Warranty Extension - Lenovo X200

[Dgaran01]

Hi All,


I am interested in extending my X200's warranty, however since I am not a U.S. citizen and do not have a U.S. address, I was informed by Lenovo's sales rep that this cannot be done.

It is a bit weird, since the warranty would be international and would be honored here.
The local Lenovo reps here cannot extend warranties on computers that weren't purchased here originally, hence I was forced to turn to the sales in the U.S.

I am looking for a fellow forum member from the states who would be interested in helping me with this upgrade process.
I would pay in advance (the price for two years extended mail-in warranty is 250$, but I would add an additional 30$ for your troubles) via PayPal or whatever other method.

Any response or interest would be very much appreciated.

P.S.: I hope that it is not against the forum rules to post such request - if it is, I apologize in advance and I will remove the message.


Thank you in advance!

[dr_st]

If the computer was originally purchased in the US, you can extend the warranty through Lenovo's US sales department. You need an international American Express card to which you attach a US billing address (assuming you have some friends/relatives whose address you can use). It must be an Amex card - no other card, even international will work. I'm speaking from experience.

Of course, things will be much simpler if you do it through a forum member who you trust.

[erik]

I am interested in extending my X200's warranty, however since I am not a U.S. citizen and do not have a U.S. address, I was informed by Lenovo's sales rep that this cannot be done.

It is a bit weird, since the warranty would be international and would be honored here.

IWS isn't intended for the permanent relocation of a system outside of its original location of entitlement.   it's intended to cover a system while traveling on a temporary basis.   while warranty would be honored overseas in the event that coverage is needed, extending warranties from a different country other than the original can be a challenge (as you've discovered).

what dr_st suggested will help get you in the right direction.   you're somewhat cheating the system by doing it this way due to the permanent relocation but it is what it is.   you really have no other recourse than to try alternative methods.

this is a big reason why customers should purchase systems intended for sale in their home countries whenever possible.

[Dgaran01]

Hi,


Thanks for the response.

The main reason I don't purchase these computers here locally, is the price. In Israel, certain systems cost nearly twice as much as they would in the U.S. and I think it's wrong.
I had purchased system from abroad in the past (had a T43 from the UK, with valid warranty which I could extend via an IBM authorized service provider), so I did not think that I would run into any troubles with the X200.
I am afraid since the X200 is fresh out of warranty, the process to extend warranty for it is different than it was for the T43. In addition, it was an IBM as opposed to the now Lenovo (or it could have been already a Lenovo product with an IBM badge - I am sure one of you guys can correct me on this) and I talked to a different service depot.

The reasons why I am so keen on getting the warranty are:

*Absolute peace of mind
*Fantastic repair service
*Financially it's just worth it - a replacement LCD here for example would cost me the same price as the two years warranty covering the whole computer

Regarding the process - I am afraid I do not have any U.S. friends/relatives who could help me with this, hence the reason I am trying my luck here within the forums.
I do have an AMEX, so the only real thing separating from me completing the purchase is the address.

Anyway, I hope someone will be willing to help me out!

[dr_st]

Wait, your X200 is out of warranty already? Then it's a different story indeed. You need to purchase a post-service agreement, and they may or may not sell it to you without asking to inspect the machine first (to see that you are not trying to buy insurance after the machine is already broken). I have no experience with this particular course of action and suggest you wait for other opinions. Good luck.

[erik]

post-warranty agreements don't need the system inspected but are considerably more expensive (~2.5x) than a standard warranty extension.   that will be a difficult purchase to make from overseas without both help and luck.

lenovo still uses IBM for service, at least here in the US, so the T43 and X200 would be serviced in the same location by the same people.   the only thing that might have changed in the meantime is the terms on IWS coverage per what i described above.

if you saved as much as you describe then i would simply set the difference in funds aside and use it in the event you need to replace any parts.   by the time repair is needed you might prefer to upgrade to another system—an X220, perhaps.   post-warranty agreements are expensive (possibly $225 on your system and might only add another year to your total depending on system age) and statistically rarely ever used.

[Dgaran01]

Hi fellas,

The X200 is out warranty since the beginning of February.
The sales rep checked my system's info per the serial number and offered me the following options:

1. 2 year at home repair - 350$
2. 2 year mail in repair - 250$

I could not complete the buying process only due to the lack of U.S. address. The sales rep did not request any system inspection.

Erik - would you recommend not purchasing the warranty? I only think it's worth it since it is for two years.


Thanks!

[erik]

it would be two years starting from the original entitlement date (february in your case), not the day you purchase the extension.   so, the best you'd get at this point is around 20 months of coverage.

whether $250~350 is worth it for 20 months is up to you.

