"this is the worst purchasing experience i ever had. not just on computer, but anything!!!

i ordered the computer in august, after 20 days, i called to check status, Lenovo's said my order is still pending credit card check as they had problem to verify my shipping address vs. billing address. however, for over 20 days, i was not informed and still waiting. then, i provided more information to help with credit check but after a week, still no result. after waited for over a month, 5.5 weeks, my computer finally arrived. but the items i ordered were not completely delivered. i ordered 3Gb RAM, they only delivered 2Gb. my MS Office software is an OEM license and Microsoft refused to service so i am requesting a refund so i can purchase a regular MS Office. now, two months after i bought this computer, i have to bring in to a Lenovo dealer to have them fix the issues. i paid over $1,600 for this computer and treated like i am begging..... horrible experience. "

"I ordered a camera bag on 8.19.09. It cost $14.46 + $1.26 tax and the status indicated the item was in stock.

The order was pending for a few days at which point the estimated ship date was scheduled for 9.2.09. Once that date came around, the date was pushed back to 9.14.09. On that day it was pushed back again to 9.28.09. At that point I immediately called Lenovo that spoke with their customer service. They informed me that the order had "cleared" except that it was never submitted to the warehouse.

Seems odd to me. I was skeptical.

Customer support said they are submitting the order to the warehouse and it will be shipped. The estimated ship date never changed from 9.28.09. I remained skeptical and was expecting to check the status again and find that it had been bumped another two weeks. Instead I received this email message today (9.28.09):

"Due to the overwhelming demand for the Lenovo products you ordered, we have been unable to ship all or part of your order. You are a valued customer and we are working to ship your order as soon as possible. However, If we do not hear from you within the next 5 days, Federal regulations require us to automatically cancel your order for which you will receive a full refund. If you would like to keep your order open, just send us an email by clicking the link below. If you agree to this delay notification, you may still request to modify or cancel your order at any time by contacting your representative Lenovo Sales toll free at 1(***-***-****.

[PLEASE KEEP MY LENOVO ORDER (2DTRF6) ACTIVE - I AGREE TO THE DELAY]

Our online order status tool displays the latest information on your order therefore a revised estimated ship date is not included in this notification. Please continue to visit the online order status tool, available 24 hours a day, to view the latest information on your order status:
www.directlenovo.com/orderstatus/login.cfm?cid=4868178&oid=2DTRF6

Lenovo appreciates your continued business and we apologize for any inconvenience this delay may have caused.

Lenovo Sales"

Either they simply cannot run a business and ship a damn camera bag in a day or they're scammers sitting on this money hoping enough people fall for the trap and that some will forget their orders.

I've waited over a month for a damn camera bag! I suppose I'm the fool."

"My experience with Lenovo has been mixed.

I found the ordering of the product to be exceptionally well done. I ordered my X200Tablet customized laptop on 7/24, and was promised a ship date of 8/6. Much to my surprise, it shipped on 7/28 and arrived on 8/3/2009. Wonderful!

Out of the box, nothing was missing and the computer booted up well. I was disappointed with the amount of bloatware installed. I basically had to do a full wipe and clean build of the system in order to recover the true performance abilities. Not unusual for a prebuilt though.

On 9/16/2009, after watching my 18 month old son scribble on the screen in MS paint, it occurred to me that I might wish to buy the extended warranty protection that would cover accidental damage. I went online to lenovo.com, entered my machine type and serial number, and selected the 3yr Depot Upgrade w/ 3yr ThinkPad Protection (which covers accidental damage). The prior page to add it to the cart listed the price as 237, but the cart showed it as 279, and after tax was a little over $300. Not a big deal, well worth it.

The following weekend, a crack showed up in the lcd screen. I immediately called lenovo customer service that saturday, and was informed that since I did not have an extended warranty, I would be charged $979 for the repair. I inquired how they knew that's how much it would cost, since they hadn't even seen the machine, and didn't know all the components that were damaged, and wondered if it was just a worst case estimate. Not so. The CS rep told me to call back on monday to speak with their "Entitlement Department".

This was the most unhelpful customer service rep I have ever encountered. I had to prompt him for everything. Here's an example exchange:

Me: "Hi! I've got a lenovo X200T with a cracked screen"
CS: "Yes?"
Me: "Well, um, it's not displaying right, and I need to get it fixed"
CS: "Ok."
Me: "Can you guys fix it?"
CS: "Yes."
Me: "OoooooK, how about we do that then?"
CS: "Alright."
.
.
.

