OK, I've just gone from being a previously-satisfied customer of Lenovo, hopeful for a reasonable response based on Lenovo's reputation for quality service...
... to an OUTRAGED customer of Lenovo, who will be sharing his experience with Lenovo to all the friends and family who depend on his advice when purchasing a computer (since he is a computer engineer).
My experience was the following:
I phoned Lenovo support to tell them that I'd had the problem described in this forum with FRU 93P5032, and to direct them to this thread to inform them that a large number of people also seemed to have the same problem. Since the problem did not seem to be an issue of a battery dying from normal wear-and-tear, but rather from a defect (with identical symptoms to many recalled batteries - sudden "Battery cannot be charged" error, etc), I requested that my battery be replaced.
I was told that my battery could not be replaced under warranty, since it was not under warranty.
I explained that I knew the battery was not under warranty, but was asking that it be replaced as a defective product that was recalled would be replaced. As I understood it, recalled products were eligible to be replaced regardless of the status of the warranty, since it was the manufacturer's defects which caused them to fail.
I was then told that they would only handle warranty replacements, that there was no number I could call to discuss a defective product - and that there was no system that allowed them to even report that I had experienced a product I suspected was defective.
I asked how Lenovo would ever learn of a defective product that needed to be replaced, if none of the calls placed by customers reporting defects could ever be recorded? At that point, I was told to "have a nice day" and disconnected.
This happened twice, identically. (Including the hang up.)
I was polite and calm on the phone both times, but I am now furious. I expect a response to this post from Lenovo that seeks to amend what has happened.
Arv
