Lenovo Repair/Support Quality Sucks

[RolloM]

Hi,

I recently had a ThinkPad T42 repaired due to a mainboard failure (display had stayed dark). After the mainboard had been replaced, sound was dead. It seems the repaired computer was not tested before returning it to me.

IBM Switzerland used to have its own repair center with highly qualified personnel and support. Lenovo has closed this repair center and outsourced computer repairs to a no-name comany. Obviously with corresponding results...

After having received the still broken computer, I contacted Lenovo support via the Lenovo website to find out whether there was possibility to correct this by a driver update or similar. There has been no response for two weeks now.

Is this what we can expect in future from Lenovo? What is your experience? Thanks for answering my poll.

R.

[vanishingpoint]

I recently sent my Thinkpad, warranteed-A31p, to the Depot because of random horizontal lines appearing on the display. This problem had occurred in the past, and had been fixed by replacing the 128mb ATI Fire GL video card, under warrantee. This time however, IBM Support in Atlanta Georgia (you've heard the recording, right?) insisted that the problem was with the UXGA LCD panel, not the video card. The LCD would have to be replaced for $895., and it would NOT be covered under warrantee.

Why no warrantee repair? Because, they said, the "damage" to the LCD was the result of "pressure" from picking the laptop up with one hand, compressing the back of the LCD panel, through the lid of the laptop.

Well, the A31p has a rigid plastic housing, unlike the semi-flexible, Txx Thinkpads. The LCD is pristine, with no pressure spots or stuck pixels. I told the representative that the problem was with the video card, and not the LCD. The rep. was new and let slip the script for video card damage: "if the motherboard or video card is damaged, it is due to compression, throught the lid and LCD, due to picking up the laptop with one hand."

Okay, I had had enough. I asked that the laptop be returned to me, unrepaired.

Guess what? When I got the "unrepaired" laptop back, it worked perfectly; the display problem was fixed! I suspected that the video card had been replaced, but when I called IBM, they denied repairing or repalcing anything.

And so it went until this week when Windows XP Pro started to crash and show the blue screen, then restart, over, and over, and over. Now, the computer won't even start Windows.

I put the HD in a different Thinkpad and checked the system logs. The problem had started as a conflict between the 64mb ATI Mobility Radeon video card and the installed driver. It had escalated from there, resulting in the eventual, unrecoverable crash. This situation is well-documented at:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/318023/en-us

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-50883

But wait, my A31p had a 128mb ATI Fire GL card, not a 64mb ATI Mobility Radeon card!!! Well, I believe that the Depot replaced my defective Fire GL card with the Radeon card, and then denied it (THEFT). They had probably fixed the computer before trying to extort the $895 for the "damaged" LCD (FRAUD). When I balked, the Depot returned the "unrepaired" laptop to me, but the left the new (wrong) video card installed.

How do I know that the Radeon card had not been in the computer since its manufacture? Because the first time the Depot replaced the video card, they made the same mistake; they installed a Radeon instead of a Fire GL. I sent the laptop back to them, and they put the correct, Fire GL, card back in.

I can document the above though service ticket numbers, serial numbers, and system log files. I am NOT interested in any concession, discount, or civil award. I would like to see these criminals prosecuted. I plan to file criminal complaints in the applicable jurisdictions.

[Dummvogel]

A31p has an ATI Mobility FireGL 7800 with 64MB. All of them, no exceptions.

[DIGITALgimpus]

Support isn't very good. I had a nightmare experience with an A31 over a year ago. That was insane.

My next laptop is likely an Apple, since at least I can go to the store to pickup a replacement if it takes to long (has happened for others). Rather than be left out in the cold for several weeks.

[RolloM]

Wow - I just called the support phone to find out whether my problem might be a driver or hardware problem.

A bored, arrogant Austrian idiot (sorry...) who did not have the least clue of what he was talking about, all the time typing around on his keyboard (probably writing e-mail or so), sometimes not saying anything for minutes. The only answer he could give me was to update the bios. Boy: I just received a dew fresh mainboard from your repair center. Guess the bios is the newest you can get. And I do not believe sound problems do have anything to do with the Bios, btw.

His second suggestion was to reinstall the system. Thank you: I will definitely not invest half a weekend just because one of you jerks failed to test the board he built into my computer before returning it to me.

Dear Lenovo. You just lost a long standing IBM customer.

R., really pee'd off

[pianowizard]

IBM has pretty bad ratings on Reseller Ratings. Lenovo has three positive comments so far.

[mdarnton]

I may set the record for warranty repairs--I think my T41 has been back maybe eight times now--all for different things. The DHL guy recognizes me on the street, he's visited me so many times. One time it was the motherboard, and the rest have been little things, like loose power connectors (am I the only one with this as a persistent problem?), a dead hard drive, faulty wi-fi card. Every single time they've been a pleasure to deal with, the repair has been quick, and the people I've dealt with have been totally professional.

The last time it was Lenovo, and I don't see a bit of difference. I just bought a laptop for my mother, and didn't look at anything but Lenovo, based entirely on my service experience. If you want to know what BAD service is, get a Compaq. Once my Compaq was in service for SIX WEEKS. It doesn't matter how polite they are if they don't have the parts. The longest my Thinkpad has been in the shop is two days--most turn-arounds were one day to, one day in, and one day back.

[underclocker]

I have had a few go through Solectron for service, the resuts are hit or miss - either excellent or all thumbs. I'd say quality control is the real issue there.

[tfflivemb2]

Whether it is IBM or Lenovo, it doesn't really make a difference...

The problem is Solectron, which is STILL the same company that IBM used.

Personally, I had a T30 returned with a replaced planar within a week....during the last month of it's warranty last December. I thought that they communicated just fine, as to what was going on.