Thinkpads Forum

I advise anyone who thinks they have an LED backlit thinkpad to check using the links below as to whether they truely do or not.

I bought a T500 in which the product specs clearly boasted that it had an LED backlit screen. The system that I received has a CCFL backlit screen however. Lenovo has shown no interest in helping me rectify this matter. I suggest that anyone that thinks they have bought and LED backlit Thinkpad to check it to be sure. Below is some of my correspondence that elaborates on this matter sent to my Lenovo distributor NCIX.com...

Re: NCIX.com invoice #: 3138389

I was sent a miss-configured Lenovo notebook.

Your site clearly specifies the notebook has an LED backlit screen.

Your specs page:
http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku= ... ifications

The notebook that I received:
model: 2242 35U

The IBM.COM parts lookup of the system that I received:
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... 97&iws=off

The page that specifies the LCD as *not* LED backlit:
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-71046

Another third-party site that specifies the screen as CCLF and not LED backlit:
http://www.lcds4less.com/samsung-laptop ... -l02.shtml

I have been in contact with the NCIX returns department and they requested that I forward to them an email from Lenovo specifying the part discrepancy. I have been in contact with Lenovo and was provided the case #40L3Q9R. The tech person I spoke with (Jerome xxxxx) confirmed that my system does indeed *not* have an LED backlit screen, and that my system has a screen part #42T0486, when in fact, according to the sales specifications, it should have a part #42T0589. In addition to this fact Jerome also made it clear that their database records of this notebook indicate that it was sold sometime in 2008 while my invoice clearly specifies Mar 22, 2009??? Jerome then transfered me to the Lenovo sales department. I was trying to rectify the miss-configuration issue, so in regards to that the Lenovo sales person informed me that I had to deal directly with NCIX on that matter. Based on the fact that NCIX previously requested that I forward them an email from Lenovo that specified my notebook does not have an LED backlite, I then re-called the Lenovo tech support line to request that they simply send me an email confirming what Jerome had already vocally confirmed ten minutes prior. This time my call was answered by another tech support individual who was advised by his supervisor that it is against Lenovo company policy to send any such emails. The call was escalated and I spoke to his supervisor who simply stated that they would not provide me with any such email -- the email that NCIX stated they require! He then began to grill me as to how I would know whether the LCD screen was LED backlit or not? I'm not clear where he was going with that thought, as it was a simple matter of fact. Fact that the advertising specs were specific that it was LED backlit. Fact that the notebook I received was not LED backlit. I simply did not receive what I had ordered and paid for. His attitude seemed to imply that I should put up and shut up, and as things currently stand, Lenovo clearly does not want to assist me in rectify this matter.

This whole case remains unresolved. You can check your own system using the ibm.com links above.

I have also been informed that the tabook.pdf indicates that it does *not* have and LED backlite.

http://www.lenovo.com/psref/pdf/tabook.pdf

Meanwhile, the sales page for the T500 at NCIX mysteriously disappeared today. They do have a sales page for another such system still showing which is similarly misadvertised:
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php? ... message=no

Dealing with NCIX is becoming like dealing with total denial. This fiasco makes me wonder how pervasive this error is.

If I understand correctly, it appears your vendor, rather than Lenovo, specified the notebook has an LED backlit screen. If that’s the case you received what Lenovo described the machine to be. As both you and the vendor are in Canada, you may want consult someone regarding your rights in a situation like this under Canadian law.

Remember, you have a contract with your vendor, not with lenovo. Your machine is configured as specified by lenovo. In this case you should only talk to your vendor. But that's from a european law point of view.

One can't discount Lenovo so quickly. If you do a Google search for the type # of the notebook I received (2242-35U) and the string "led backlit" then you will get a dozen or so hits coming from numerous vendors all with similar incorrect specs. It's odd that so many independent distributors should all be making the same misrepresentation. Is it likely they were all provided with the same misleading marketing material from higher up the channel that they based their specs on? Yes. Where does such material come from? Lenovo!?

On the contrary, it's not odd that are lot of vendors are sharing the same errors in descriptions and specs for a product. The reason is that most of them use the common source of information, say a product like CNET Datasource. If one of the typers in the factories (that's what they call them!) makes an error, and it flies through the validation process, it doesn't take that much time, before that particular error is found everywhere.

I got me self a T400 with a LED screen, I'm currently pondering a way to confirm it is a LED screen. I'm thinking confirming the lack of an inverter would be the quickest (and non-destructive) way to do it?

Just run a program (PC Wizard 2008) to display your system's hardware components. When I did it displayed the Samsung LCD part number which let me to online product specs indicating my LCD was not LED backlit. Or search for your type # in the tabook.pdf file. That also worked for me.

I've owned a lot of new ThinkPads, and I've purchased hundreds for my employees, over the last decade. Not once have I ever witnessed a mistake in the labeling of the box, nor have I seen or heard of a mistake in the configuration. While anything is possible, I would place the responsibity on the third party reseller. To blame Lenovo for this without being able to substantiate it, is a gross error.

My distributor finally admitted that the system was misadvertised -- though they have not claimed responsibility for that error. From what I now know, I can't fault Lenovo for the misrepresentation, but I can certainly fault Lenovo's service department on their personal refusal to provide me with documented evidence that my distributor claimed was essential for an RMA. It was only because of the first reply to my posting that lead to the tabook.pdf, that I got the indisputable evidence to proceed. My distributor NCIX.com was not happy about having to face those facts. Unfortunately, after all this hassle, I doubt NCIX is going to replace the screen with an LED backlit one. They offered me a refund, but that's of less interest to me than just getting what I ordered in the first place.

Thanks for all your comments everyone!

cheers!

NCIX does not manufacture the laptop. They cannot replace the screen, nor can they demand that Lenovo replace it, since according to the official specs, the part that is there is the part that should be there.

They can in principle, offer to trade your laptop for one with similar specs and a LED screen. But since it may be tricky to find exactly such a model, or they may not have it in stock, or it may be more expensive to them, or they just do not want to deal with the hassle - it's simpler for them to offer you a full refund.

If I can order the LED backlit screen online and put it in, then so can they.

cheers

kendal wrote:If I can order the LED backlit screen online and put it in, then so can they.

You probably could, but you wouldn't have a warranty at that point. Better to make them take it back and order what you wanted in the first place - one of the models that came with an LED screen.