R400 quick overview and build quality experience!

Hello guys and girls once again!
Ive had my brand spanking new R400 for almost a week now and feel like I can comment on its build quality and user experience a bit, I guess typing review on this "outdated" model would be too far fetched, but I thought to give some feedback from you regarding my user experience and customer satisfaction.

First thing I noticed, when I was unpacking my TP is that its plastic package was scratched right where the lid corner is, leaving plastic material residue on the lid itself. Luckily there wasnt big scratch on the lid and I couldnt tell you now by looking on the screen where exactly rubber coating was covered in plastic package pieces, at first I noticed small scratch, but now I cant see it anymore. Not much of a problem, but still not good packing methods.
Similar goes to battery pack - it looked like someone forcefully pushed the battery into the carton package, because one side of the cardbox was deformed and there is no way it could have happened from outside impact.
I guess someone had a hard day at the factory so my lappy got rough treatment

When I opened lid I immediatelly noticed some kind of glue/something residue on the right upper side of the screen. It doesnt interfere with user experience when laptop is on and working, but its very well visible when laptop screen is powered off. I have tried to clean it off with wet lcd wipes to no avail, it just wont go away and Im affraid to push harder to avoid possible damage to the screen.
Screen flex - I can see ripples when i press really hard on the left mid-to-upper side of the lid, then I see ripples in one area - its around one third of the screen to the right and one inch from top where it ripples. No other ripples anywhere else, the screen is really solid otherwise. I hope it wont cause me problems moving my laptop around when I travel.
Now comes the screen hinges - if I take my laptop by the base and move it up and down with moderate force applied (bit more force than you usually need to lift lappy off the desk and move it somewhere else) the screen wont stay still and will loose its position-angle. Is it normal? Not sure, but I expected little bit more from rock-solid-ThinkPad hinges that are being hailed as best in industry. My gf's Travelmate 6292 doesnt act like that.
Perhaps it swings because R400 screen is heavy?

The famous battery wobble - its there, it sounds like piece of cheap plastic and its big, really big, the wobble is both very well audible and visible too

Keyboard - the flex is there, some parts feel mushy, some keys sound clacky. Overall feel is that keyboard itself has flex+it has not been set and positioned into the laptop during assembly too well.
Trackpoint buttons seems to exhibit some flex too, sinking a tad deeper into the laptop frame than one would like them to, it feels like they can break off from the rest of the keyboard like there is no support below them other than perforated keyboard plate.

The plastic strip above PrtSc...PgUp keys moves up and down and rattles alot when being lightly touched with finger, like its gonna fall off any minute Not nice, like someone forgot to connect it to other parts of laptop or broken part was used during assembly.
Plastic around volume-ThinkVantage and power buttons squeeks if pushed with fingers, but that I guess is normal, I think T400 exhibited similar behaviour?
There is around 2mm gap between ultrabay enhanced dvd-rw and the top of the laptop(the speaker grill plastic part that is), needless to say that when you remove drive from bay, there is nothing below the plastic speaker grill above dvd drive, just the plastic grill itself and nothing else and it flexes together with keyboard no matter if ultrabay is occupied or not when I push simultaneously on the grill and on the bottom of the laptop with light pressure. Should this be normal?

And now, last but not least - right palmrest rattles when being touched with fingertips. Closer look revealed that its BOTH the palmrest moving up and down from the base of the laptop AND hard drive cover moving up and down from the base of the laptop on its own-not together with palmrest.
HDD cover itself exhibits separated movement from palmrest thus creating visible gap between palmrest and hdd cover.

So, thats my initial impression about ThinkPad R400 laptop.
I would like to hear your comments and advices considering my experience.
Should I contact local Lenovo customer service?
Will I be refused service if I am in Latvia, while laptop was bought from US online reseller and shipped to me? It has 3 year IWS service, that was the major selling point for me, besides ofcourse the very good specification it carries.
Ive heard only good things about ThinkPad build quality, I understand that people sometimes get lemon units and I still like this laptop but on the other side of the things it makes me wonder whether all-metal Elitebooks/Latitudes wouldnt have been better choices if my communication with Lenovo fails to resolve issues this lappy got?
Im not a brand wh0r3 , but I do really like all-black-coming from mad scientists lab-looking ThinkPads over other business machines and their fame for superior build and customer service quality just made it obvious choice to get one so it can last me years before new upgrade. I like how "real" ThinkPads keep their design lines instead of changing everything every 2 years like some other business series do, just like those good old luxury car makers where they keep classic design cues over decades, sometimes even century, thus creating a legend.

I can post pictures upon request if necessary showing everything I described above.

