Lenovo "SALE"

I've been marveling at lenovos "sales".

If you make a product and sell it for...say $50, for 5 years. Then you do some research and some outsourcing, and are able to lower the price to $40 because of lower costs. How long can you get away with calling the cost reduction a "sale"?

This is what I see in Lenovo. They keep finding ways to reduce the cost (mostly by manufacturing in China), and keep calling the price reduction a "SALE"

This has been going on for a year or two, and I still keep hearing conversations here about what the next big sale will be....Well, its been one big long never ending "sale". The only time anything special happens is when a coupon gets released.

Oh....by the way....I got an email about the new "kick off the season" sale at lenovo....same prices as the labor day sale....and the summer sale....and 4th july sale...

hurry and get yours before the sale ends!!!!

 

haha..i was wondering about that myself. I find it humorous that if you buy these laptops any where but from lenovo you'll end up paying a significant amount more.

 

Typical marketting. Look at Dell, they have had everything on sale for the last 7 years or so.

 

But are they marketing them at $500 off?

 

The first Vostro 1400 I ordered was something like "$378 off" and I ordered it on the first day they were available before they even established a normal price for it.

 

I think it is about customer psychology. You will be more satisfied if you feel like you are paying less. Take a beer or something. Sober is not good for you.

But the labor's day deal is surely a sale. I have been watching the price since t60p came out, the t61p deal is the best.

 

Having it on sale makes people more likly to buy cause they don't want to miss the deal. Plus if their costs go up they just have to weaken the deal and no need to increase the full price of the item

 

I kind of suspect that the labor day sale is the latest drop in costs. I don't think the prices will go back up after this latest "sale" ends.

 

They already have.

Oh my god, look over there! That theory is flying right out the window.

They advertise constant sales because it is a marketing hook, people will bite when there is a sale. I did. Lenovo is a chinese company started by a chinese man. As far as I know their production has always been in china. As far as them finding ways to reduce the cost, this is a business, mostly every business is searching for a way to lower costs. I'm not sure I really understand what you are getting at here, are you complaining? Pointing fingers? Observing?

 

Another point is that it seems that every computer manufacturer have sales going on 24/7. "200 dollar instant rebate!" "Free printer with purchase!" "300 dollars in mail in rebates" Try and find a computer manufacturer not advertising a sale right now.

 

well a sale is a sale to a consumer even if it's just to cover up reduced manufacturing costs for the company. I am happy to buy something that's cheaper than the price you normally get.

 

How do you define "normally" when its always on sale?

 

Normally meaning "lives in Canada"

 

It was just an observation. I bough a thinkpad years ago from IBM, the prices were astronomically high compared to the competition because the product was far superior.

Thinkpads, since they've been farmed out to lenovo, have come down in price for various reasons, some of which have to do with cheaper components and labor, others are just a general drop in price of computer components.

whatever the reason, Lenovo seems to be using the old IBM price as a baseline (or their "regular price") for as long as they can get away with it to appear as though they are offering a great deal.

Thinkpad prices have dropped consistantly since lenovo has taken over if you use the same system for comparison. For example I ordered my T60p in april for a little over $1600. A similarly configured T61P is selling now for around $1300. The difference is, in april the "sale" was $300 off, now the "sale" is over $500 off.

I agree, it is marketing, and I guess I was just wondering how many people actually fall for it after it has been going on this long.

 

Is there another reason why they're having so many consecutive sales? Something seems fishy. Did the quality of the thinkpads decrease or something? Someone with a lenovo thinkpad, please confirm.

 

Well, they are having major shipping date problems so meeting demand hasn't been all that easy indicating that a waiting period may be where they are saving through lower inventory costs.

 

Every computer company in the world does this.
So does every furniture store.
Oh and car dealers.
Should I name more?

What makes Lenovo's situation any different that it deserves to be singled out?

 

I find that Canadians usually get the shaft on sales or the inability to customize a laptop. Dell Canada doesn't have "sales" like the US, ie. free upgrades, etc. But at least Lenovo (Canada) offers things like "double your memory" for free or offer a free battery on selected notebooks.

 

here is my own observation. i purchased a t61p during the labor day "sale" if i go now and configure the same spec with their kick off the season "sale" i would pay almost 300 dollars more. true lenovo is always having a sale, but what the sale prices are vary. also sometimes the sale is based on the system and sometimes its for specific upgrades. its hard to know when you will get the configuration you want at the best price.

 

lol I find that free memory offer on Lenovo Canada almost an insult.
Thats after their 'Labor Day' sale that only applied to 2 pre-configured T60s but everything else was regular price. That's a SALE in Canada!!
Hmm I wonder what they'll offer next? Free shipping+ No GST/PST?? nahh thats too much to expect

 

Makes me wonder also...

 

because they're the one I'm looking at right now

 

lol right onn!!!!

 

So If I buy a lap top from the US site I cannot get it shipped to cannada, right?

 

Good enough for me ;0

 

Right.

You have to use a freight forwarder if you want to get one all the way up here. You can also have one sent to a UPS store in Niagara Falls and drive down and get it if you are near the border.

Depending on the model, you may have to ship it back to the US for warranty work which is the only thing stopping me from ordering a t61p from the US.