I'm used to good customer service being a fellow (or gal) on the other end of the line who hears your problem and finds out what they can do about it. I literally had to drag this guy along to get what I wanted.

Anyways.

I call back on monday, and speak with another CS rep. I inquire if I can get the machine sent in for repair while I sort out the warranty issue. No go he says, they will charge me for it. So they CS rep transfers me to the Entitlement Department.

There, I speak with Ms. P, who is fairly friendly and helpful, and she initially says I have purchased the wrong warranty. I explain how I purchased it, and it eventually comes up that she has no idea what I've purchased. She requests that I fax her my proof of purchase. Pretty ridiculous, I think, that I have to go to www.lenovo.com, pull up my order, print it out, write "Attn: Ms. P, Case #: xxxxxxx", and fax it BACK to lenovo, to prove that I've purchased the warranty. However, I follow her instructions, and wait for her callback.

On Tuesday a prepaid UPS box arrives from lenovo, much to my surprise. I assumed that the CS rep and entitlement department must have worked it out and that my laptop was cleared for warranty repairs. Great! I pack up my laptop and ship it off, UPS picks up my box on Wednesday.

Thursday, I receive a call from lenovo CS informing me that they have my laptop and it will cost $750 to repair the screen, will I authorize the repairs? WTF?

I call lenovo back, and get another rep in the Entitlement Department, Ms. M this time. Ms. M informs me that I only have a 1 year warranty. She informs me I need to fax in proof of my extended warranty purchase. I inform her that I've already done so. She asks to whom, and I give her Ms. P's name. Ms. M has never heard of Ms. P. I complain that it's fairly ridiculous that I'm having to fax in proof of purchase that exists right on lenovo databases, but apparently the "Entitlement Department" is basically a mediation entity. Why we need a mediation entity to resolve a seemingly simple issue is beyond me. In any case, I once again fax in my proof of purchase, after obtaining Ms. M's word that she would call me as soon as she got it.

Ms. M calls me back on thursday, and informs me that I only purchased a 1 year warranty. I explain to her that the part number is indeed correct, and that the printed invoice only shows the first half of the warranty description, and that she should probably go and look up the part number.

My invoice read:
"41C9334 MOBILE 1YR DEPOT TO TOTAL 279.00 1 279.00"

The part number description on lenovo.com reads:
"41C9334 MOBILE 1YR DEPOT TO TOTAL 3YR DEPOT WARRANTY+ACCDMGPROT"

I'm currently waiting on hearing back from Ms. M and the fate of my laptop, which I urgently need for note taking. The convoluted process and hoops I've been made to jump through, and the generally poor attitude and understanding of the lenovo reps I have talked to have insured that, while they make great computers, I will never buy from them again. Their customer service is not worth the headache.

UPDATE: I've now heard back from lenovo and they've finally figured out that I did purchase an extended warranty. It's taken a full week from my initial customer service call to the time now when they are finally able to recognise that I have paid for warranty service.

Good:
High quality machines
Low CS wait times
Fast response when they do recognise the problem

Bad:
CS Representatives are exceptionally poor
-What they say they will do is not reflected in what they actually do
Lenovo departments don't seem to know what the others are doing
-Purchasing seemed unable to directly inform warranty that I had bought a warranty
Customer bears the brunt of the responsibility for getting service

I will not buy from them again unless I hear that their CS has improved dramatically. Judging from other reports and various online forums, they have a chronic issue with customer service - I hope that changes."