 

One more little thing, not sure if its common or not - when lid is closed there is still a gap between laptop and the lid which means the lid can move up and down around 1.5-2mm.
Another thing is - I have noticed after cleaning keayboard and closing lid that there was little bit of residue on the screen itself. Does it mean that over period of time screen panel will develop marks from keyboard?
And about heatsink - on the left side where its positioned near the VGA port there is some kind of fume material visible at the very end of the heatsink, is that normal or is it defective heatsink/bad workmanship?
The same isolation material is visible, but more, on the rear heat sink near the battery.

Im asking all these questions just to make sure which things are normal for well built ThinkPad and which are considered abnormal and thus need Lenovos attention, nothing more.
As I already once said - I still like this laptop

 

The sticky residue is a strange one, you may need some isopropyl alcohol to dissolve the grease on that one which I find quite effective. I use it to remove sticky labels and such without leaving marks.

I do find the stock perforated keyboards on the R400 a bit flexy for my liking, especially coming from the solid plated ones of the T61. If you do find it an issue then you can try and replace it, I know some people who phoned up Lenovo got a replacement solid plated keyboard sent to them. It varies on who's the rep though, some are nice while others won't budge.

As for the palmrest try reseating it, there may a chance it’s not fitted correctly hence the rattling. It’s not a difficult procedure, have a look at the R400 Hardware Maintenance Manual for more info. You may also want to reseat the keyboard since having marks on the LCD while the lid closed doesn’t sound normal. I used my Uncle’s R400 and exhibited no such problems.

 

Hi...

I have now had a R400 for a few months. While my machine did not have the sticky residue, the other things that you mentioned were somewhat of an issue.

Screen ripples: I do not see this happening on my machine
Keyboard: Yes, mine was problematic too. But it was replaced at no cost to me.
Palmrest (right side): I had my entire machine replaced because of this palmrest squeaking and creaking. The new machine had no such problems.
Plastic strip along PrtSc: Yes, my machine has this problem. It was also there in the machine that was replaced. I don't bother about it because my fingers don't stray in that direction.
Gaps around Ultrabay: I don't see thi on my current machine. Did not check to see this on the replaced one.
Battery rattle: I don't seem to have this problem on my machine.
Trackpoint buttons: I don't seem to have a problem. The buttons themselves are firm and solid to use.
Screen hinges: As of now they feel solid. Though I have not had a need to wave my machine around to test if the screen moves around or not.

All in all I am happy with my machine. I do move it around quite a lot and its seems sturdy enough for all that I do at the moment. While I am careful with my R400, I do not molly-coddle it around.

Good luck with your machine!

 

Is this R400 an open box machine, or factory sealed from ebay sellers?

Also, can you post a video of these problems, from the description this seems to be a lot of problem.

-I know that the plastic strip on top of the keyboard is not the best secured part on the 14.1 inch widescreen thinkpads (pre-T410), this problem is present in my R61, T61, T400, R400. So i guess this is a just a design oversight of some sort. But the movement is only very slight.

-If you have the perforated keyboards, then this problem is quite common.

veer can you post a video of these problems, it sounds like you got a faulty machine. Also, which ebay seller did you get it from? also are you sure the security seal is not broken, and replaced with a clear sticking tape on top of it?

 

@lead_org...how do you know the OP bought his machine from an ebay seller? Though it certainly sounds like it.

 

i may have mistaken his purchase with another person's purchase. OP may not have bought the R400 from ebay. But since it was shipped from US, then it can't be Lenovo. In which case, then it is best that he check whether there is another layer of sticky tape over the official lenovo security tapes.

 

I bought it as brand new from Compuplus.com, supposedly reputable seller.
Laptop itself did not look used, it was made this august, last days of it to be precise, it has 3 year warranty. Lenovo seal was intact and I ripped the whole package apart just to make it open, so no doubts about it being genuine factory sealed, many folks bought it, even buy.com had it on sale as brand new. It was on big sale from many online retailers for 520$-560$ and it went in about two weeks.
So I have no doubts that its brand new and never used machine and not refurb or open box.

As for video, I will gladly make and upload one but its going to happen this thursday, Im out of the city and uploading will eat all bandwidth and take whole day on this slow CDMA country side connection

And thanks alot folks for helping me out with this!

 

@lead org...

The OP mentions his R400 screen rippling when he presses hard on the upper left side. But isn't it the case that the R400 like the T400 and other older machines have the mag frame under the plastic which should - technically - prevent the rippling from happening?

For the record, on my own R400, I can't replicate the problem.

 

i never had the screen rippling problem in my R400, the top case of the R400 and T400 are exactly the same, and is interchangeable AFAIK. the magnesium rollcage is supposedly decreases the amount of structural distorting, which theoretically prevents the rippling problem.

Until, the OP posts a video i can't say whether any of this is a normal behaviour.

