hi guys,
just wanted to add another data point in here for future reference from December 2008. an earlier poster mentioned "sorry to revive an old post" and i want to make very clear that indeed reviving an old post is critically important to the community -- this is clearly just as widespread an issue on these T60s as the batteries that have been recalled and I think that means that they too should be reevaluated for recall.
we are a thinkpad household for over 12years (~'96) and I don't understand why the batteries of machines I owned in the 90s never croaked like this. battery technology seems to be improving for cell phones (smaller longer talktimes) and degrading for laptops (recent quality issues and high occurrences of degradation after very short periods of time).
On our laptop, I suppose the fuse mentioned in an earlier post is the culprit as we too just experienced an overnight 100% failure which shows all the symptoms of a design flaw not abuse.
Here are the details:
- T60 purchase direct from IBM with 3yr warranty in June 2007
- As of this post, that means the laptop is about 16 months old
- This laptop is home-bound and does not travel with my fiance. She usually uses it in our living room or at her home office desk when she is not at work and on the weekends so it gets about 15-20 hours of us/week
- When she got it new, I explained to her the implications of always charging it to 100% or using it on AC power every day on battery longevity so she regularly uses it unplugged and runs it down to low digits before recharging
- All plugs in the house are the grey 20V variety now.
- As of last week it was holding just over an hour charge.
- As of this morning it is now unable to even sustain the computer when the AC adapter is unplugged
- The computer immediately shuts down when AC power is removed
- It appears that the battery has not only degraded it has blow a fuse and is not capable of even generating current much less "holding a charge"
I wanted to post to this group our experience and ENCOURAGE OTHERS WHO FIND THIS THREAD TO DO THE SAME!!! because it's important that we do as a community log the large number of people who are inconvenienced by these design flaws so they can be fixed.
I also wanted to address the ridiculous post entered by the boards administrator earlier who submitted that geeze what are we to do and likened the situation to automotive parts like tires and the warranties for those. That's a fairly ridiculous metaphor. Tires are outside exposed to vicious elements and run on asphalt and ground into the ground. These batteries like most tech equipment live a bahamian lifestyle by comparison. This battery on our laptop lived "the life" as we coddledit and were aware of the risks to battery longevity and it still failed.
Here's what Lenovo service today looks like:
- my fiance calls in to inquire about this problem and is lectured about her warranty not applying to the battery
- knowing this is a flaw not a damage issue she asks to have a manager call her back
- this manager leaves her the most obnoxious patronizing voicemail explaining batteries aren't covered - no duh guys -we are calling you to alert you of an issue and you respond with policy and protocol.
- where is the old culture of fixing problems and offering customer service to address the clear culpability here
AND
Here's what responsibility going forward looks like:
- The discussion earlier about offering prorated battery warranties by Mark Lenovo was the right way to get after the problem
EXCERPT FROM MARK LENOVO:
Most tires and car batteries come with pro-rated warranties. If I buy a 72 month battery for my car, and it fails in the first year, typically that is within the period for free replacement, but there after, the warranty is pro-rated, and I, as the customer, pay a % of the replacement on a sliding scale. The more time I got out of the battery, the more I pay, but even in the 72nd month, I never pay 100% of the price of a new battery.
- Paying a discounted price makes sense. Not paying full price. Any other way places the liability on the end consumer to buy that warranty on the battery when the lenovo folks are supposed to be in charge of quality assurance in their products
- I would like to advocate for this suggestion that Lenovo should offer pro-rated replacement pricing
- I will not and do not ever want to have to pay FULL PRICE whenever I have to replace a part that failed before it's designed lifespan had been reached.
- A battery treated properly like this one was should last 3yrs
- Lenovo Customer Support and Marketing Team should be thinking of creative ways to solve customer relationship issues as that's what this is. You guys are stranding loyal Thinkpad customers with crappy batteries.
- I already paid for a new battery for my fiance back in June 2007 AND
- If I need a new battery after 1 year I expect that Lenovo will take the responsibility for that
- I expect that Lenovo will give me a 2/3 credit on the first battery I bought since it has only lasted 1/3 of it's expected lifespan
Attention Lenovo Administrator:
- Please copy this post and forward it out the directors of your customer support and marketing team
- I think we all expect a reply on the forum board here and would like an outreach to resolve this problem
- I am not going to waste more of my sunday arguing with your frontline techs about warranty policy
- This is a matter of customer loyalty from lenovo to all of us loyal Thinkpad buyers and you guys better step up
- The thinkpad brand stands for more than a black chassis a nice keyboard and in this era of social networking and discussion boards you can lose 15-20 years of trust and allegiance in just a few months
Take care of the community when you have quality issues and they will what?
They will recommend that others buy Lenovo products
Spurn the community and they will what?
They will find another manufacturer to work with to develop world-class products that understands community development and customer service better than you folks seem to...
Please step up your game folks. We're not impressed with Lenovo's back end support standards and commitment to quality here in Wash, DC. and I will have a hard look at what the HP and Apple folks are offering next time we buy if you can't support us in getting this lame duck battery replaced at a prorated price for 60-70% off.
/J.D. Sanderson
Message Edited by jdsboston on 12-07-2008 08:38 AM
Message Edited by jdsboston on 12-07-2008 08:38 AM
