One nightmarish experience as a ThinkPad X61s owner [ Edited ]

[thinkpad-x61s]

    I am writing on here in the hope that someone from Lenovo will take a look at my call reference and see what a complete joke it has become.


In April 2008 I purchased a brand new Thinkpad X61s with a 3 year international warranty (as I tend to travel quite a lot!). When I first booted the machine, I noticed that it would freeze randomly every so often. I assumed it was Vista being rubbish, so when I got a chance I put XP on the machine, only to find the freezing problem continued. I then called Lenovo who said they would send an engineer to fix it.

The engineer arrived and proceeded to replace the mainboard (i.e. motherboard and CPU). However, as part of this process the TFT LCD panel shattered. A new part was then ordered and shipped out. However, when the engineer came to replace the TFT LCD panel he found that he was unable to separate the screen from the motherboard due to a poorly machined cable attachment. He therefore ordered a new LCD TFT -> motherboard cable.

This new part then arrived, but the wrong part number was sent, so he had to re-order.

Finally, the machine was taken apart for the fifth or sixth time by now and was showing signs of distress and structural weakness. The engineer did however manage to replace the screen this time. However, when the machine was booted up, it became clear that the screen had again cracked.

I am now in the position where I have an essentially BRAND NEW X61s that has been opened up more than half-a-dozen times, has had a new screen, a new motherboard, but is basicalyl totally dysfunctional and much weakened by the continual opening and closing by the engineer.

The current situation, two months since purchasing the machine, is that the screen is still broken, it now flickers a great deal too, suggesting that perhaps somethign else is wrong - and on top of that, there are a number of other problems:
- ThinkLight does not sit in the ThinkLight recess
- The keyboard no longer sits properly above the system board
- One of the wireless antennas appears to have been severed
- The system no longer identifies itself as having an UltraConnect II antenna system
- and on, and on.

If someone from Lenovo would please look into this and send me a replacement or provide me with a refund that would be great. When I last called Lenovo they advised me to write to their complaints department in Bratislava!!!

Please, restore my faith in your ability to supply a working computer!



Message Edited by thinkpad-x61s on 06-09-2008 08:35 AM

[Mark_Lenovo Administrator]

Thinkpad-x61s,

Why not send me a PM with your contact information including the location where we should try to reach you now, system model and serial number.

We will see what can be done to resolve this situation.

Thanks.

[thinkpad-x61s]

Mark,

Thanks for replying so quickly. Hopefully we can reach a conclusion on this...

I'm sorry to bog down a social media venture with such negativity!

Let's hope we can get to a happy ending!

[thinkpad-x61s]

Mark, I have yet to hear anything from Bratislava, could you please chase this for me. In the meanwhile, I attach below a copy of the letter I tried to send to Lenovo's CEO (the letter was 'returned to sender'):

William J. Amelio
President and Chief Executive
Lenovo
3039 Cornwallis Road
Research Triangle Park
Raleigh
North Carolina 27709
USA

10 May 2008

Dear Sir,
Reference:    ThinkPad X61s
Type: 7668-CTO
SN: [removed for security]

I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with the product and service I have recently received.

I have been using IBM personal computers (including ThinkPads) for over ten years and have rarely had cause to complain and, certainly with respect to the ThinkPad product, have never had serious cause for concern or felt the need to consider alternatives.

I have owned a ThinkPad A31p, several ThinkPad X31s and my latest purchase has been the ThinkPad X61s. I have always opted for extended international warranties, knowing that I would have the worldwide backing of one of the leading computer firms. This used to provide me with the reassurance that I would suffer the minimum of inconvenience, financial loss and stress should a failure occur. As a strategy consultant my time is valuable and the last thing I need when a problem does arise is to wait weeks for a successful resolution.

However, when I purchased my most recent ThinkPad, it very quickly (as soon as it came out of the box) appeared to have problems. It would intermittently freeze, for no particular reason. It would simply freeze after perhaps ten minutes of being switched on. At first I suspected that perhaps some software was causing the problem, so I completed a factory restore, and when this failed to solve the problem I installed a copy of Windows XP myself, only to find the same problem.

