Lenovo not nonprofit nor business friendly

I ordered a T500 with the promise that it would be easy to get my tax back once I submitted my nonprofit exempt sheet. The Laptop was charged to my credit card which holds the name of our foundation we are incorporated under. the name is similiar to the D.B.A. name in that the D.B.A. name has an extra word in the three word name. the incorporated name has only two of the three words. An idiot would be able to tell it is the same entity especially since the address is the same.

I submitted our tax exempt sheet to the customer service agent who forwarded it to billing to process a credit.

At time of purchase, the Cust. service agent said the addresses for the exempt sheet must be the same as the one we bought it under. Odd rule since businesses have multiple billing, shipping, PO box addys, divisions, etc.. After 25 years of business this is the first vendor that ever cared.

The Laptop was shipped to the same address listed on the exempt sheet but the name listed with Lenovo is our D.B.A. name so the UPS guy doesn't get lost delivering it.

Of course Lenovo has denied our request for reimbursement stating "the names don't match. Lenovo does not permit the buyer (me) to directly converse with the billing department to answer any questions, provide any additional documentation, etc.

This is not business friendly and Dell never gave us such a hassel let alone all our other vendors in the past 25 years. this means Lenovo isn't friendly to nonprofits either.

Business and nonprofit buyer beware. If you use a D.B.A. or your billing doesn't match your tax exempt sheet they won't recognize your state tax exemption.

 

Contact the BBB for rapid response. The North Carolina offiice serves Lenovo.

 

In all fairness, you will probably encounter more and more such precise requirements from now on than you did in your past 25 years of business.

I really doubt that this is merely Lenovo being non-business friendly. After all, businesses are their bread and butter. It is more than likely a result of stiffening tax regulations to which they merely do their best to adhere. As far as tax codes go, it wouldn't surprise me a bit if any difference at all between the two names makes all the difference.

The problem could be with the person who told you otherwise, rather than company policy. Unfortunately, I'm not sure there is anything you can do about that.

In any case, isn't that sales tax now deductible for your business?

 

Keep in mind this is data that the customer service agent typed in. The billing dept can easily change the name in the computer if they want it to match. The billing side wasn't even filled out besides the D.B.A. name. I was never asked for the billing name or address. just the credit card number and the name on the card.

It all boils down to it doesn't matter what they say. The NP had it's credit card charged for the LT so therefore the exemption applies since an exempt nonprofit was charged.


I know fuel tax can be recouped but that is because they have to charge the fuel tax upfront regardless. Other than ther is no business "write off" for sales tax as far as I know. I don't believe there is a spot on the 990PF where you can recoop any sales tax payed. We don't pay any taxes so no way to write off any business expenses.

Regarding the expense, as long as we provide the form and they list the number with the account the state doesn't care what the rest of the form says.

I figure there were some creative college students trying to rip off the system that they may have been caught up in that created this weird policy of theirs.

 

I will be consulting with our Treasurer/attorney and accountant regarding proceeding with the BBB or the state attorney generals office.

 

But you just *did* pay a sales tax. Therefore, I would think there would be a mechanism in place for it to be refunded, as long as all the requirements for purchase by a non-profit were met.

 

Don't think I won't ask my accountant if the state form has that line item

 

Gunpowder,

Sorry about your experience so far...

Can you PM me your order number, and we will help ensure this gets resolved.

Best regards,

Mark

 

PM sent. Will post the results of round 2 so I don't leave this thread hanging.

 

Hey Rich, I see you are from Indiana too. An old foggy like me to.

Our accountant said go through Lenovo as getting money back once it gets to the state is near imposable. They would say collect it from the vendor.

Hopefully this works out as I need a new desktop in the next year or so. I hear Lenovo has a lower malfunction rate than Dell on their DT's.

 

In all fairness, I do not think Lenovo is being unreasonable questioning this. I do hope you can get this fixed though. Try to remain calm and polite to people who are just trying to fix a confusing mess up for you.

I know a group of people that have BOTH a for profit business and a not for profit business at the same location. The only difference is a SLIGHT difference in the name, and the tax laws change depending on which business is responsible for the transaction.

How can Lenovo know if it is a typo on your part or if it is a different business? Hopefully they will be able to help.

I certainly wish you luck in fixing the confusion up.

 

I'm calm. Don't mean my wording to mean I am anything but frustrated at the non face to face environment that all online experiences have.

I suspect it would be easier if I could discuss on the phone directly with the billing dept. Not easy to do in the maze of online defenses that tend to exist in most businesses.

FYI, my Exempt name is Potawatomi Park, Inc. My D.B.A. is Potawatomi Wildlife Park. I just checked and I gave the correct info of my billing address back on 1/12/09 in an e-mail setting up the account with the customer service agent. Therefore it was the agents error in what she put as the name in the computer. Gotta be an easy fix in the computer. Just have to find the right person who will fix it.

Ya I know it is only $109 but I was considering Lenovo for our future desktops too. Kinda want to clear this up so the wheels are greased for future transactions.

 

FWIW, I wouldn't let this sour you on Lenovo. I can certainly see how this could have gotten mixed up.

Best of luck getting it straightened out. Looks like you're on the right track.

 

Mark@Lenovo,

Thanks for your help. You sent me Michelle from Lenovo who helped me out. It took a combined 4-6 tries between my order agent and Michelle and 5 weeks but Michelle finally came thorough and I received word of a tax credit to my credit card.

Thanks Mark.