My son was starting college in September, 2009 and the college recommended that we purchase a ThinkPad T500 from the college purchase program on the Lenovo website. We tried to place the order online on June 17, 2009 but was unable to complete the transaction due to problems on their website. We then contacted Lenovo by telephone to place the order and we received a confirming email with a delivery date of July 2nd.  
 
When the order was not received on July 2nd and we never received an email from Lenovo, we went to our Lenovo online account and found that delivery slipped to July 17th. We did not receive the order on July 17th nor did we receive an email from Lenovo, we again found in our online account that Lenovo slipped the delivery date to July 30th. I was concerned about the delivery possibly slipping again to after the start of the college year, so I contacted the IT Director at the college. After his phone call to Lenovo, we finally received our ThinkPad T500 on July 27th. The T500 arrived in great shape and my son was pleased with this laptop.  
 
Although Lenovo makes a very good product, their online sales and order fulfillment process leaves a lot to be desired.

This review was modified by its author, UBHappy, on 11/21/09 5:46 AM.

awful! awful! I thought I was reaching out directly to the manufacturer. The experience is horrible. If you have to- just have to buy Lenovo - reach out to a reputable reseller who has more leverage than you as an individual. I placed my order for a laptop and they have revised my delivery date 2 times - the call center in India is atrocious..horrible customer service..it blows you away that a co like Lenovo sucks so mcu in customer fulfillment. Really sucks.

Wow! If only I had read these reviews...  
 
I had a very similar experience to the ones that I'm reading about here. My original order was placed on August 18th. They put my order on credit card hold, so I called my bank, cleared the whole mess and called the number back that they asked me to call. I left a message both times that I called. When I didn't hear back after two days, I emailed them. The next email I received was one telling me my order was canceled.  
 
So I ordered a new one, this time making sure that all of my addresses matched. It wasn't scheduled to come in until the end of September. By the second week of September, I canceled that order to purchase a newer laptop-- predicted to ship WITHIN 5 business days.  
 
Well, September 29 came and went and when I checked my status the new shipping date was NOVEMBER 3. I called them, they were very polite, but I still wasn't going to get my laptop before November. On October 7, I received a call saying that the computer I wanted had sold out, but did I want the newer version at no additional cost?  
 
YES! I said, and I even doubled checked with the rep that I was all squared away with my credit card and mailing addresses. This new one would ship by the 14th of October. The day it was supposed to ship, the date was again pushed back. So I called. And they said it was on credit card hold?!! And not only that, but it wouldn't ship until the 28th of October. I was reassured a number of times that when the package did ship, I would receive an email saying as much.  
 
The package actually shipped on the 15th (what an unexpected surprise!) and I received it yesterday. I'm still waiting for the email saying that it was shipped though....  
 
I haven't had much time to fiddle around with it yet, but at least the computer itself seems pretty great.  
 
The people I spoke with were incredibly courteous and attentive. I was never placed on hold for more than 2 minutes and I was able to speak with a real person almost every single time I called. But Lenovo as a business needs to step up its game. I would NOT recommend supporting this business with your patronage--unless extreme frustration and disappointed are states of being you enjoy inhabiting.

this is the worst purchasing experience i ever had. not just on computer, but anything!!!  
 
i ordered the computer in august, after 20 days, i called to check status, Lenovo's said my order is still pending credit card check as they had problem to verify my shipping address vs. billing address. however, for over 20 days, i was not informed and still waiting. then, i provided more information to help with credit check but after a week, still no result. after waited for over a month, 5.5 weeks, my computer finally arrived. but the items i ordered were not completely delivered. i ordered 3Gb RAM, they only delivered 2Gb. my MS Office software is an OEM license and Microsoft refused to service so i am requesting a refund so i can purchase a regular MS Office. now, two months after i bought this computer, i have to bring in to a Lenovo dealer to have them fix the issues. i paid over $1,600 for this computer and treated like i am begging..... horrible experience.

I ordered a camera bag on 8.19.09. It cost $14.46 + $1.26 tax and the status indicated the item was in stock.  
 
