Lenovo Service horror story from Russia - my experience

[netzspannung]

Hi guys, this is a repost from the T6x board. After some thinking, I believe it belongs more in the general discussion. Moderators advise.


The sorry part: on my T60, the trusty and well worn NMB keyboard has recently fallen victim to strawberry jam In an attempt to clean the sticky keys, I wash the whole board thoroughly (did that before with no ill effects), but it either didn't seem to dry completely, or the sugar got inside the membrane, so I now have a short-circuit looking dark stripe under the Shift key. At first, the computer would boot with wild beeps and none of the keys were working, now they are mostly back, but Z and Shift are messed up and not working. So, new keyboard time, thinks I.

The even more sorry part: In an attempt to buy a new kbd, I call the local IBM support, who say they wont care for Lenovo products anymore, but play nice and give me the Lenovo support number. Which I dial. The bureaucratic machine kicks in, I am asked for my serial number, email, telephone, name and address and then informed that I cannot order parts directly from them. "Are you satisfied with Lenovo support? Have I answered all your questions?". Hell yes. I am satisfied beyond belief.

Ok, their website has a list of service center numbers, all independent from either IBM or Lenovo, which I dial.

SC #1 says to me: you cannot order parts, bring your machine to us, pay and wait for the diagnostics (WTF? I know it's the keyboard, stupid), also they cannot give me a price quote - they have no idea.

SC #2 is more cooperative, says: we need to contact Lenovo on our behalf, pls send an email with the FRU number to our staff, which we shall pass down to Lenovo in a week, they will answer us in 6-7 days approx, then we can give you a price quote, then you pay, then you wait 6-8 WEEKS for the keyboard to arrive. Phuck that, methinks. I send an email just in case, and get nothing in response so far. Just great.

SC#3 is the best of all. The guy on the phone says to me plain and simple: "I understand your situation, but cannot help you. Please bear in mind that NO AMOUNT of money can get you a new keyboard from us or any other official certified service center. The supply warehouses, located in Moscow, Slovenia and the Netherlands are in a phase of IBM to Lenovo transition right now. I do not have a local warehouse and I don't have access to the either of the main bases. So all I can give you is my friend's number, he breaks old systems apart and he helps us do business somewhat"

What kind of a ridiculous system is that? @#^!&!!!

The best part: I call the guys's friend, he has the kbd in stock for about $100, I go to his home and buy the *****Expletives removed by Moderator***** thing in his hallway, on the dark and somewhat smelly staircase. It is a new, mint keyboard from a T400\T500, an ALPS judging by the criss-cross thingys underneath the keys and (Oh! The Horror! The Horror!) has the infamous perforated backing plate. I can report it works wonderfully with no flex when typing and only negligible flex when pushing hard on it. It is slightly more loud then the NMB, but I like the more definite tactile feedback, and overall it's wonderful, easily better than the old worn-to-hell with mirror-shiny keys NMB. Total time, 2 hours instead of 6 weeks. Not bad. Worth the extra $50.

So, in Soviet Russia, Lenovo has you... but we retaliate with black market parts at a sigificant markup. What does a CIO of a large business do if he relies on Lenovo here, I do not know. Maybe shooting himself in the head is the best option.

OK, it's an old, out of warranty machine, so be it. I am not asking Lenovo to fix it. I only want to put down some hard earned cash for a new keyboard - yet I am treated like an alien from outer space.

Please tell me what you think of this situation. Maybe I wasn't pulling the right strings? As if now, I am simply outraged and the T60 is my last IBM\Lenovo laptop for the time being, however much I like the machine itself. I was very partial to the brand for all these years, starting in 1996 with my first 760ED.

[GrandMasterKhan]

I would be frustrated too. BUT what did Lenovo do wrong? I don't see them doing anything wrong in your story.

[netzspannung]

Well, I think they should have a functioning service system that allows for ordering of spare parts and\or servicing of out of warranty machines. It may not have come clearly through my post, but as of now, they do not have it. Instead, they feed me bollocks over the phone, and if you have a broken Thinkpad, you may either fix it yourself - any way you seem fit - or trash it. It's not even a question of money - they won't take it, they simply won't do anything.

Such a situation would have been acceptable if Thinkpads were not officially imported in Russia, but they are. A huge advertisement banner about 300 meter long is hanging this very moment over the Kremlin Embankment in the very center of my city

[ajkula66]

The problem here is an absolutely atrocious lack of interest for providing any type of reasonable customer service, IMHO.

But that's hardly newsworthy in this industry...

Now, the concept that they don't carry the most basic stuff for an not-so-old machine is horrendous as well.

Now, who do you put the blame on?

Lenovo, who didn't realize that it's five years this very month since they had officially bought IBM's PC division? Had no time to prepare for the transition? Wow.

IBM, who doesn't want to have anything with the ThinkPad name any more? In all honesty, why would that be surprising? Nothing more than a piece of their (not so glorious in many respects) past.

I'd be above and beyond upset, to say the least.

And if this is anything close to what's on the horizon on the other markets, we should all be pretty darn scared...

My $0.02 (or kopeiki in this case) only...