[Dgaran01]

Hi,


After giving it some thought, I have decided to let the warranty issue go.

If the X200 dies on me (and let's hope it won't - but then again, it's a Thinkpad so it is immortal ) and the repair will be too costly, I will sell it off for parts and get an X201 or even an X220.

*My work X220 I don't really count, since it is not mine (it's a company computer) and I can't do whatever I want with it I'm afraid.


Thanks for the input and help guys - I really appreciate it!

[syrahnose]

IWS isn't intended for the permanent relocation of a system outside of its original location of entitlement. it's intended to cover a system while traveling on a temporary basis. while warranty would be honored overseas in the event that coverage is needed, extending warranties from a different country other than the original can be a challenge (as you've discovered).

I find this very vague. I don't recall seeing any specifics about this in the two 3 year contracts I've had so far on my x60s and x200. I work and travel a lot outside of the US, where both my computers were sent to a home US address. But I also have homes I own in New Zealand and France, which I bounce between all for my work.

it seems to me that the contract, which is global and which doesn't spell out length of time required to live in one spot, has to be honored regardless.

Certainly Apple or Toshiba's contracts are honored in this way.

[dr_st]

Erik was just repeating the excuse that Lenovo has given when trying to explain why they have different FRUs for warranty extensions based on country, and why they can't apply an FRU from country A to a laptop that was bought in country B. I agree that it's total bull, and seems to be nothing but the trivial price discrimination scheme.

[syrahnose]

I hope I wasn't sounding like I was accusing anyone here. Thanks for passing this on, I'll keep it in mind when and if I need to use my warranty. I have less than a year left on a 3 year contract. I have to say, both the thinkpads I've owned, x60s and x200, have worn well so far.

[Mark@Lenovo]

syrahnose, dr_st,

Systems are priced differently from country to country partly to be competitive within the particular market, and also in consideration for the costs of doing business in that location. Service costs (what it costs Lenovo to deliver the service) can vary quite a bit from one country to the next. Labor, freight logistics for parts and to transport the customer system & customs/importation costs in and out of the country for parts, etc can all be factors along with how the service is provided. It is difficult to have 1 price that would make sense in all locations.

There are probably also some accounting implications to consider, currency exchange rates that further complicate the situation as well.

I agree that this seems like something we could make easier.

Mark

[dr_st]

Hi Mark and thanks for replying.

I do not claim that price discrimination is an unusual or a bad thing. Certainly it is a common business practice in all fields.

What I was arguing against is the claim that "IWS is not intended for the permanent relocation of a system outside of its original location of entitlement". This claim is unacceptable. First - because it is not stated anywhere in the terms of service. Second - because it is unreasonable in today's world, where many people relocate between countries for long periods of time, sometimes permanently.

The problem you may be trying to solve is that of "hit-n-run" shoppers - who visit a country where laptops are cheaper, buy the system there, then travel back to the country of their permanent residence. In some sense one may feel they "cheat the system". But it is just as legal as the differential pricing which leads to that in the first place.

[erik]

What I was arguing against is the claim that "IWS is not intended for the permanent relocation of a system outside of its original location of entitlement". This claim is unacceptable. First - because it is not stated anywhere in the terms of service.

actually, it is:

Note : Service procedures may vary by country, and some service and/or parts may not be available in all countries. Some countries may have fees and restrictions that apply at the time of service. IWS eligibility is based on the four-digit machine type; however, certain countries may not have the capability of servicing all models of a particular machine type.

In cases where the country may not have the ability to service a particular model, service may be provided on a "best effort" basis and some fees or restrictions may apply. An alternative would be to attempt to obtain service under IWS in a neighboring country listed for the machine in question.

http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/detail. ... MIGR-58926

so, while IWS might work while traveling or relocating a system, it's still best to purchase a system within the country in which it's intended to be permanently located.

[dr_st]

Erik,

How exactly do you interpret the text you quoted as "IWS is not intended for the permanent relocation of a system outside of its original location of entitlement"? I don't see it.

What I understand from the quote (which I am actually familiar with) is that they may not be able to provide the same level of service in all countries, and that in some countries they may "try" but you will still end up stuck. I see nothing to differentiate between "permanent" and "temporary" relocation of the machine.

[erik]

the terms essentially say that IWS may not cover you as well as a system purchased locally.   purchase locally for the best coverage, otherwise take a risk.   importing a system with the intent to permanently locate it is what carries this risk.   this is my interpretation.

perhaps my statement could have been more specific but i wasn't expecting it to be dissected down to the minutia.