The order was pending for a few days at which point the estimated ship date was scheduled for 9.2.09. Once that date came around, the date was pushed back to 9.14.09. On that day it was pushed back again to 9.28.09. At that point I immediately called Lenovo that spoke with their customer service. They informed me that the order had "cleared" except that it was never submitted to the warehouse.  
 
Seems odd to me. I was skeptical.  
 
Customer support said they are submitting the order to the warehouse and it will be shipped. The estimated ship date never changed from 9.28.09. I remained skeptical and was expecting to check the status again and find that it had been bumped another two weeks. Instead I received this email message today (9.28.09):  
 
"Due to the overwhelming demand for the Lenovo products you ordered, we have been unable to ship all or part of your order. You are a valued customer and we are working to ship your order as soon as possible. However, If we do not hear from you within the next 5 days, Federal regulations require us to automatically cancel your order for which you will receive a full refund. If you would like to keep your order open, just send us an email by clicking the link below. If you agree to this delay notification, you may still request to modify or cancel your order at any time by contacting your representative Lenovo Sales toll free at 1(866)428-4465.  
 
[PLEASE KEEP MY LENOVO ORDER (2DTRF6) ACTIVE - I AGREE TO THE DELAY]  
 
Our online order status tool displays the latest information on your order therefore a revised estimated ship date is not included in this notification. Please continue to visit the online order status tool, available 24 hours a day, to view the latest information on your order status:  
www.directlenovo.com/orderstatus/login.cfm?cid=4868178&oid=2DTRF6  
 
Lenovo appreciates your continued business and we apologize for any inconvenience this delay may have caused.  
 
Lenovo Sales"  
 
Either they simply cannot run a business and ship a damn camera bag in a day or they're scammers sitting on this money hoping enough people fall for the trap and that some will forget their orders.  
 
I've waited over a month for a damn camera bag! I suppose I'm the fool.

My experience with Lenovo has been mixed.  
 
I found the ordering of the product to be exceptionally well done. I ordered my X200Tablet customized laptop on 7/24, and was promised a ship date of 8/6. Much to my surprise, it shipped on 7/28 and arrived on 8/3/2009. Wonderful!  
 
Out of the box, nothing was missing and the computer booted up well. I was disappointed with the amount of bloatware installed. I basically had to do a full wipe and clean build of the system in order to recover the true performance abilities. Not unusual for a prebuilt though.  
 
On 9/16/2009, after watching my 18 month old son scribble on the screen in MS paint, it occurred to me that I might wish to buy the extended warranty protection that would cover accidental damage. I went online to lenovo.com, entered my machine type and serial number, and selected the 3yr Depot Upgrade w/ 3yr ThinkPad Protection (which covers accidental damage). The prior page to add it to the cart listed the price as 237, but the cart showed it as 279, and after tax was a little over $300. Not a big deal, well worth it.  
 
The following weekend, a crack showed up in the lcd screen. I immediately called lenovo customer service that saturday, and was informed that since I did not have an extended warranty, I would be charged $979 for the repair. I inquired how they knew that's how much it would cost, since they hadn't even seen the machine, and didn't know all the components that were damaged, and wondered if it was just a worst case estimate. Not so. The CS rep told me to call back on monday to speak with their "Entitlement Department".  
 
This was the most unhelpful customer service rep I have ever encountered. I had to prompt him for everything. Here's an example exchange:  
 
Me: "Hi! I've got a lenovo X200T with a cracked screen"  
CS: "Yes?"  
Me: "Well, um, it's not displaying right, and I need to get it fixed"  
CS: "Ok."  
Me: "Can you guys fix it?"  
CS: "Yes."  
Me: "OoooooK, how about we do that then?"  
CS: "Alright."  
.  
.  
.  
 
I'm used to good customer service being a fellow (or gal) on the other end of the line who hears your problem and finds out what they can do about it. I literally had to drag this guy along to get what I wanted.  
 
Anyways.  
 
I call back on monday, and speak with another CS rep. I inquire if I can get the machine sent in for repair while I sort out the warranty issue. No go he says, they will charge me for it. So they CS rep transfers me to the Entitlement Department.  
 
