Thinkpad World

Anyone ever buy from the ebay seller Thinkpad World?
Opinions/thoughts/etc?

They look pretty good in my opinion, but I haven't bought from them. Their reasoning for the low prices sounds good if you want to save money.

Anyone?

 

I was actually checking them out a couple of days ago. But I didn't quite like the idea that these laptops could be either completely new or returned items with minimal usage.

But your right the prices do seem reasonable, plus you can escape from taxes (I think they only tax in NY), and they have good feedback.

 

If you are in the market for something in the 'used' class, and find something (ie from ThinkPad World) that is just a returned item, you save on that depreciation aspect and get something virtually new. That was the aspect that I was looking at.

Personally I wouldn't go for a refurbished, but an L-class certification (I think...?) which is just a returned item (usually) looks pretty appealing to me.

Anyone have any insight on their credibility?

 

I actually also was looking at a model from them. My only concern is the warranty - they provide extended warranty from Mack Warranty, not officially a IBM/Lenovo warranty.

They are somewhat cheaper, I called Lenovo and was quoted 1750 for the same model as what ThinkpadWorld sells for 1600. Still, that extra $150 in my mind wasnt a big enough savings to appease my concern about warranty issues. I think I am going to go with Lenovo direct.

Try calling lenovo's sales number, and tell them the exact model number of the model you are looking at from thinkpadworld. That way you can see what the exact porice differential will be. If its less than 200 IMHO you should go with Lenovo. I intend to buy mine today.

 

It seems many users have been posting threads concerning the trustability/reliability of eBay Seller ThinkPadWorld.

I am here to clarify everything, as I have purchased over 50 laptops from this seller within the past two months.

ThinkPadWorld runs their operation out of an office on 27th Street between Broadway and 6th Avenue in Manhattan. I've been at their office over 5 times, and it is not shady. It is rather warm and welcoming. They have a team of about 15 guys there including an IBM authorized repair center.

They claim that the notebooks they sell are L-Claim Classification, which I can attest is BRAND NEW, but you get a 1 Year IBM Factory Warranty instead of 3 Years.. All machines I've purchased which have been a mixture of t41's t42', and t43's seemed untouched. They also include a Mack Extended Warranty for 3 years giving you a total of 4 Years. I didnt have my laptops for over a year yet so i cannot comment on this, however the owner of the company with whom I have a great relationship with assured me that I can have them serviced at their office because they are an authorized service center for Mack.

BY THE WAY: Most of the computers I've purchased lately had a 3 Year IBM Factory Warranty even though they claimed it only had 1 Year! That means I'm covered for 6 years! more than enough.. my thinkpad should be obsolete by then...

Once I had a problem with the DVD drive on one of my thinkpads. I brought it in, the owner's son pressed a few buttons and voilla! that was that..

All in all - This will be where I get my computers from as long as theyre around. Their prices are unbeatable. Their service is more than satisfactory, and I am about to make another order today.

NO I DONT WORK FOR THINKPADWORLD!

 

I got my T41p from these guys, they were first class and the machine was in great shape, no problems whatsoever.

 

Not sure I buy that - sorry. Now, they could be a perfectly fine seller, which would have nothing to do with the above statement, but, still, not buyin' it.

 

Sniffff, hmm, smells like astroturf to me.

gazbox has made a total of 3 posts, and all of them are props for ThinkPadWorld. I have nothing pro or con to say about TPW, as I've never dealt with them, but this just reeks of "Viral Injection Marketing".

Excepting that, BrassMouse seems to be a pretty regular contributor here and he likes 'em well enough. Still I'd try to get a couple more solid opinions if it was _my_ money. Good Luck.

ScotchDiver

 

made another order today, i am going to pick it up tomorrow from thinkpadworld's office. Ordered my self t43p 2687D5U. gibril gave it to me for $2000 and theyre sticking 2gb ram in for me because that is how they had it advertised on ebay so when i asked him he put me on hold and said the manager ok'd it. This TP will be my personal machine for travelling. Only thing is i hear that the T42 has a better battery life than the T43, Now I am skeptacle about maybe exchanging for the T42p (they have one with 2.1GHz) is that a better bet? is it true the t42's have longer life?

 

This is being discussed over at the thinkpads.com forums too.
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=21718

General feeling is that they are legit and a good place to buy from.

 

One of the grad students I work with bought a G41 from them, had no problems. I would have considered them, but I'm in NY.