I ordered the machine on 27 March 2008, and was advised of a 2-3 week lead time. This was fine, as I was unlikely to be in New York (to pick up the machine) before 15th April 2008. As it turned out the machine was delivered early on 4th April 2008.

I was in New York for one week, before having to return to the UK for work (22nd April 2008) and took the laptop with me. Once back in the UK, I proceeded to complete the restore and reformatting steps outlined above, only to discover that the problem was clearly a hardware one. Around the 25th April 2008 I contacted Lenovo support advising them of the problem.
They promptly stated that the processor was the likely cause, and that an engineer and part would be dispatched the next day to resolve the problem.

While the engineer and part did arrive, when the engineer went to replace the system board he found that he was unable to do so due to an original manufacturing defect where the LCD cable had been mounted to the system board. It had been screwed in with such force that the screws securing the LCD cable to the system board could not be removed (the slot on the head of the screw had been completely destroyed).

This then necessitated the engineer putting the machine back together, ordering another part and rescheduling an appointment to visit.
Several days later a replacement LCD cable arrived and the engineer duly took my ThinkPad apart for the second time, only to find that the replacement LCD cable was not the correct part. This then meant that the machine had to be put back together again.

At this stage, I contacted Lenovo support again (+44 870 5 500 900) to express my dissatisfaction with the service I was receiving. I had specifically opted for next business day service in order to avoid significant periods of downtime and inconvenience. I was also growing increasingly concerned that the original manufacturing defect may suggest other problems with the machine, and I did not wish to be in a situation like this again, where the failure of one part exposed shortcomings in other parts of the machine – compounding the original defect, by extending the time taken to repair and return the machine to service.

The advisor said that there was a 10-day early life failure replacement programme, but that since by this time I had had the machine for 3-4 weeks, it would be difficult to secure a replacement and that he could not do anything further for me. He suggested that I might wish to write to the complaints team in Bratislava.

I have opted not to write to Bratislava, since I do not wish this issue to go on any longer than is necessary. I am therefore writing to you to express my dissatisfaction with the build quality of the machine I received and the service (in terms of the wrong parts being shipped and being advised to write to Bratislava for assistance) received.

I trust that you will take this matter seriously and look to address the issues raised. I also hope you will take the opportunity to do your best to restore my faith in the ThinkPad brand and the quality of the specific X61s ThinkPad I purchased. It would appear to have been subject to a poor assembly/manufacturing process. I am concerned that standards are not what they were – and, more importantly, that customers are not being valued in the way they once were.

In closing, I would like to state that the engineer who has been dealing with my issue has been most excellent – the one exception to what remains an unsatisfactory product and service. Polite, friendly, supportive and accommodating, he is a fine engineer. It is unfortunate that he has been let down by the supply chain and the build quality of the machine.

I look forward to hearing from you, or a member of your executive team, very shortly. Since I am likely to be in the UK for the next few weeks, please address all written correspondence to the UK address at the head of this letter. However, in order to bring about a speedy resolution to this issue, and in the event that I return to the USA unexpectedly, I would appreciate an electronic copy of letters being emailed to me at [removed for security]
Yours sincerely,


[Removed for security]

[Mark_Lenovo Administrator]

Thinkpad-x61s,

I would expect you should be contacted and receive assistance shortly - most likely tomorrow.

Mark

[wjli2]

Isn't William Ameilo based in Singapore??

[thinkpad-x61s]

Hi

That would explain why my letter was returned to sender.

I am still not happy with the attempts made to resolve this, one missed call (I was in a meeting) from an international number - which I assume was Bratislava, but no further call from them. Instead, simply the engineer leaving me a voicemail a day later to see what's what.

Could you kindly ask Bratislava to give me another call, or provide me with their contact details, so that I might be able to get in touch with them when it is convenient for me?

I really do hope we can get things resolved soon, as this is dragging on far too long,

Thanks.

[wjli2]

Mark_Lenovo is your go to guy on this matter.