There, I speak with Ms. P, who is fairly friendly and helpful, and she initially says I have purchased the wrong warranty. I explain how I purchased it, and it eventually comes up that she has no idea what I've purchased. She requests that I fax her my proof of purchase. Pretty ridiculous, I think, that I have to go to www.lenovo.com, pull up my order, print it out, write "Attn: Ms. P, Case #: xxxxxxx", and fax it BACK to lenovo, to prove that I've purchased the warranty. However, I follow her instructions, and wait for her callback.  
 
On Tuesday a prepaid UPS box arrives from lenovo, much to my surprise. I assumed that the CS rep and entitlement department must have worked it out and that my laptop was cleared for warranty repairs. Great! I pack up my laptop and ship it off, UPS picks up my box on Wednesday.  
 
Thursday, I receive a call from lenovo CS informing me that they have my laptop and it will cost $750 to repair the screen, will I authorize the repairs? WTF?  
 
I call lenovo back, and get another rep in the Entitlement Department, Ms. M this time. Ms. M informs me that I only have a 1 year warranty. She informs me I need to fax in proof of my extended warranty purchase. I inform her that I've already done so. She asks to whom, and I give her Ms. P's name. Ms. M has never heard of Ms. P. I complain that it's fairly ridiculous that I'm having to fax in proof of purchase that exists right on lenovo databases, but apparently the "Entitlement Department" is basically a mediation entity. Why we need a mediation entity to resolve a seemingly simple issue is beyond me. In any case, I once again fax in my proof of purchase, after obtaining Ms. M's word that she would call me as soon as she got it.  
 
Ms. M calls me back on thursday, and informs me that I only purchased a 1 year warranty. I explain to her that the part number is indeed correct, and that the printed invoice only shows the first half of the warranty description, and that she should probably go and look up the part number.  
 
My invoice read:  
"41C9334 MOBILE 1YR DEPOT TO TOTAL 279.00 1 279.00"  
 
The part number description on lenovo.com reads:  
"41C9334 MOBILE 1YR DEPOT TO TOTAL 3YR DEPOT WARRANTY+ACCDMGPROT"  
 
I'm currently waiting on hearing back from Ms. M and the fate of my laptop, which I urgently need for note taking. The convoluted process and hoops I've been made to jump through, and the generally poor attitude and understanding of the lenovo reps I have talked to have insured that, while they make great computers, I will never buy from them again. Their customer service is not worth the headache.  
 
UPDATE: I've now heard back from lenovo and they've finally figured out that I did purchase an extended warranty. It's taken a full week from my initial customer service call to the time now when they are finally able to recognise that I have paid for warranty service.  
 
Good:  
High quality machines  
Low CS wait times  
Fast response when they do recognise the problem  
 
Bad:  
CS Representatives are exceptionally poor  
-What they say they will do is not reflected in what they actually do  
Lenovo departments don't seem to know what the others are doing  
-Purchasing seemed unable to directly inform warranty that I had bought a warranty  
Customer bears the brunt of the responsibility for getting service  
 
I will not buy from them again unless I hear that their CS has improved dramatically. Judging from other reports and various online forums, they have a chronic issue with customer service - I hope that changes.

This review was modified by its author, patrickbeebe, on 9/25/09 5:12 PM.