 

@lead org...that's what I thought! I will also be interested in seeing the OP's video.

 

For a new machine, all these problems stated (assuming the OP is not super peaky) would make me want to return it in a heartbeat. I mean, the OP identified problems starting from packaging onwards (ok, packaging was never a strong selling point for thinkpads, but it was always efficient no matter how simple)- in a new freaking laptop! I am of the opinion that if the OP is not completely satisfied with the machine - any aspect of it - just return it for a new one (though I am not quite sure whether OP is located in US right now…). Just because you can fix nearly everything on a thinkpad by yourself, this does not mean you have to, and especially to start doing it from the first day or week you bought it! C’mon!

 

Yup! I agree and this is basically what I explained in painful detail and over weeks to the relevant management folks of Lenovo in India (including the Managing Director, who, btw, seems to be like a swell guy). Eventually, they agreed and replaced the machine, which was accompanied by notes of concern and apologies from their VPs in China and the US.

So, yeah, I think the OP needs to send the machine back via the warranty scheme (if necessary) and get a new unit as a replacement.

 

Ive done videos and made pictures, first the residue on the screen, I am sorry but I cant make proper picture showing it at the moment, I might try tomorrow with daylight, obviously when I try to make one indoors flash makes it unusable, so Ill try tomorrow if that will be necessary.

Now, lets get to the videos:
Screen ripples when pressing on the left side of the lid:
YouTube - ThinkPad R400 screen flex ripples

Sinking trackpoint buttons:
YouTube - ThinkPad R400 trackpoint buttons flex


Plastic strip above PrtSc...Insert buttons rattling and flexing:
YouTube - ThinkPad R400 clicking plastic part above Pause/Insert buttons


Squeeky and flexing plastic cover where ThinkVantage and power buttons are:
YouTube - ThinkPad R400 squeeky and flexing plastics surrounding ThinkVantage and power buttons


Gaps and flex above and below ultrabay enhanced, moving dvd drive:
YouTube - ThinkPad R400 flexing above and below ultrabay, moving DVD drive


Flexing and noisy plastics around fingerprint reader, keyboard flexes with it, but you cant see it in this video:
YouTube - ThinkPad R400 flexing and noisy plastics around fingerprint reader



The best so far, moving right palmrest and moving HDD cover:
YouTube - ThinkPad R400 moving palmrest and HDD cover.


Pictures with heatsink, is that normal that the grey isolating material is being visible?
Left side near VGA:
http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/1468/heatsink.jpg
Rear of the laptop near power port:
http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/2549/heatsinkrear.jpg

Im uploading screen hinge rigidity video, its HD so will take some while to process. Not sure if hinges are faulty, but given the number of bugs Ive encountered with this machine so far, Id like to be sure that this part of construction is OK

 

Here are the videos with screen hinges in action, not sure if they are faulty, but given the number of bugs Ive encountered on this machine Id like to be sure whether they are strong enough and will keep their rigidity over years of use or not:

Changing laptop screen angle, are they tight enough, given the laptop stands still on flat surface?
YouTube - ThinkPad R400 hinges part 1
Notice that when screen angle is less than 90 degress, the base will lift up for few centimeters when moving lid towards greater angle, so hinges should be considered sturdy?

Picking laptop off the desk to imitate sudden change of screen angle, noticed it in real life usage and not in simulation only, want to make sure whether its normal and I could be considered too harsh with too much force on them or not, when pulling off the table. Im not applying beastly force when pulling lappy off the table, just usual sudden movement to lift something:
YouTube - ThinkPad R400 hinges part 2


Gap between laptop base and screen lid, when the lid is closed, is this normal?
YouTube - ThinkPad R400 screen and laptop base gap


Famous battery wobble:
YouTube - ThinkPad R400 battery wobble
I could live with that, but the sound, thats what bothers me - each time I pick laptop off the desk, my lap or pull it out of sleeve battery makes this rattling sound, like somethings gonna fall of the laptop itself It just makes one think that the actuall battery wobble is even bigger than in reality

PS. Theres loads of dust on it, couldnt wipe it all away before making videos

PS2. To add it to user experience - I failed to make this machine run Win7Pro 64bit without problems, I tried 4 times and numerous system fixes/restores to no use, during boot up when the Win7 logo appeared the machine would simply not load any further.
I did all Windows and Lenovo updates yet it continued to fail to boot on a regular basis. Not sure where the problem is, but so far overall experience with this laptop makes me wanna give it back to Lenovo and get replacement ASAP.
Ok, Windows experience might be my own fault and no ones else, but the rest issues that I have described in posts above is just wrong for a ThinkPad branded business class machine, wrong for any kind of brand new product. Not that I have ever owned ThinkPad before, but then why all the praise about how great they are ?

