No z61 builds until 12/26? -- shell supplier problem

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hoopics · #1 Post by **hoopics** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 2:30 pm

All,

I'm brand new here (been lurking for a while) and joined to see if others have more information on what's going on at Lenovo right now. I ordered a z61p on 11/7, and was told it would be 8 to 10 days 'till my build. At the end of that period, I was told it'd be another week, due to a RAM shortage. At the end of that period, I was told my unit would ship within 24 hours. Three days later, though, I learned that it hadn't shipped, and they were out of shells for z61p's, but that they expected a new shipment of shells at the end of last week and would build my unit promptly at that point.

I learned today (from someone up the chain in customer service) that due to a supplier problem they are out of shells for *ALL* widescreen thinkpads, and that the shipment date for them to receive shells is 12/26 or so. They'll start builds again on that date. According to the person I spoke with, though, they are not building any z series or T widescreen series computers until 12/26 at the earliest. As I've had my order in the pipeline since 11/7, I have to suspect one of two things 1) I'm being misinformed, or 2) there are many, many people stuck in the pipeline for widescreen thinkpads, and current orders aren't going to be filled for a long while.

The options I've been given are 1) wait for them to build mine, and take a small discount (and free air shipping from China) for my trouble, 2) migrate to a non-widescreen T, at a favorable price, but get to the back of the current Christmas season wait on those and still not see a computer for two weeks or so, or 3) cancel the order and buy a Dell (I want a UXGA display, and Dell's the only other vendor of them I'm aware of).

Anyone know more about this, or have thoughts on what I should do? If anyone has been stuck with a very delayed order in the past that you ended up waiting for, I'd be curious to hear (via PM) what they offered you to keep you happy. Thanks much.

AdrianPL · #2 Post by **AdrianPL** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 5:01 pm

something similar that i had, ordered it on 10/22 got it like 11/24 or something, same problem as yours, rescheduling the dates every single day somebody told me something different,

seeplus · #3 Post by **seeplus** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 1:49 am

I was in the same situation until earlier today. I ordered a z61p on ~Oct 21, with predicted delivery two weeks later. I'm patient, and was told that they had a backorder on the WUXGA lcd. Fine.. until it was most recently delayed to Dec 21. I'm leaving town, and had ordered two months ago so that I could bring the stupid thing with me

Needless to say, a sales rep today told me that the model I had ordered has been discontinued. (And I was the last to know.) I changed my order to a t60p (non-wide 15"), and the sales rep gave me a small discount on top of the sale price. Also put me on the "critical" list.

hoopics · #4 Post by **hoopics** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 9:50 am

seeplus,

Did they tell you how broadly they'd discontinued the product (i.e., was it just the UXGA, or the Z61p's more broadly, or something else)? The woman I've been talking with has sworn up, down and sideways that the holdup ISN'T UXGA-related, and that they fixed that supplier issue. Curious to know what you heard so I can try and get a straight answer out of them.

seeplus · #5 Post by **seeplus** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 4:03 pm

hoopics,

I had ordered a "Top Seller" 9450-A1U. He said that ~150 other people had also been waiting for the same model. I assume that only the 9450-a1u was discontinued, as they still have WUXGA panels on the web site. (I was told the hold up was WUXGA related about a month ago.)

The sales rep asked if I wanted to "transfer" my order to another Z series model, but I didn't inquire as to the availability of other z61p models specifically. I had already decided (mostly based on what I've read here) that I would like a higher quality/brighter lcd panel the one that comes in the z61p, and went with the flexview 15".

seeplus · #6 Post by **seeplus** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 1:16 am

Update on this situation:

My "discontinued" model, the order for which has been canceled TWICE, was charged to my account and shipped today (!?) After my new sales rep yesterday helped me place a separate order for a t60p.

I'm glad to finally be getting a system, but this is a lot of work just to order a laptop..

Vince · #7 Post by **Vince** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 2:22 am

afterall??

gotconsultants · #8 Post by **gotconsultants** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 1:16 am

I have an awesome sales rep at Lenovo and anyone looking for a system that wants a hassle free experience contact me and I can get things moving for you...

intelliot · #9 Post by **intelliot** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 2:42 am

hoopics, your story sounds astoundingly similar to my experience. I ordered mine 11/15 and was told I could have it before the end of November. I was told there was a RAM shortage, and then that it would be shipped first week of December. Then there was a chassis (shell) shortage, that the only warehouse that has them is still waiting for supplies to arrive. The next week, on Friday, I was told that my laptop would ship the following Monday-- or maybe even that evening! Of course, that didn't happen, and apparently my laptop shipped just yesterday.

Thanks for your post, it was good to see I'm not the only one. I'd also be curious to hear (via PM) what they offered you to keep you happy. Personally I was not offered anything.

thorin_2 · #10 Post by **thorin_2** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 3:39 pm

Apparently the shell shortage for Z61 laptops are still a problem. I ordered mine in early Feb (right before they stopped offering the Z 15" series) and was told it would ship by the 23rd. I followed up with my sales guy yesterday and he said that apparently there is a shell shortage and that the warehouse can't commit until it gets word from the manufacture! Who knows how long it will take. I'm already getting [censored] off at Lenovo. THey charged my CC instantly, but then take a month or more to deliver? I'm starting to have a bad feeling about this.

iam8up · #11 Post by **iam8up** » Sat Feb 24, 2007 1:40 am

AdrianPL wrote:something similar that i had, ordered it on 10/22 got it like 11/24 or something, same problem as yours, rescheduling the dates every single day somebody told me something different,

I got mine just before you =P

I believe I ordered about a week before you and got mine the first couple days of November!

thorin_2 · #12 Post by **thorin_2** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 10:10 am

I ordered mine on Feb 9. Initial estimate showed Feb 23 ship date. ON the 23rd I received an e-mail saying the new ship date was now estimated at MARCH 23rd! So I have to wait ANOTHER MONTH?

Curious: has anyone ordered a Z series 15" widescreen after 2-9 and already received it? Am I the only one waiting this long? Am I alone in my desperation and frustration?

Thor

frankrh · #13 Post by **frankrh** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 9:26 pm

I ordered mine on Oct 30, 2006, the system shipped on Jan 11, 2007. If you get in March, you would be very lucky.

It is nice and solid system, cheaper than the one from Dell and HP with similar spec.

bassman · #14 Post by **bassman** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 11:42 pm

I ordered my z61m on 2/9 and got it on 2/16. It surprised the hell outta me; the estimated ship date when I ordered was 2/23.

thorin_2 · #15 Post by **thorin_2** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:46 am

Are you kidding me? What time of day did you order on the 9th? Did it have the titanium lid or was it the all-black one?

bassman · #16 Post by **bassman** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 10:22 pm

Nope, I'm not kidding. I figured I'd be waiting for at least three weeks, maybe more. I ordered at 1:25AM MST. I got the titanium lid.

No z61 builds until 12/26? -- shell supplier problem

No z61 builds until 12/26? -- shell supplier problem

Seeplus, so they didn't give you a discount

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