 

This is hilarious. You ppl all think i work for thinkpadworld.. This is not the case. I am a good customer i do not work for them!!!!! REALLY! I DONT! Their feedback (6300+) speaks for itself anyway.

 

Well, I don't know about hilarious. An impasse, maybe, but not hilarious. I suppose you could post a pic of a pay stub, but I don't believe anyone would want you to go to that extent to prove yourself (and it would be a horrible idea).

 

I Got A gr8 Deal From Premier-pc-Auctions on Ebay Bought a thinkpad T42 Very Helpfully bunch of Guys Cool machine

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZpremier-pc-auctionsQQhtZ-1QQfrppZ50QQfsopZ1QQfsooZ1QQrdZ0?

 

I just want to put in a plug for thinkpad world. I just received my T43 and it is exactly what they advertized. A good price too.

 

judging from your information, i guess the price is cut by 'returned' product and 'outside' warranty. I myself prefer to pay lenovo. and i believe lenovo also covers 30 days money back guarantee.

 

Was just about to start a new thread on this exact topic. I saw this 'reseller' on eBay and was wondering myself.
Are they legit? A few aspects do concern me. Yes, the price is lower, no doubt about it, so I ask how can they (choose to) afford to sell the machines at a lower price?

"These remanufactured products are sold by IBM with a L-Claim classification, which means that they are in brand new condition. These are brand new items which were either:

(A) shipped to an IBM reseller or end user and then returned, in most cases unused, or

(B) a custom ordered configuration which was cancelled or,

(C) brand new odd lot or overstocked inventory.

They are carefully tested and recertified by IBM and come in a IBM factory sealed box."

A, concerns me. "In most cases..."
Also, "...recertified..." < hope that isn't a word meaning "refurbished" because it seems like it could.

Would you recommend buying direct from Lenovo instead? Warranty issues ect, piece of mind.

Feedback would be appreciated.

Maybe some experienced input by Brian, Andrew or Z.

 

The eBay prices may not be better than IBM prices. For example,
you could get a refurbished T42 for less than $600 from IBM. I
am not sure how the conditions compare.

 

Well for "new" products, the specs on a model on the eBay site vs Lenovo Canada are definately cheaper.

 

I have not dealt with them but have made MANY purchases on EBay and with their rating and number of transactions, you should be safe to purchase from them. BUT, their prices are no bargins at all, at least for the US Lenovo...You can purchase a NEW Core 2 Duo for the same or LESS (with the specials they are running) money than what they are selling a Core Duo for.

 

Definately not with Lenovo Canada.

Just checked out the US site. Why is the Canadian site (the customize your machine pages) so unapealing? You would think Lenovo would atleast make the screen look like the U.S. Website version. On the Canadian site, one is very limited to customizing and upgrading, not the case on the US where you can adjust processor, monitor..everything basically. Strange.

When I do upgrade, lets say the RAM on the website, they charge an 'installation fee' above and beyond the price of the upgrade. Close to $40 it seems. This is very perculiar and dissapointing to say the least.

 

If the machine doesn't have "Wireless:Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG" listed, does this mean it can't be used wireless in hotspots and w/ a router at home? Will an additional wireless card be required?

If this is so, that is ridiculous. Such a standard thing on laptops, not present in certain machines.

 

It's funny to see this old thread reappear, I've actually bought a notebook from them not so long ago. And I can say that my experience was not at all that pleasant. The notebook I received was definitely not in L-category-blah "like new" condition, it was not even refurbished. It was clearly a second-hand (much-) used item, with a creaky touchpad and a keyboard that had been hammered on long enough to actually look polished.
I can't say I feel i have been completely ripped off, because even if they had clearly stated "used" it would still have been an honest bargain (although a much less interesting one), but they did not have that honesty, and I feel somewhat cheated.
So if you do buy something from them, try to guess the item's actual condition from the bargain you get, so as not to be too disappointed when you receive it.
Will I ever purchase a notebook from them again ? I think not. When I hand $1K+ to someone, it is to get the exact stuff I've been looking for, not play a bloody lottery.

 

Very good to know, thank you. Yes, I think the best place to buy a notebook from (any make for that matter) is directly from the manufacturer (or at the least a reseller with a physical store selling NEW machines - most cases price is marked up, they need to make a profit).

 

Models which are unsuitable to IBM are dumped in lots... these substandard units often appear at auctions or on ebay. They are NOT IBM resellers or partners. The product and practice is not IBM standard.