 

1) gap between the screen and the bottom case is considered normal. The tolerance between parts on recent thinkpads have gone down slightly to increase their manufacturability and decrease cost of production. So this problem is pretty much common since the T60, but it doesn't affect the machine usability or quality as such.

2) That amount of battery wobble is within the acceptable range.

3) Hinge tension on your new thinkpad is too low, i would expect this behaviour in a 5 years old thinkpad and not in an out of box brand new thinkpad.

4) the grey foam material is pretty much visible in all R and T thinkpads that i have used. However, your heatsink fin seems to be slightly bent, which is slightly strange.

5) Keyboard needs to be replaced. My perforated keyboard doesn't do this.

6) Palmrest moving up and down <--- you seem to have a similar problem to lines of flight.

7) Screen rippling is also not normal. <--- the magnesium rollcage within the top case should prevent this. That amount of rippling is only seen in consumer laptop range, not in thinkpads.

I think you should ask for a replacement or refund.

 

Thank you very much lead_org!
I bought it from USA reseller and got it shipped to Latvia, which means no refund for me. Then again, i DONT want refund, i want "perfect" machine, I guess I will contact Lenovo then.
Just one more question - where should I start - contact them at lenovo.com and ask for directions or simply contact phone number given in IWS lookup page for my country?

 

contact the phone number in your country, Lenovo.com forum can't do much for you either (they will also direct you to the service support in your country for any warranty issue).

This is the problem with purchasing the laptop from oversea online websites.

When you do send it in for repair, make sure you generate a clear list of what you think is the problem. So technician don't have to second guess themselves when making their problem diagnostics.

 

@veer...And, to add to what lead_org said, perhaps you should collect the videos you have made and either provide a link to them or somewhow point the IBM Service people to them.

 

Yes, I agree with the above !

Those hinges are not normal. Hell, my 2+ year old T61 has much firmer hinges that your 400. Also, the flex on the trackpoint buttons my T61 does not have ANY flex.

I would definitely contact Lenovo !!

 

@veer...that palm rest problem is the reason Lenovo replaced my machine. It was difficult, and at times, irritating and frustrating, but eventually, it was done.

I think, in your case, the question of replacement (or, as a worst case scenario, repairing) of the unit should be much simpler because you have (unfortunately) multiple problems with your machine which are undeniable. Your videos will help make your case more convincing.

Good luck!

As a sidenote: This may be one of those really one-off machines!

Edit: @veer...just so you know the replacement machine that was given to me was just fine. No issues of any sort. I just got them to also change the keyboard. As I had established a rapport with the service guy who used to come over, I gave the specific FRU number for the keyboard and he was able to get it and install it for me.

 

I just had a look at your hinge video and like others say your hinges act as if they had been used for many years. The hinges on my T500 or former R500 were so tight that it was almost a hassle to open the laptop. In comparison if the tension of my R500 was at level 10 (10 being the highest), your R400 seem to be around level 3-4.

 

I contacted IBM Latvia on the phone, I was told that I have to bring this laptop to their service center. When I asked whether my machine could be simply replaced instead of repaired, operator told me that IBM service center CAN NOT replace my machine and that in that case I would have to talk with the seller.
Now, thats weird, when I was buying this machine and compared prices, most of the sellers had a statement that they dont accept returns for this machine and that such cases are being handled by Lenovo themselves.
What the...?

 

Don't buy this argument. Eventually, Lenovo will have to replace the machine if your current unit cannot be repaired. It is understandable that on your first call they are not going to replace the machine.

In my case (for the palmrest), they tried to refit and then replace the palmrest. But when neither option worked, they replaced the machine. Word of caution though - I took the matter directly up with the Managing Director of Lenovo India who (for some reason) happened to take a personal interest in my case. For the record, I don't know anyone at the personal level in Lenovo (in India or anywhere else).

Another thing is that I did not start with asking for a replacement. I just reported the problem and let them do their thing. When all else failed, it is only then that the question of replacement came up.

 

