. When checking my online credit card statement, I noticed the rather large amount charged to it and realized that it must have been the Lenovo order. I figure they're not going to ship anytime soon, so is it common for them to charge your account this early?

It may depend on your CC.

I wasn't charged but my remaining credit has gone down by the amount of the laptop. I imagine it'll be added to my balance when it goes through. I've already gone through two pay periods with it on my card and I haven't had to actually pay for it yet.

They usually charge when they ship. Maybe they are shipping early?

Alternately, it's just how your credit card company is processing the hold that Lenovo's initially placing on your account to ensure you have the funds.

Merely upto lenovo, sometimes the credit card would be charged after the delivery of your order from Asia-to-lenovo and at times before. In addition, sometimes lenovo initially does it just to check whether the customer has sufficient funds available on the card or not and then put it back and will finally charge it when they would ship the machine to you.

They charged it on the day of shipment in my case.

For your online transaction, the process to charge your cc will somehow like this:

- When the trx is done successfully, at that time, your card is AUTHORISED, meaning the amount of the transaction is still in your card, but it is hold there, you can not use it for other transaction.
- Once the goods is shipped. The seller will then do a CAPTURE transaction, at that time, they really bill you that amount.

I just wondering one thing, for AUTHORISED, normally, if there is no CAPTURE to follow within 21 day, the fund will be release, no longer hold (mean available for card holder to use again). So if you place the order now and Lenovo only ship in September, it means it's more than 21 days, how the fund will be handle?

I assume that a company can only capture when there's an outstanding authorize?

In that case, I would assume that Lenovo would perform ANOTHER authorize and then a capture.

But what happen since the fund was released and I spend it for something else. When Lenovo perform another AUTHORISE, there will not be enough money for the transaction.