Yes the products may have been IBM tested. What they dont tell you is that the were tested and *failed* IBM standards.

You *should* pay less, a LOT less.

 

I'd rather just not deal with them at all. Pay the premium and have piece of mind. SkiBunny, how is your X60?

 

Do you use those 'heavyweights' for work?

 

I hate the 12" screen on the X60. And the new Windows key, with the resulting tiny Alt key.

Other than that, the X60 is fantastic. Best build quality I've had since my T21.

 

I kinda use them as doorstops LOL

But i do find myself using the T43 more again, because the tiny screen on the X60 bugs me if I use it for too long (and i don't wanna hold a 19" external monitor on my lap!).

 

Is your keyboard broken?

 

When I click on that link I get "The topic or post you requested does not exist."

 

Doorstops :|. Which was your favorite, which of the ThinkPad lines would you recommend in today's day in age?

 

I checked their eBay store and thought they were selling IBM Certified Used or such sourced ThinkPads that IBM did not want to deal with (like too few of them). I did not think the ThinkPads failed IBM tests. Thanks for the info.

 

Yes, I was also looking at the eBay store as a potential purchasing location. It says they are a "L-Class" supplier (legit resellers of ThinkPads) but apparently the machines are USED (most likely returned within the warranty period - a part replaced here and there - and now, sold).

 

*EXACTLY* the same issue here. "Like new" condition my ass. My T41p's keyboard was DEFINITELY polished (had to buy another one off ebay!), as was the palmrest and even the touchpad (you know that feeling of a "slow" touchpad after a couple of years of use?). The CDRW/DVD drive was not working, but was changed by IBM in 3 working days. Plus, the battery had been already through 125+ cycles and even though it was advertised as "9-cell battery" it couldn't hold a charge for more than 35 minutes. Still another issue: there is a problem in the screen, as if it had been knocked or something. It's not very noticeable, but it's DEFINITELY there.

I was extra busy when I received it and I couldn't complain. Some weeks after that I send them a couple of emails about my issue, but since the feedback period was gone, they didn't even replied to my emails. Super nice guys.

Would I buy *anything* from them again? NO FREAKING WAY.

 

Sigh. I decided to go ahead and get one from them, a Tablet PC back in late September. It's December 15th and my Tablet PC is still in their hands with me not having being able to use it yet nor can I get my money back.

Albeit, their customer service, by incident, was decent. The guys seem to know what they're doing and I'd call, leave a message and would get a call back the same day or the next day and action would be taken. In the big picture, however, I'm disappointed. After a couple replacement hard drives were sent, and the unit being returned back to them, here I sit going on three months since I shelled out all my money and now Lenovo's that are built for Vista are on the market and I can't trade w/ Thinkpad for one of those because they don't have them yet.

Unless the tides turn in this story, my feeling is that it's too much money to be purchasing items that have a chance of failing and that will take a long time to get the fixes implemented.

FYI, in the warranty trail, I called IBM first, they said, ah yes, you have a unit that doesn't have an IBM warranty. I then called MACK camera and they said ah yes we'd be glad to help you but unfortunately we're really booked so it's going to be 6-8 weeks before we can look at your unit. So that's when I returned it back to Thinkpad World for their fixing. And so I wait.

I can't get my money back from Thinkpad World because they don't do refunds.

Sigh
(I'm past being angry and have written this event off as a bad decision on my part)

 

So the Mack warranty did not help?

 

Hi All,

Sending this message from a refurb Thinkpad T60p I got from thinkpadworld.com. This is my second purchase from them, the first being an NEC 21" monitor. Both products are great, the prices were great, and the shipping was fast. for some reason I never got a tracking number from them for the thinkpad, and when I called them to get a tracking number they told me it had already been delivered and was signed for by my landlord : )

They did have this drop-shipped to me, but considering the price, the speed of shipping, and the huge and well detailed selection on their site, I have no issues with that. I am so happy with them, I just went out of my way to find a place to spread the word. {I hereby declare am not affiliated with thinkpadworld in any way, other than having given them many of my hard-earned dollars.. ; ) }

 

Confused, why are you paying $2k for a T4x series machine instead of buying a T60/61 series for 40% less than that that is a generation newer in processors, chipsets, etc?

 

I got sucked into reading this thread for a while until I realized it's two years old. Seems like it has been reactivated for viral marketing.