Well, here comes rant, long story short:
So I went through half of the city to the IBM service center.
Nice young woman meets me at reception(the same I suppose I had conversation over the phone with, because she was informed about my machine being brand new etc) and starts to fill repair form and writes down my complaints considering all matters I have posted here so far. She mentions that if my machine wouldnt be brand new they could simply refuse service by saying that I did all this to my machine myself. I say its nonsense because its brand new and I have not done anything with this machine!
IBM service guy happens to walk by the receipt and she asks him to take a look at my laptop. He looks at screen ripples, at palmrest problem, I show him the rest of the problems... He says he needs to talk to someone else (his boss I guess) and calls the 3rd guy out, as I understand hes the Lenovo representative and some kind of chief at IBM service center.
So the Lenovo guy takes a look at everything and says - its all plastics, its the way it should be, your machine is not faulty and its Lenovo's policy not to service plastic parts, if you dont like your machine talk it up with seller for replacement, we wont, were just service and your machine is not faulty. I say that I bought it in USA and cant simply go to seller and exchange it, he then replies that then there is nothing I as a customer can do to solve my issues with this laptop.
I say OK, but what about screen ripples, can you at least try to fix that?
I show him the problem with my screen and his answer is truly outrageous - he says "Dont push it there and thats it". Yeah, tell it to my books and other stuff I happen to have in my bag with laptop when travelling. What about hinge rigidity? He check them and says they are fine. He (Lenovo guy/chief of service) doesnt care anymore and walks away.
So Im left with IBM repair guy and reception woman again. I say, OK, can I leave the laptop here and you try to replace those parts? And the IBM service guy replies - if the Lenovo guy said, that the laptop is OK then there is nothing we can help you, we can try to replace those parts but it WONT change anything. He then invites me to check out his T400, it has some minor palmrest give, but unlike mine it has smaller flex, unnoticable I would say and silent, there are no problems with HDD cover either on his machine AND unlike mine his T400 is already used for some time. Mine is brand NEW and exhibits more squeeks and moving parts than his used one!
He walks away as well.
Im left alone with reception girl. She seems to be little bit upset by the whole situation, I can see it in her face that she feels uncomfortable but cant do anything either for me... Shes just a receptionist. So I ask her, OK, if you refuse to fix it and cant change it either can you give me some Lenovo phone that could help me with this? She says that IBM Latvia are Lenovo representatives in Latvia and there is no one else I could bring up my matter with.
She says I could contact seller to arrange replacement. I answer that all sellers that I saw carrying this machine had a policy of no returns and that I have to directly contact Lenovo for returns. Shes answers that then I should indeed take it with Lenovo.
I say thank you and good bye, I will try to bring this up to someone at Lenovo since they (IBM Latvia service) refuse me any help.

This is it. No help from IBM/Lenovo, just badmouthing about all my problems being normal and them not being able help me since they are just service provider and that I should contact either seller or Lenovo for these issues. At the same time when asked about Lenovo phone numbers/office in Latvia I get an answer that IBM Latvia ARE Lenovo representatives here in Latvia and that there is no other way to contact Lenovo.
So, what the hell Am I SUPPOSED TO DO?!
Im mad at IBM/Lenovo, bunch of lazy and incompetent folks.

 

Brand new or not, as long it's in warranty and within guidelines it should be honoured - Period. I think the treatment you received veer is appalling, they just brushed aside the faults as if it’s in reasonable ranges which I highly doubt. The fact it’s coming from an IBM representative makes it even more mind boggling.

I would raise up a complaint about the poor customer service you received at the service centre and their unwillingness to try and address the issue. You bought a business class machine, therefore you expect business class service which they failed to deliver. I’m here hoping you get a happy end similar to Lines of Flight, just be persistent and hopefully they take note.

 

Contact Mark in lenovo's forum. He works in the corporate office and has helped others, including international, with such customer service issues.

http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/4

 

@veer...try to get hold of three contacts: (1) The head of Lenovo in Latvia (2) The head of IBM Service in Latvia (maybe this is the guy you already spoke to) and (3) The head of Lenovo Warranty in Latvia.

Then write out a detailed email; embed the videos that you made; and then send them across. But make sure you have a warranty ticket number which you can quote. I also hope you have the name of the people you met - because you should mention their names in your email.

This is what I did. And, I sincerely hope your problem gets fixed because I know how it feels to have a reputed laptop which does not match your expectations. Don't give it up though. And, good luck!

 

Veer, I am sorry to hear of your experience. I think you are a victim of a country/market which has not received high priority from Lenovo. It also seems that general management or lack thereof is poor.

They are in their right to not provide you with a replacement machine. Also keep in mind that your case is not the same as that of 'Lines of flight'. He purchased the machine in India and was requesting replacement in India. You purchased this in the US and is requesting replacement in Latvia. In principle it might be the same in the customer's mind, but very often this is not the case from the manufacturer's side.

However since the machine is under IWS they are obliged to rectify some of the issues you are encountering. Assuming that you acted in a respectful manner, some of the comments and behavior you experienced are unacceptable.

I have only received excellent service in the past - albeit (and thank god) not from Latvia. I have had keyboards, Fan/heatsink assemblies and hinges replaced. No questions asked when processing the requests. Obviously they can refuse to replace the parts if they find that they are within specs, but I would say that your case is eligible for several replacements.

There are some good suggestions in this thread. If all else fails I would also suggest you post your issues at http://forums.lenovo.com/ where there are official Lenovo customer care representatives present.

