Genuinely Disappointed in Lenovo

Basically, I bought an X230 13months ago and noticed several clusters of dead pixels throughout ownership. I then sent it in 3 weeks before the warranty expires (waited in case there were any other problems) to have the screen replaced. Upon receiving it, 1 (week of warranty left) I started noticing some random flickering. It then got progressively worst and because it is now almost 2 weeks after my warranty has expired, Lenovo will not warrant any repairs.
They basically replaced my screen with a likely refurbished defective unit. I have tried to contact sales and technical supports and they are unable to help.
I am very disappointing especially being so loyal to the brand (this being my 3rd thinkpad ), which I've referred my friends and family to (two T500 and one T510).
I have sent some emails to customer service through the lenovo site it's been over a week with no response. I will no longer purchase any products from Lenovo. Of course I will now have to order a new screen at my cost and figure out how to replace it.

It's disappointed that a business-oriented company will not back their product up especially to a very loyal customer.

 

Did you report the flickering within the warranty period?

In any case, I'd recommend the standard advice around here. Call tech support and ask that your case be escalated. A day or two later, someone from the Customer Relations team should call you. They seem to have more authority to make judgement calls in situations like yours (where the tech support people would be likely to apply the exact rule with no flexibility).

 

I'm curious, if you noticed it was flickering right after you received it and it was still under warranty, why not call then? That would be the time to call as most companies I've dealt with don't do out of warranty repairs free. There are any number of reasons the screen could flicker that are not related to the screen itself. Is there some reason you believe the screen is refurbished?

 

So you waited 13 months to see if there were any other issues? Sorry but you waited to the last moment to get warranty service done and failed to report the new issue while the unit was under warranty, this is your bad not Lenovos. Now that you are out of the warranty coverage any issue you report shouldn't be covered by the warranty.

 

Most manufacturers will give you a 90 day warranty on the part or the balance of the warranty on the unit, whichever is longer. If the screen was replaced and it is defective again, it should be replaced.

 

Remote chance, but worth noting - what is the screen refresh rate set at? When I replaced my panel in my T440s recently it initially flickered a lot and I found that the refresh rate was defaulting to 40hz. It even took a couple of re-boots before the change stuck permanently and the flickering is gone.

 

you should still get 90 days of extra warranty on any repair.

 

I second this statement. You should call them back and insist on this aspect of the story...

 

My warranty is for 12months, why should I be sacrificing my productivity to send the unit in earlier and then having to send it in again if there are other problems? I would rather wait until near the end in case any other problem arises and have it all dealt with once.

I've been calling and Lenovo and nobody is able to do anything about it. They kept tell me that the warranty expires after 1year and there are no exceptions, even for parts replaced.

I didn't think twice about the occasional flickering when I first got it back because I was too consumed with reloading all my required applications and getting back to work. It was only 2-3 weeks after that I notice it being more apparent. Now it flickers as soon as there any movement to the LCD. I can hardly use the notebook on my lap without it flicking. It's terrible. Still no response from Lenovo customer service email.

I will call again about the 90day warranty on the part but where can I find that in their policy? Is it available online?

 

My refresh rate is at default 50hz. I cant seem to save it at 60hz.

 

Unfortunately when you wait until the last month to resolve issues you are gambling with the outcome. In this case it appears that gamble did not pay off. What I found on Lenovo's site is the following:

"We guarantee that the replacement part you put in your system will work as intended and assume the same warranty as the rest of the system. (If your system is out of warranty, our parts carry a 90 day warranty.)"

That Out of Warranty Part Costs What?!#$& - Products - Lenovo Blogs

I assume that since you had an active warranty at the time the work was done the replacement parts were covered during your standard warranty and ended with it. If you did not have a valid warranty and paid to have the system serviced the work would carry a 90 day warranty. The only hope will be if they have a statement which says something to the effect "the repairs assume the same warranty as the rest of the system or 90 days whichever is greater".

 

Did you use an American Express card when you purchased? If so, AmEx gives you an extra year of warranty.

And not to be unsympathetic, but aren't you forced to sacrifice your productivity now? I've had my share of frustration with Lenovo, but I think you largely brought the pain on yourself in this matter. Even if we agree with your reasoning, there's a big difference between sending a machine with a known defect in with 2 months left versus waiting until just 3 weeks remained. And I would've called them as soon as I saw an issue after the repair, just to get it on file as having occurred before the warranty expired. Another thing you could've done was to extend the warranty by 1 year, which could be had for a fairly low price.

I hope everything works out for you, but hopefully in the future you won't take for granted that the world will behave exactly as you expect.

 

I also think that if a machine is relied on heavily it is folly to not spend for the on-site warranty. While I buy virtually no extended warranties in life, laptops are the one exception, and Lenovo sells them relatively cheap.

 

I did not think about extended warranty because my previous two thinkpads never required any work.
I did not use an Amex card, I used my mastercard but it's now 13 months since purchase date.
I went ahead and ordered a new screen but will likely replace this unit in the fall.

 

Just to update everyone, Lenovo did call me back to try and rectify the problem. They will be sending me a new LCD unit and I will be performing the work myself. I am satisfied with that offering. I confirmed over the phone to make sure that the replacement unit will be IPS as that is what I have.

 

msg2short

 

Yeah I read his signature and completely derped.

 

Just a quick update. I just received the new screen (albeit certified reutilized part) today and it is working flawlessly. I would buy from Lenovo once again. However, they definitely are not as sturdy and durable as they once were in the 2008 and earlier era.

 

That sadly applies to all laptops these days. People seem to value thin and light over durable.

 

Lenovo just sent me another replacement IPS panel out of the blue. I wonder if there is a glitch in their system? I gladly accepted the new panel as it's free. Great Christmas present really.

The laptop is working very well up to date. The only complaint is poor wifi performance. Have tried different drivers and different OS (7/8/8.1) with the same results. Very weak wifi strength. I bought an Asus usb adapter and that has solved the problem. It's a bit annoying having a usb dongle attached but I hardly notice it at the desk. I also replaced the dying 6cell with a new genuine 9cell. Battery life is excellent.

 

Good for you.

A couple of years ago I got a LCD instead of a replacement HDD. Mind you, not even for the same machine type. Weird stuff does happen, but sometimes it works to our advantage...