Visa discount questions

Hi,
I found a nicely priced T43 on IBM's visa discount website. Regular price is $1599, it says "your price" is $1279. So, two quick questions:

1. As a regular consumer (student, actually), can I buy at this price? It's not a business-only promotion is it?

2. Will a Visa debit card work? I do not own a credit card, but my debit card is Visa.

Thanks! [ ]

 

1.) Yes, a regular consumer can use it. I did. Btw, I got phone calls from both the credit card company and Lenovo to confirm that I indeed placed the order. They must have fraud problems.

2.) I'm not sure, but be aware that they will charge your card when you place your order, not when it ships (so make sure the cash is in the bank!).

As a student, have you checked to see whether your school offers any educational discounts on IBM products? I don't know how those compare with the Visa/Mastercard discounts.

 

Biker, can you give us a rundown of the configuration of this machine?

 

It's a 15" T43
Pentium M 1.73 GHz
512MB of 533MHz ram
60 gig, 5400rpm HD
ATI X300 64MB
DVD-R/CD-RW combo drive
6 cell battery (9 cell is available for only $49 more, however)
Intel 2200 b/g WiFi

I had never seriously considered IBM's b/c they seem a bit less powerful in terms of multimedia (gaming) and also seem pretty expensive. But this deal caught my eye.

See my thread entitled "What to buy!" in the Hardware forum for more details on my laptop requirements, etc.

Anyone know for sure if I can use a debit card?

Also, any idea how long this deal will stick around? If I decide to buy this Thinkpad I don't want to miss out!

 

I have discovered, after calling IBM (ahem...Lenovo), that a debit card will work with the visa discount.

And I'm sorry to cross-post this question, but does anyone here know if the "Base Warranty" will work for a personal user like me? IBM says that personal consumers should upgrade to an "Extended Service Contract." Must I do this, or would the regular (no extra cost) warranty work for me?

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by Biker

 

Where is IBM's Visa discount site? Does anyone know about discounts for MC customers?

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by astrofrog

 

Thanks!

 

Does anyone know how long this particular offer might last? Is there a risk of waiting too long and not being able to get the good price on this machine? I ask because Bank of America is upgrading its whole network in New England, and I won't have access to my debit card funds until Monday. Am I going to run out of time?

This is the website: http://www-131.ibm.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=8797720&storeId=10821223&langId=-1&categoryId=2049168&dualCurrId=1201232&catalogId=-840

Thanks!

 

Thanks! I didn't think Visa's site would have any info on that kind of thing. Silly me! [ ]

 

I went to Visa's web site:
http://www.usa.visa.com/business/small_business/detail/IBM_3_S05/vro_details.jsp?offerName=IBM_3_S05&offerId=10884&pageId=152&it=il|/business/small_business/partner_advantage.jsp
OR
http://tinyurl.com/a9638

Here are the terms of the current offer:

o Offer valid May 1, 2005 through October 31, 2005.
o Savings referenced off regular IBM Web price and available only direct from IBM in the U.S. on select products.
o Limit 10 per customer.
o All offers subject to availability.
o IBM reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time, without notice.
o IBM is not responsible for photographic or typographic errors.
o Offer cannot be combined with any other offer or discount.
o Offer only redeemable in the U.S.
o Void where prohibited.
o Applicable taxes must be paid by bearer.
o Offer good only when paid for with a valid Visa card.

 

By the way, how about taxes? Is that price 1276 complete or without tax? I saw there * which was saying that tax may not be included?

 

IBM/Lenovo web prices (including "your price") are pre-tax. Tax is calculated when you check out. Unlike some manufacturers (such as HP), IBM/Lenovo charges sales taxes everywhere. The $1279 doesn't include tax, but at least they offer free shipping.

 

Thanx. By the way how much usa tax is? I´m not american so i don´t know [:I].

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by gazi

 

OK, I ordered the computer this morning. Now I have another question: How do I check my order status? When I click the link, I have to either sign in as a guest or sign into my IBM account. I would just sign in as a guest, because I know my order number, but it also asks for "Enterprise, customer, INAC or company number." I don't know any of these numbers! I don't even know what they mean!

So I could sign into my IBM account and check my order status that way, except it wants me to update all my account info with things such as my company, my "Entitlement level," and "business accounts." I'm 18 years old with a part time job! I don't even have a career chosen yet, let alone an "entitlement level" with a specific company. The options for entitlement level are Enterprise number, customer number, INAC number or company number, and as I said I don't know what these things mean or what the numbers are.

Please help! Is there any way for me to check my order status online?

 

Heh, sorry guys, I just found the answer to my own question. IBM sent me an email with the appropriate numbers in it. I guess I'm just a little bit anxious to get my new T43!

 

Did you get an e-mail confirmation? Your customer number and your order number are right below the link to check order status. Example:

<blockquote>To get order status, visit our website: https://www.ibm.com/account/orderstatus/us/

On-line Order Status Customer Number*: 9999999
On-line Order Status Order Number: 9A9AA9
</blockquote>Just enter those to "sign-in as guest." You probably won't see anything new, though. After six days, there hasn't been any change in status on my T43 order.

 

Thanks for your help djohnsen. I think I'm all set now.