 

Yes, this is very true and I should have also emphasized on this. But it has to be said that for a company that offers an International Warranty Service, I would expect the thumb-rule to be that they would honor their warranty (which included replacement, if necessary) regardless of (1) where the customer buys a machine; and (2) where the customer requests service.

 

About IWS - both on the phone and on the site I was told by the reception that it doesnt matter where this machine comes from, as long as it comes with warranty. Period.
As for replacement - as you guys mentioned, I asked them to take a look and repair, they refused. I then asked for possibilities to replace it, the same again, they refuse it since they cant given they are only repair service providers and that only seller or in my case, Lenovo itself, can replace my product. At the same time they say they are the only ones representing Lenovo in Latvia. So, they both refuse to service my machine and lie about possibilities to replace it throught THEM AS LENOVO IN LATVIA!
I mean, if I cant get it serviced, then why not replacing it? And if you cant or dont have to replace it, THEN HOW ABOUT SERVICING IT?!
As I already mentioned - I still like ThinkPads despite this current piece of laptop failing to meet advertised quality standarts in a busines machine. I expect them either to fix all problems my laptop has and if they fail to fix them on numerous occasions, then I would like to receive replacement. Im not asking for my money back, Im not asking for T410i(that thing doesnt have lcd rollcage anyway ) as comparable replacement, heck, Im not trying to convince them into replacing my current machine with more up to date one and with more power under the hood. All I am asking is to be treated with respect as a customer and receive fair service for laptop that failed to deliver build quality and get understanding and respectable help from Lenovo/IBM.

 

@veer...you need to know two things: (1) where is Lenovo's HQ in Latvia? And, (2) who is the head of the organization. Next you find out his email address and directly bring the matter to his attention.

FYI...In India, the reseller cannot replace a machine. He can faciliate a replacement and mediate between you and Lenovo. But the replacement is done by Lenovo. I have been told this by Lenovo in the presence of the reseller.

I also find it strange that (in Latvia) the IBM Service folks and Lenovo are the same. In India, they are completely different establishments - though they share the same HQ.

When you say you called Lenovo Latvia did you channel your call through Warranty Services? I did this. I also learnt that without Warranty Services issuing you with a docket number, IBM Service will not look at a problematic machine under warranty. However, if you have a non-warranty issue then you can walk into the IBM Service center and they will fix it (including ordering parts for you) at a high price. At least, this is how it seems to work in India.

I do empathize with your situation and this is a cautionary tale for me too. I was thinking of going over to Bangkok and buying a ThinkPad from there since they seem to be cheaper there than in India. Now I will have to reconsider what I do very carefully.

Please do keep us posted on how things move at your end.

Cheers!

 

Lenovo usually don't have offices in every country in Europe, since most of the European countries are within the EU, they would only need a few offices to run their operations from.

At this moment, lets not jump to conclusion and there is no point fuming about this, when we have not yet heard from Lenovo customer service about this (i have already sent a PM to someone over at Lenovo forum). So lets give a day or two before and see what happens (things maybe bit slow during the weekend, as most people don't work on the weekend).

 

Umm, so what should I do next?
Contact Mark@Lenovo or find the local HQ contacts and send them e-mail?
Im a bit confused at the moment, sorry

 

No one is saying otherwise, so how is this relevant to your case?

 

To clarify that they didnt refuse service due to this laptop being bought from other country.

 

The moment of truth
Thanks to James I got call from IBM service minutes ago and I told them about screen ripples, hinges, palmrest+hdd cover problem and perhaps keyboard flex.
Im not too concerned by other issues I posted since I understand those are less or more normal things and may slightly vary by machine.
IBM told me that they have been authorised on this issue(palmrest, lcd, hinges since its going to be taken apart anyway), except for the keyboard but they will take a look at it either way
I dont have high hopes in getting rock solid T61 keyboard, which to be honest doesnt bother me too much as long as this one works great for years.
Now I have to wait for a call from them tomorrow and arrange meeting when I have a time to go to service centre and get it replaced. Hopefully it will happen in my presence and will be done quick enough so I can pick it with me the same day

Im not sure which was the one I talked on the phone with, but the guy said that I did the right thing in contacting Lenovo on this matter.
Now, that will be strange coincidence if its the same guy who said that my laptop is fine and that I should basically go home lol

Either way, Ill post resume as soon as my laptop is fixed, hopefully its going to happen by next week

 

Thanks for keeping the community updated on the issue. Since you are going to meet the technicians personally, there is a good chance of persuading him to give you a solid plate keyboard, by demonstrating why you think it needs to be replaced.