The reason I called customer service was because I received the wrong computer in the mail. Lenovo sent me someone else's computer (which was a far lower model than my own) and expected me to jump through hoops in order to obtain the correct computer. I was told I needed to send the computer back, wait for a full refund, completely re-order the computer and wait 2-3 weeks for it to be built and shipped. Naturally, I thought this was ridiculous since I had already gone through this waiting process and this error was not my fault. Additionally, since I customized the computer, it would take another 45 minutes of my time to ensure that I was once again ordering it to my specifications. When I complained about the process, stating that I thought it was unreasonable, and asked to speak to a manager, I was given one. His response was that I should be happy that I am not having to pay a 15% restocking fee as well as pay for the shipping for the computer. I was very dissatisfied with that conversation, so I called again. I then spoke to a lady who was very helpful and apologetic who forwarded me to several other people and finally to a manager in North Carolina who stated that he was going to meet with some people to figure out what to do since this apparently has never happened before. He stated that they would be getting back to me by the end of the day that day (9/10/09) or the following morning. Otherwise, he gave me his direct number and told me to call if I hadn't heard from him by noonish. When I called, I left three messages on friday 9/11/09 and no one returned my calls. This was another frustrating event for me. Finally, when monday rolled around, I called again and finally was able to get ahold of him. At this time, I was basically told that I would not have to order the computer again, but it would still be about 10 days before I would receive my computer. Now, I understand that the computer needs to be built again, but I feel that overnight shipping should be used. My requests for expediated shipping were met with "Maybes" but no promises. Additionally, after all this trouble (and not having a computer for 6 weeks rather than 3, when I have desperately needed it) you would think that there would be something that Lenovo would do to try and "rectify" the situation. For example, if I go to the restaurant and a waiter screws up the order, oftentimes they make ammends -without prompting- and take a few dollars off the bill or offer a free dessert AND fix the problem. My experience with Lenovo, however, has been that I had to fight tooth and nail to get the company to even send me the right computer without making me completely reorder it and punish me for their mistake. Overall, this entire experience has been extremely stressful, very time consuming (hours spent on the phone with Lenovo representatives), cost me several weeks of lost productivity (I am a graduate student and I needed that computer when I ordered it), and overall very dissatisfying. The least Lenovo could have done was offer some free upgrades on the new computer, additional software, overnight shipping, etc. but instead I was told I should be grateful that I didn't have to PAY MORE to get the proper computer. I was generally very dissatisfied with the resolution of my problem. This situation is very sad because before this happened, I was singing Lenovo's praises seeing as other customers have been very happy about quality, features, and the reasonable price. I even convinced another person to buy the same computer. However, after this situation, I have told virtually everyone I know about the poor customer service I have received at Lenovo. No one should have to go through this to get the computer that they paid for.

No problems here... Ordered a custom configured T400 on July 13th and received it on July 20th. I'm stoked! :-)

I ordered a customized Lenovo T400 on 6/17 using a few days old quote. My system was built and shipped out on 6/23 and I got it on 6/26. All in all I got what I wanted, for price I wanted, and on top of that, I got it FAST!

I wish I had read the reviews before I placed my last two orders. Unbelievable long time before my shipments arrived. I actually emailed several times to cancel my first order, then placed another order. They both came at around the same time, and I ended up keeping both products because the products are good. The shipping and customer service needs to be more responsive!

Expect SIGNIFICANT delays. I got an email from a Brazilian and Mexican email address advising me that Lenovo is unable to verify my credit card information, and that I would need to contact my credit card company to ensure that the information matched. I called my credit card company, and they told me that everything had already been approved on their end. I also ensured that the address and phone number on file with my credit card company was consistent with what I gave Lenovo.... it matched perfectly of course. All excuses basically. I subsequently called the 800 number listed in Lenovo's email. Busy for 2 hours straight. When I finally got through, I got a recording telling me that there were no reps available and that I would need to leave a voice mail. I did, but God knows when I'll hear back.  
 
It's been a week, and my order has yet to be submitted to the factory for assembly because it is still pending verification. WORST ONLINE PURCHASE EVER.

Prepare to wait atleast a month for anything you order.  
 
Like the other reviews, lenovo has some of the worst customer service practices. No contact, no emails, nothing. You will be in the dark for weeks about your order.. and when you look at your credit card you will get bonus charges.. because they didnt charge enough for an option or two.  
 
Buy a dell, they treat you like shit but atleast you wont get a bait/switch.

This review was modified by its author, gerolsteiner, on 4/30/09 8:56 PM.