"The reason I called customer service was because I received the wrong computer in the mail. Lenovo sent me someone else's computer (which was a far lower model than my own) and expected me to jump through hoops in order to obtain the correct computer. I was told I needed to send the computer back, wait for a full refund, completely re-order the computer and wait 2-3 weeks for it to be built and shipped. Naturally, I thought this was ridiculous since I had already gone through this waiting process and this error was not my fault. Additionally, since I customized the computer, it would take another 45 minutes of my time to ensure that I was once again ordering it to my specifications. When I complained about the process, stating that I thought it was unreasonable, and asked to speak to a manager, I was given one. His response was that I should be happy that I am not having to pay a 15% restocking fee as well as pay for the shipping for the computer. I was very dissatisfied with that conversation, so I called again. I then spoke to a lady who was very helpful and apologetic who forwarded me to several other people and finally to a manager in North Carolina who stated that he was going to meet with some people to figure out what to do since this apparently has never happened before. He stated that they would be getting back to me by the end of the day that day (9/10/09) or the following morning. Otherwise, he gave me his direct number and told me to call if I hadn't heard from him by noonish. When I called, I left three messages on friday 9/11/09 and no one returned my calls. This was another frustrating event for me. Finally, when monday rolled around, I called again and finally was able to get ahold of him. At this time, I was basically told that I would not have to order the computer again, but it would still be about 10 days before I would receive my computer. Now, I understand that the computer needs to be built again, but I feel that overnight shipping should be used. My requests for expediated shipping were met with "Maybes" but no promises. Additionally, after all this trouble (and not having a computer for 6 weeks rather than 3, when I have desperately needed it) you would think that there would be something that Lenovo would do to try and "rectify" the situation. For example, if I go to the restaurant and a waiter screws up the order, oftentimes they make ammends -without prompting- and take a few dollars off the bill or offer a free dessert AND fix the problem. My experience with Lenovo, however, has been that I had to fight tooth and nail to get the company to even send me the right computer without making me completely reorder it and punish me for their mistake. Overall, this entire experience has been extremely stressful, very time consuming (hours spent on the phone with Lenovo representatives), cost me several weeks of lost productivity (I am a graduate student and I needed that computer when I ordered it), and overall very dissatisfying. The least Lenovo could have done was offer some free upgrades on the new computer, additional software, overnight shipping, etc. but instead I was told I should be grateful that I didn't have to PAY MORE to get the proper computer. I was generally very dissatisfied with the resolution of my problem. This situation is very sad because before this happened, I was singing Lenovo's praises seeing as other customers have been very happy about quality, features, and the reasonable price. I even convinced another person to buy the same computer. However, after this situation, I have told virtually everyone I know about the poor customer service I have received at Lenovo. No one should have to go through this to get the computer that they paid for."

"No problems here... Ordered a custom configured T400 on July 13th and received it on July 20th. I'm stoked! :-)"

"I ordered a customized Lenovo T400 on 6/17 using a few days old quote. My system was built and shipped out on 6/23 and I got it on 6/26. All in all I got what I wanted, for price I wanted, and on top of that, I got it FAST!"

"I wish I had read the reviews before I placed my last two orders. Unbelievable long time before my shipments arrived. I actually emailed several times to cancel my first order, then placed another order. They both came at around the same time, and I ended up keeping both products because the products are good. The shipping and customer service needs to be more responsive!"

"Expect SIGNIFICANT delays. I got an email from a Brazilian and Mexican email address advising me that Lenovo is unable to verify my credit card information, and that I would need to contact my credit card company to ensure that the information matched. I called my credit card company, and they told me that everything had already been approved on their end. I also ensured that the address and phone number on file with my credit card company was consistent with what I gave Lenovo.... it matched perfectly of course. All excuses basically. I subsequently called the 800 number listed in Lenovo's email. Busy for 2 hours straight. When I finally got through, I got a recording telling me that there were no reps available and that I would need to leave a voice mail. I did, but God knows when I'll hear back.

It's been a week, and my order has yet to be submitted to the factory for assembly because it is still pending verification. WORST ONLINE PURCHASE EVER."

"Hesitantly ordered a small wireless keyboard (for HTPC or PS3 primarily). This is my second negative experience with Lenovo. The first time, I had all kinds of trouble trying to order a laptop at a competitive price for my mother. I went through similar trials as other people with the long shipping times (a month or so) without adequate updates, failed attempts at cancellations, charges to credit card and shipping once attempts at cancellations were made, threats of 15% restocking fees, etc. Horrible company, but alas, I was duped again by a great price (of course, my fault).

Basically, ordered the device on sale; I am pretty sure my CC information was correct as I always check twice. No word on a shipping date or even order confirmation from Lenovo. On the 25th (4 days after ordering), I received a notice of cancellation due to my CC information being incorrect. I attempted many times for at least 20-30 min each time, to contact Lenovo and try to at least correct my CC information. I couldn't get thru...ever!

Must...resist...low...prices...horrible, shady company with non-functional customer service."

"On 13 March 2009, after much research and a decision against buying a Dell XPS 1330, I ordered a Lenovo Ideapad Y430-278198U . It was already reduced by $100 and with a further St. Patrick's Day 15% Off offer, my total price for this top-of-the line PC was $764.15 plus tax. Outstanding!

On 17 March 2009, three days after my Saturday order, I received notice that my notebook had shipped!