 

Hehe, I think unless Lenovo authorises them to replace it, it wont happen, remember, IBM was quite reluctant when I arrived with my list of questions/complaints and was basically sent home that day
I dont think they will change their attitude, I believe they wont do a pinch more than what Lenovo will command them to, thats the way it seems things are done over here.
To put it simply, as long as your laptop is booting into OS, there is no need for it to be serviced, according to IBM at least. And if you insist, then there is no way IBM will do something for you without Lenovos authorisation, which, ironically can be done only if customer himself will contact Lenovo, because IBM wont.
I wrote James about it, its not like its general matter, perhaps keyboard needs to be re-seated and thats it, but it would be nice to get T61 keyboard on this machine

 

Something, that started out as quite unsatisfying experience is, hopefully, shaping into satisfactory user experience !
Just got call from Lenovo customer service rep from abroad (judging by phone code from Slovakia?) and was told that my issue has been escalated and I was explained that Im eligible for:
LCD screen replacement
LCD ripples problem replacement
Palmrest+HDD cover replacement

I was told by Lenovo rep that he will keep an eye on this issue and will contact me within couple of days after repairs to make sure my machine has been repaired and Im satisfied.

Took some time and some subpar local service center attitude, but now it seems like things are shaping up into some kind of acceptable resolution.

Lesson for the future - any problems, call IBM first, get their technician and not receptionist on the phone, explain concerns and in case of being told that nothing is wrong - post in forums, get advices from other TP users and then contact Lenovo and let them check it out and see if there are really any faults with your machine.

Hmm, interesting, perhaps we could make a thread with advices country by country how to deal with possible issues in case you think you got bad machine or something broke down and youre not sure how to get your machine serviced under warranty and whether your machine is really faulty and should be serviced ?
At least judging by my experience it would be good to post info about what to expect and how to handle warranty related issues here in Latvia.

 

@veer...glad things are working out with you. Once the machine is fixed, I think you will begin swearing by it!

Do keep us posted on how long they take to fix things us.

 

Sure thing, after all efforts you guys put into helping me out and my personal time spent investigating into it I find it unreasonable to shut up as soon as everything has been fixed and ignore the rest.
My experience might help someone else in the future, like yours NBR'ers helped me

 

So, after mailing JamesZ from Lenovo I finally got call from local IBM service telling me that my parts are already at their office and that I can come over any time and that they will replace all parts within maximum one hour.
How nice of them, I had to wait 18 days for them to call me back about parts and repair after their initial call on 4th november telling me they will call me on next day (november 5th) and sure what a surprise they never did.
So, I have no idea when I will have some free TIME to go to their office to get my laptop repaired after one (!!!) month long waiting that has passed since the first contact with their workers at service center, first I was being told that they wont fix it and now they didnt bother to call me in time to arrange repair time.
They suck, IBM Latvia surely dont know how to work with customers, I dont care what their priorities are, whether its large corporate businesses (not that many here in Latvia) or customers with one laptop like me.
They simply didnt handle this situation the right way and looks like they couldnt cares less which shouldnt be my problem.
So cool, luckily my laptop is at least functional, otherwise I would be so much more pissed at their sloth style work methods.
I have no idea when will I have some time to donate to IBM "service", I just hope that my case wont expire, girl that called me today didnt mention any time limit within which I should bring in my machine.

I plan my days ahead, I dont have spare hours every day to go to their office and get my laptop finally fixed and best part that chick that called me from IBM tried to blame me/get responsibility from their shoulders for long delays saying that Ive told them that Im very busy etc. So this is excuse not to call me and arrange repair time?! Ignorant and impolite...
What the hell, its not their business how busy I am, their work is to REPAIR my laptop and not look at what I do in my life which obviously according to them should revolve around IBM service and not anything else?!
LOL


So, anyone who wants to buy ThinkPad branded laptop for use solely in Latvia - I highly recommend to reconsider and seek alternatives, because service level you will receive might be well under all good care guidelines and you might as well get very limited parts and labor policy as well.

Big thanks goes out to JamesZ who was always helpful and polite while handling this case!

Its still not resolved tho, but I think he deserves some credit

 

@Veer...well at least the parts are now ready and waiting for you. It was not like that till you received the phone call, which resulted as a consequence of JamesZ's intervention.

But your flagging the service offered by IBM Latvia is noted. It's just something to be aware of. That said, it is very true that the quality of service varies across geographies. But then again, this is true of any brand of machines today.

 

As a previous R400 owner, i can tell you i dont have any of your issues above. Keyboard is a bit spongy, but thats all. The thing is really rock solid and it had served me for more than 2 years without a failure.

