Should I trust the IBM rep on expected ship date?

With my order moving from 2-4 weeks to backordered again, I called with the intentions to cancel my order. The IBM lady then proceeded to tell me that the expected ship date is the "date for you" and doesn't know why the computer went back to backordered.

Now obviously I know that these laptops can go into severe backorder, and have the dates pushed around all the time as they come up on them. Should I wait it out another 2 weeks and see what comes of it, or find another item to order so I have a laptop when school starts?

 

When an order moves from 2-4 weeks to backorder it does so because the automated systems at Lenovo show that one or more parts won't be available for your system until after your estimated ship date. Call back and find out which part(s) is causing the delay and when the ETA for that part(s) is.

Keep in mind that even then times may change. Case in point: my T43 was ordered 12/4 with estimated ship date of 12/23. It was listed as 2-4 weeks but then changed to backordered on 12/21. I called on 12/22 and was told the hard disk was the delay and that they wouldn't be in 'till mid January. I hung up and called the Parts Department and inquired about the availability of a specific part (namely the hard disk via its FRU number) and to my surprise was told it was in-stock. So I called back sales and gave my rep an earful. Like "magic" my T43 shipped on 12/27.

Give em a call and see what they can do.

 

lol, well what do you know. After my little complain and b itch session with the phone rep my order status updated.

Now says "Status: Within 2 weeks More info".

Hopefully it comes soon

 

Mine went from 2 weeks, to backordered, to 2 weeks again. The ship date was pushed from 1/3 originally to 1/9...then I received an email saying 1/13. Finally, it was pushed back to 1/16. They shipped the laptop, however, on 1/11. Received my laptop (from HK) on 1/12...can't complain.

 

Mine shipped out yesterday...

OSHKOSH, WI, US 01/13/2006 7:31 A.M. OUT FOR DELIVERY
01/13/2006 7:30 A.M. ARRIVAL SCAN
OAK CREEK, WI, US 01/13/2006 5:45 A.M. DEPARTURE SCAN
01/13/2006 5:09 A.M. ARRIVAL SCAN
LOUISVILLE, KY, US 01/13/2006 4:52 A.M. DEPARTURE SCAN
01/13/2006 3:07 A.M. IMPORT SCAN
ANCHORAGE, AK, US 01/12/2006 2:57 P.M. DEPARTURE SCAN
01/12/2006 1:05 P.M. ARRIVAL SCAN
SHANGHAI, CN 01/12/2006 10:07 P.M. DEPARTURE SCAN
01/12/2006 10:24 A.M. ORIGIN SCAN
CN 01/12/2006 10:46 P.M. BILLING INFORMATION RECEIVED


Tracking results provided by UPS: 01/13/2006 9:18 A.M. Eastern Time (USA)

 

GleenGould: Someone at UPS screwed up on yours. At ~2 hours in and out of Louisville, your package was never submitted to Customs. Consider yourself lucky.

 

I just talked a rep and he told me to expect 6-8 weeks form ordering even though when I ordered they told me 4-6 weeks. I told him this then I told him I would like to change something with my order. He said that would take another 4 weeks because my package is now in packing and I can expect it in two weeks because of clearing customs. Yesterday was week 5 so I hope he is right. The website still is not updated for my order.

 

Well this morning they told me it would be sent out in 2 days and I should check back then. Now online it is saying back-ordered AGAIN!! I just called a rep again an now they are saying it will be shipped in two weeks!! He said my name is now on a machine so I will get one....

This is getting really fusterating

 

I know exactly how you feel. I ordered an I9300 from Dell in the begining of Novemeber and 2 weeks later is wasn't out of pre-production. I had to cancel re-order because of back-order...I am very impatient.

Well I hope you get nothing but good news from now on. Sorry to hear about the delays. Just remember you are not alone.

 

Status: Packing More info

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG

 

Now it says with in 2 weeks. Go figure...

 

Mine finally shipped on 1/20 (ordered 12/17).

I think what finally pushed it over the edge was a sales rep, not that he wanted to, I'm pretty sure he just decided I was going to haunt him.

I had called on Fri. 1/13 AM (which I had been told would be the latest possible ship date by a sales rep that Mon.) to get a tracking #. The new sales rep (we'll call him J) told me that the other sales rep had been mistaken (aka lying), and that he would check with a supply guy and get back to me that afternoon, Mon. at the latest. I asked if they were even working Mon., since it was MLK day, and he assured me they were. Well on Tues (1/17) I had not heard anything, so I called Lenovo sales again, and unfortunately for him, J was the one who answered . He decided that it would be best to do some research while on the phone with me, and told me that it would ship by this weekend, which it did.

 

Their ship date is so far accurate to me.

 

The sales reps have virtually no impact on when a notebook ships from Lenovo in China. This is a huge operation. When you place an order, it goes into the pipeline. Once they get around to building your order, if all of the parts are in stock it gets built and then shipped.The sales reps are in Toronto, Canada, and, although they try to imply that they have power or control over orders, they have very little.

Andrew