On 18 March 2009, I got my UPS tracking number which said the notebook would be delivered on 20 March 2009 via UPS 3-day Express which I didn't request.

On 19 March, my PC was delivered to my house via UPS which I gladly signed for!

Now I know this almost sounds impossible, but I'm honestly sitting here typing this review on my new Lenovo Ideapad Y430. Ordered and in my hands within one week. Amazing!

The laptop is super nice except for all the junk software. I've deleted most everything not operating system. Norton Internet Security is bloat-ware as far as I'm concerned, and ReadyComm makes it almost impossible to do a really fast wireless connection. Recommend you delete those immediately.

Still my new Lenovo Y430 is fast - even the ordering and shipping! "

"Absolutely abysmal tracking system on their site...and incredibly slow. Their email shipping notification is inconsistent with their website tracking system is inconsistent with their telephone customer service. On the website it claims that tracking info is provided 24 hours after email notification...and I'm still waiting for mine 6 days later!! I'm not alone - went to the Lenovo user forums to complain and I posted mine on PAGE 64 of tracking complaints. Lenovo ships computers from China, so be prepared to wait for customs clearance too (you may be saying to yourself, "yeah so, it's worth the wait for a Lenovo..." - SERIOUSLY consider buying a prepackaged computer from a second vendor (make it Lenovo, fine)."

"HORRIBLE! My first ship date was 01/05/09. That day came, checked the status and ship date was changed to 01/19/09. Checked status on January 18th and ship date changed to 02/05/09. I just couldn't wait any longer so I called to cancel order. I was told it would take 24-28 hours to cancel it, and that the company would NOT send me a confirmation of the cancellation, nor would they give me a cancellation number. I cancelled my credit card because I didn't want them to charge me for an order that I had cancelled (Canon Pixma MX850 printer). Well, here it is 5 days later and I look at the website and see they have shipped the printer today! I'll have to call the idiots tomorrow, and hope that I am home when the printer arrives so that I can refuse delivery. BUYER BEWARE!!!!"

"Horrible company will never purchase from them again, no email telling me the laptop would be delayed in shipment, I received it 5 days after Christmas, and tried to return it unopened, and they are charging me a 15% restocking fee ($105)
complete BS. Will never buy again worst company ever.

--Wesley Yao"

"Slower than snails order fulfillment. Place order on 12/1, ship date of 12/10 assigned, no email sent that the package has shipped. I also placed an order with Lexmark at the same time, product shipped the next day, email sent with tracking number. This is the first time I've ordered directly from Lenovo, and probably my last. This is just not competitive. "

"I am a webhost systems admin, I manage over 750 web servers for a living. I ordered a Lenovo Y730 model notebook direct from their website a few hours ago so I will have to post my customer care experience later. For now, I wanted to say, after shopping for 3 weeks from all the other companies (dell.com, hp.com, gateway.com, toshiba.com, usa.asus.com, acer.com, alienware.com, and a few custom laptop building websites) I found the most feature packed laptop I have ever seen. I went again to the other companies mentioned to use their custom configuration pages to try and re-create what the Y730 offers, only to find that the price went WAY OVER $3000 and I was still missing 10+ features that I get with the Y730 AND I took the 3 year warranty with the 3 year accidental damage coverage and still paid under $1200 for a notebook that offers features that the "Big Brands" cannot for ANY price. I showed the specs to fellow admins, and technicians and 4 were convinced the specifications could not be matched, mainly because no one offers them, and IF they did it would ring up a bill of well over $10,000 to get the same. I have owned Dell laptops, HP/Compaq, I have serviced hardware of all of the companies I mentioned, and I have setup thousands of computer systems from Desktops to Rack mounted web servers: I must say, you won't find ANY other company with this offer.

Product and Price: 10/10
Customer Service: 8/10
Product Support: 10/10

Update:

Customer Service: 8/10 Very helpful, but it seems they are still in development since the buyout. I won't hold that against ANY company though.

Product Support: 10/10 at first I thought I would have an issue with getting patches and BIOS updates from their support team. I reported an issue with the "sound" played during boot from the BIOS how there was no option to reduce or disable the sound for quiet environments, the next day they had an updated BIOS for me posted on their website which they also cleaned up a bit, I was TOTALLY blown away a this response. I tried contacting Dell for support on my older D520 which had been shocking me where the docking pad is underneath and got told to go away by 5 different "technicians" who didn't seem to know any technical terms. VERY pleased with Lenovo support :)

I will Definitely be buying from Lenovo again."