 

Fast update:

Had to go to service today since they called me and said that they have to send parts back to warehouse, either way was planning to do it today, the only day I could spend 3 hours of my life to go to service center and to get it done.
Thats total more than 5 hours of my life me spending time to go to service, waiting and then going back home from service.
Not that nice, if Ill have to repeat it again...
Havent tested it extensively, just powered up and checked screen - no ripples when pressure applied.
Not sure about the rest, screen istelf has some fingerprints and unknown residue on it, I hope it will come off with LCD cleaner.
Palmrest still moves and makes some noise, Ill check my own videos and compare whether its really in acceptable levels or should I keep on pushing about it being faulty.
Its late and Im tired, will post more info and pictures/videos tomorrow

PS. Oh and theres something that bothers me about speaker grills, they dont look the way I remember them, but then again, perhaps it just my faulty memory
Will post pics tomorrow for some entertainment and perhaps drama to continue

 

Perhaps some nitpicking or what, but Ill post my initial impressions.

First, the good - no screen distortion when any amount of pressure applied to back of LCD, lid itself, the lid will flex as it should.
If I push in the middle whole lid will flex/bend in but no distortion on LCD

Now, IMO the bad/unsatisfactory points:

I wasnt impressed with left speaker grill having some kind of unknown residue left on it, I cleaned most of it off, what on this picture is what I was unable to clean off, small thing but still, given my experience thus far Ill just pick on anything I dont like and this is what I dont like - cleaning my laptop from who knows what residues:




Also, no pictures but now there is some 1cm mark on the left side of the LCD itself, I assume its just manufacturing cosmetic defect and nothing more, its not scratch, its not dirt either, some kind of mark on the screen. You cant see it unless shine direct light on it. Its a piece of cake and doesnt bother me at all, just for the record.


If we go all, as Zaz would put it, anal on things, Id like to know whether its normal that one can see green board of laptop when looking between speaker grill plastic and keyboard assemby? To understand which part of laptop Im talking about heres an image:



You cant see the green microchip board or what it is in this picture due to low light conditions and lack of proper macro for my camera and angle of my cam tho.
No such thing present on right side for obvious reason - there is no system board/any other type or microchip board due to ODD being on that side.

I just want to make sure that its normal and not human error in setting up plastic parts or putting keyboard back in, wouldnt want it to become risk zone given that this keyboard is splash proof and now this...


Another thing, that I noticed immediatelly when wiped my LCD cover to clean it off dust was sensation of bulge right above the ThinkPad logo, I just felt it, not sure if there is as big bulge on the left side, but on the right side I felt it immediately even without looking for it, could this be a problem during LCD re-assembly, since my LCD was replaced?
See pictures for location of bulge:






Now if all these might be matter of oppinion then what about this:

YouTube - ThinkPad R400 after service

Should I insist on another repair or just live with it and hope that when the day comes and I bring it into repair once again with the same problem, because Im 100% sure that it wont go away on its own and will only get worse with frequent laptop use and abuse, it will be serviced and I wont be blaimed for such defect?
I was told by IBM reception girl that Lenovo does not let IBM to make such repairs without Lenovos consent due to risk of user error/fault for such defects that include dealing with everything build quality and materials related.


So yeah, once again, awaiting for your opinions and possible recommendations wise ones

 

1. you can try to re-seat the keyboard and see whether you can remove the gap between the left side of keyboard and the speaker grill. <-- the keyboard is only rated to 50 cc of liquid.

2. Residue wise- try with some diluted methylated spirit.

3. Bulge potentially mean the top case wasn't fitted together properly, which could be something you could potentially worry about.

 

@veer...OK...that youtube vid is exactly the reason why my R400 was replaced. I did not take "no" for an answer. They sent new palm rests, their execs tried to convince me that that was normal, I did not agree and pressed my case. Eventually, the machine was replaced and in the new machine, there was no such problem. I also got the keypad replaced (again, I simply demonstrated that the flex on the KB was not what I expected from ThinkPads and it was replaced. Onsite, I might add).

Cheers!

 

Yeah, that sucks.
I tested keyboard, its definitely not seated properly - its really mushy, something that I could experience only around optical disk drive now is present ALL OVER the keyboard.

As for the screen cover, guess what did I discover today:




Apparently it was NOT assembled together too well after repair, I simply gently pushed on the front and back bottom of the screen twice and it all snapped back together, no resistance during this process, so its probably ok and nothing has been trapped between bezel parts, at least it doesnt look like
Geez

What should I do about LCD cover bulge, try to take it apart and see whats going on?
Or tell Lenovo and wait and see what they say?
About keyboard? I guess I can simply reseat it and see if it works?


I assume I should simply shoot JamesZ an email again and explain my experience and my concerns regarding remaining palmrest and hdd cover issues and concern about mushy keyboard and bulge on the screen lid?

I just want to make sure that Im not turning into annoying who bothers the hell out of Lenovo, but I do think that I have not received product of highest quality and neither service from IBM has been stellar.