Received mail: Problem with non-US credit card when ordering from within the US.

I am a foreign student currently enrolled at a US university. Attempting to order a new x220 ThinkPad, I received an email where some nameless face from Lenovo Sales protested my use of an international credit card, and refused to send the computer unless I used a US credit card, wrote them a check or sent the order by wire transfer. I am a bit non-plussed, since the initial order (4/28) went through without a hitch, while this email arrived yesterday.

Before calling a sales representative, I would ask if anyone else has experienced the same problem, and whether or not the sales department are flexible in this regard: is it just a matter of reassuring them that I really am ordering from the US? All the other alternatives are, for various reasons, exceedingly impractical.

 

I think the primary reason for the strict rule is identity fraud. Having credit card from other country is automatic red flag for stolen card. Lenovo and alot of online company are very conservative in taking payment from customer when it come to foreign cc.

 

All the international buyers I've come across Amazon Checkout to get around this.

 

Thanks for your replies. Really, it just seems awfully inconsistent -- it is perfectly possible and natural to reside either temporarily or permanently within the US and still use a foreign credit card for select purchases. Indeed, why this should be any concern of Lenovo baffles me. VISA is a global corporation, and I have never encountered these problems (either in the US or elsewhere) when ordering any products, nor have anyone I know. The order was also placed with reference to my namesake .edu address, so it shouldn't really be a problem. Irritating stuff -- I do not expect to be exposed to arbitrary and byzantine bureaucratic procedures just for buying a laptop.

As for Amazon Checkout, would it be possible to change to this alternative after ordering?

 

The best, easiest, and simplest method would be to cancel your existing order, then place a new order using the amazon check out.

 

Not all on your own. I'd recommend talking to a sales rep about canceling your order and replacing it with a new one with Amazon Checkout, and suggesting that the priority of your order be bumped a bit so you can get your system sooner. Be polite, and bring up that in light of the issues you've gone through, it'd be nice to have a working system ASAP. Worst case, he tells you it's not possible, but you very well may get free expedited shipping or a priority boost.

 

+1 for using Amazon checkout. I rejoyced when I saw it being offered this year. The only drawback is that you can only ship a single item, for example you can't order a thinkpad _with_ the Lenovo sleeve. But Amazon's payment processing is efficient and you can have it shipped anywhere in the US.

For years I found that the IBM/Lenovo checkout procedure was always fragile and inflexible. Unless you have a US credit card with your shipping address matching the credit card billing address exactly it won't work.

 

they do say that american express is the only international card they accept

 

EricGen: whereabouts are you/your card from, if you don't mind me asking?

I'm an Australian and have had no problems ordering from the US twice now. The first time was under my card/name, second time under another persons card/name as it was a business purchase. In both cases I've even been able to ship it to a name and address completely unrelated to my card.

Sorry to salt the wound (I do sympathize with you) but thought I'd add my experience.

 

Well, thanks for your kind suggestions. As MidnightSun suggested, I tried to approach them in a friendly manner (albeit at the very end of their working day, so YMMV) to clear up what I hoped would just be an unfortunate misunderstanding. No such luck -- the only alternative that the sales rep could offer was to re-order the product and pay by Amazon Checkout while referencing him, whereupon he would attempt to expedite the order - seemingly an operation somewhat akin to prayer, considering the volume of x220s that went through the system, and the various problems within the supply-chain. Anyway, it was a kind gesture, and I did get the chance to net 2gb more RAM for "free", and reconsider the purchase of my generic wireless card.

How does this Amazon Checkout stuff work, then? I have yet to receive a confirmation from them, and have problems locating any consumer-oriented information about it on Amazon.