This is probably the worst customer service/shipping policies I've ever seen. BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY, U DO NOT WANT TO ORDER FROM THIS COMPANY NO MATTER HOW MUCH OF A "VALUE" THE LAPTOP SEEMS TO BE. It's been a month and I still have no laptop, in fact, they are charging me $150 more than the original order price and have sent me a shady update e-mail with a time-stamp like the price-change happened 3 hours after my original purchase, when it happened only a couple of days ago. They refuse to give me a straight answer and pawn me off to the next day or the next rep. They are THE WORST COMPANY TO EVER BUY ANYTHING FROM and I heard that sending a laptop in for repair is even worse of a process! I am cancelling my order tomorrow morning, but buy beware, THIS COMPANY IS GOING DOWN HILL and that goes for the QUALITY of the product as well, as I have heard an increasing amount of complaints just this year about the lack of quality in recent times of their new computers. DON'T DO IT, EVEN IF IT LOOKS GOOD, IT'S NOT THE SAME COMPANY ANYMORE! GO HP, GO DELL, GO ANYWHERE ELSE!!!!!!!!!!!!! I CAN'T STRESS IT ENOUGH.

On 13 March 2009, after much research and a decision against buying a Dell XPS 1330, I ordered a Lenovo Ideapad Y430-278198U . It was already reduced by $100 and with a further St. Patrick's Day 15% Off offer, my total price for this top-of-the line PC was $764.15 plus tax. Outstanding!  
 
On 17 March 2009, three days after my Saturday order, I received notice that my notebook had shipped!  
 
On 18 March 2009, I got my UPS tracking number which said the notebook would be delivered on 20 March 2009 via UPS 3-day Express which I didn't request.  
 
On 19 March, my PC was delivered to my house via UPS which I gladly signed for!  
 
Now I know this almost sounds impossible, but I'm honestly sitting here typing this review on my new Lenovo Ideapad Y430. Ordered and in my hands within one week. Amazing!  
 
The laptop is super nice except for all the junk software. I've deleted most everything not operating system. Norton Internet Security is bloat-ware as far as I'm concerned, and ReadyComm makes it almost impossible to do a really fast wireless connection. Recommend you delete those immediately.  
 
Still my new Lenovo Y430 is fast - even the ordering and shipping!

This review was modified by its author, Guardsix, on 3/21/09 8:15 PM.

February 4th I ordered an X200 from the outlet (New condition) for $840. It was my dream laptop. Seriously.  
Order confirmation came in immediately and shipping date said 2/17. Not the fastest but I was OK with waiting. Time passed and 2/17 arrived. I looked up the order status on the 18th and saw it got delayed till the 27th. I called lenovo immediately and asked them why this is so. They said the shipping date online isn't correct and the laptop should get shipped out during this week. This is what their system says and is apparently more accurate. So I waited and no laptop showed up. On March 2nd (monday) I still got no shippment confirmation and shipment date got delayed to the 3/6. I called immediatly again and they told me the same story. The representative promised me the laptop will go out Thursday or Friday 3/5 (3/6). Additionally the representative did a request to the warehouse why this order takes so long plus put my order on the priority list.  
On Friday still no shipment confirmation. Needlessly to say I was pissed...  
I called and they said it will get shipped out beginning next week. Well since I'm not totally stupid I didn't believe them anymore and wanted to talk to a supervisor. Supervisor was actually american (no indian) and couldn't help me less. He said everything is already done (request to the warehouse etc.) and he promised me the laptop will get shipped out next week. I didn't accept this bullshit and I kept arguing with him. I told him to call the warehouse which he said he can't. He also admitted that he cannot do anymore for me than the "normal" representative. So the supervisor was of no help. In addition he was very rude (Ok, I was not very nice too... but still customers who wanna spend ~$840 should get treated better). I kept arguing with him for over 15 minutes until he said I should wait on the line he will try to call the warehouse. I was surprised, earlier he claimed he can't do this...  
After 3 Minutes he got back and told me the laptop got ordered twice and the other guy who ordered it got the laptop shipped out so they don't have this laptop anymore. I asked him why they didn't cancel my order in the first place back in February? He couldnt say anything to it. He was speachless too. I told that two weeks ago (about end of February) there was the exact same laptop I had ordered on the outlet again and for the identical price. He didn't have anything to say anymore.  
He said i could cancel my order or get a similar laptop pricematched. This would need a few days. We exchanged email addresses and phone Nr and he promised to get back to me by this Tuesday 12pm. He hadn't and so I send him an email earlier to cancel my order.